ST. PAULS — After leading the St. Pauls boys basketball team to a Three Rivers Conference championship, Bulldogs guard Jeyvian Tatum was named the league’s Player of the Year Monday.

“I’m thankful for it,” Tatum said. “I felt like I could win it.”

Tatum averaged 15.9 points per game as the Bulldogs were 14-1 overall this season and 7-1 in TRC play. The team advanced to the second round of the 2A state playoffs before they could not continue in the tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test among the team.

“That’s a big achievement for our program, and for Jeyvian,” St. Pauls coach Corey Thompson said. “I’m happy that he was able to be selected as the Player of the Year. Jeyvian’s really been playing some great ball this year, and his game has improved and he’s really helped us tremendously on both ends of the court.”

Tatum has showed marked improvement each year of his high school career since playing on the varsity team as a freshman. He averaged 10.5 points per game last season as a sophomore before his 5.4-point improvement this season.

“Every year I try to make sure that I can get better, I make sure I just improve on everything, every year,” Tatum said.

His maturation has been very good for us, because each year he’s gotten better and he’s improved his game,” Thompson said. “The kid works on his game really hard, and my staff, Coach Humphrey, they do a great job with him, working him out and trying to keep him focused on improving some aspect of his game. To say that this wasn’t planned — I’ve seen this coming. As long as he continued working and put forth the effort, I knew this was going to be the outcome.”

In addition to Tatum, Will Ford and Josh Henderson from St. Pauls were named to the All-Conference team.

Thompson was named TRC Coach of the Year.

Corell Love and Noah Chavis from Red Springs and Fairmont’s Jahkeem Moore and Saquan Singletary are also All-Conference team members.

The All-TRC team also includes: Whiteville’s Wendell Smith and Antonio McFadden; West Columbus’ Brandis Kelly and Keywone Sumpter; East Bladen’s Javant McDowell; East Columbus’ J.J. Faulkner; West Bladen’s Shyron Adams and South Columbus’ E.J. Tisdale.

The Bulldogs also had four players receive honorable mention recognition in Eric Malloy, Josh McNair, Elston Powell and Marcus Galbreath. Red Springs’ Brian Foulks, JoWuan Baker and Kaedon Porter were named honorable mentions, along with Fairmont’s Syn’cere Southern, Cedreke Smith and Savonte McKeithan.

Otheer honorable mentions include: Whiteville’s Daejuan Thompson, K.J. Hall and Christian Rorie; West Columbus’ Amajae Lowery, Ethan Brown and Darrius Marshall; East Bladen’s Malcolm Bolden and Charles Brown; East Columbus’ Julius Rivera and Jaquan Radford; West Bladen’s Josh Lewis; and South Columbus’ TreShawn Grate and Jamal Brown.

All-TRC girls team

Three players from the undefeated St. Pauls girls team headline the TRC’s girls All-Conference team.

T.J. Eichelberger, Jakieya Thompson and Taliya Council were selected to the team from the Bulldogs.

Fairmont’s Paris Bethea and Jakirra White and Red Springs’ Anaja McArthur were also All-Conference team selections.

St. Pauls’ Mike Moses was named Coach of the Year.

Trinity Smith from Whiteville was named TRC Player of the Year, and Ireona Johnson was also named to the All-Conference team from the Wolfpack.

Other All-Conference players include: East Bladen’s Maya McDonald and Alexus Mitchell; West Bladen’s Rylee Chadwick and Mikayla Wright; South Columbus’ Alexis Jordan; West Columbus’ Hailey Brown; and East Columbus’ Harmony Somerville.

St. Pauls’ Jashontae Harris, Shakiya Floyd and Tamyra Council were given honorable mention recognition, along with Fairmont’s Lakayla Chavis, Destiny Melvin and Amyrikal Vaught and Red Springs’ Jaliyah Bratcher and Elora Oxendine.

Other honorable mention players include: Whiteville’s Marnasia Smith, Mykelliona Shipman and Emily Hewett; East Bladen’s Katie Evans, Maegan Burney and Anna Grey Heustess; South Columbus’ Landy Cribb and Bella Coleman; West Columbus’ Jamesee Lawson and Rheya Collins; and East Columbus’ Zay Flowers and Kaleigh Mitchell.

All-SAC boys

Four Lumberton players and one from Purnell Swett were selected to the Sandhills Athletic Conference’s All-Conference team.

Lumberton’s Charlie Miller, Jadarion Chatman, Matt Locklear and Angel Bowie were picked to the team after leading Lumberton to its second-straight 4A East Regional final appearance.

Purnell Swett’s Cameron Ferguson was also named to the All-SAC team.

Pinecrest’s Bradlee Haskell was named the league’s Player of the Year, and the Patriots’ Ben Snyder was named Coach of the Year.

Other All-SAC selections include: Pinecrest’s Ian Blue, Sam Stoltz and J.J. Goins; Richmond’s Paul McNeil, Nygie Stroman and P.J. McLaughlin; Jack Britt’s Demetri Patterson and E.J. McArthur; Seventy-First’s Jared Davis; Hoke County’s Jeremiah Melvin; and Scotland’s Mandrell Johnson and Lamonte Cousar.

All-SAC girls

Two players each from the Lumberton and Purnell Swett girls basketball teams were named to the All-SAC team.

Purnell Swett’s Natalie Evington and Chloe Locklear and Lumberton’s August Smith and La’Kayia Hunt earned All-Conference honors.

Nyla Cooper from Jack Britt was named SAC Player of the Year and Nattlie McArthur from Jack Britt was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

Other All-SAC selections include: Jack Britt’s Amber Nealy, Ashara Hayes and Nariyah Nixon; Seventy-First’s Ayanna Williams and Neveah Colon; Pinecrest’s Emmie Modlin, Aniyah Jackson and Britteny Sparrow; Richmond’s Jayla McDougald and Jakerra Covington; Scotland’s Kadence Sheppard; and Hoke County’s Morgan Harrelson.