Orton, Burnham, Santimano Headline Women’s Basketball’s All-NECC Selections

MANSFIELD, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team collected three major New England Collegiate Conference awards along with three all-conference nods, as the league office announced the 2019-20 women's basketball all-conference teams and award winners.

Sophomore Stevie Orton (Gilford, N.H.) was tabbed the NECC Player of the Year while senior Jenn Burnham (West Valley City, Utah) was named the NECC Defensive Player of the Year and ninth-year head coach Sacha Santimano was voted as the NECC Coach of the Year.

Orton becomes the second player in program history to earn Player of the Year honors as Melissa Christmas was selected as the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1999-2000. Burnham claimed Eastern Nazarene's second-straight NECC Defensive Player of the Year nod after Shannon Chau (San Francisco, Calif.) earned the accolade last season. Santimano was named Coach of the Year for the second time in her career having received Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year laurels in 2011-12.

Orton and senior Kyra Fleharty (Lewistown, Mont.) were both tabbed to the All-NECC first team while Burnham earned a spot on the All-NECC second team. Junior Seniesha Sekaquaptewa (Second, Mesa, Ariz.) was also named to the NECC Del Malloy Sportsmanship Team.

Orton ranks seventh in the conference and leads Eastern Nazarene with 16.0 points per game and ranks eighth in the league with 6.4 rebounds per contest. She sports a conference-best field-goal percentage of 51.4%. A two-time NECC Player of the Week, Orton was tabbed to the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week earlier this season. She has started 17 of the 21 games in which she has seen action and has notched four double doubles on the year. In league action, Orton averaged 15.4 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per contest.

Burnham played in 23 games this season and made 18 starts while averaging 8.1 points per game and 3.3 boards per game. She racked up 30 steals and eight blocks on the year. Burnham earned NECC Player of the Week honors once this season and sports a field-goal percentage of 40.3%.

Fleharty ranks second on the squad with 11.0 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per contest. She has started 17 games and appeared in 21 contests this season while leading the league in three-point shooting with a 38.8% clip from the perimeter. In conference play, Fleharty averaged 10.9 points per contest and 4.9 boards per game as she saw action in all 14 league tilts.

Santimano is in her ninth season at the helm of the Eastern Nazarene women's basketball program and owns a career record of 128-104. Santimano launched and championed the team's "DONAT3" initiative this year which pledges money, raises funds and awareness, and collects goods for three organizations that empower women, children, and families. She was featured on D3Hoops.com's talk show "Hoopsville" to talk about the initiative February 20.

Sekaquaptewa played in 23 games this season, including all 14 conference clashes, and averaged 4.8 points per game along with 3.2 rebounds per contest and 2.3 assists per game this year.

Eastern Nazarene boasts a 20-3 overall record and wrapped up the regular season with a 13-1 mark in NECC action to clinch the top seed in the NECC Tournament. The Lions' 20 victories are the most since the legendary 1999-2000 campaign.

The Lions will host an NECC Tournament semifinal game Thursday, February 27.