STATESBORO - Georgia Southern freshman Terren Ward has been named the 2020-21 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year with the release of the postseason awards from the league today.

Ward averaged 7.9 points per game and was the Eagles' leading scorer in Sun Belt Conference games at 9.2 points per game. The Jesup, Ga., native earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors on February 8, becoming the first Georgia Southern freshman to earn a weekly league honor in program history. She reached double digit scoring in seven games this season and had season highs of 26 points against Appalachian State on February 27 and 15 rebounds vs. Troy on February 5.

She becomes just the third Georgia Southern women's basketball player to earn league Freshman o the Year honors, joining 1990 TAAC Freshman of the Year Markisha Vereen and 2007 SoCon Freshman of the Year Carolyn Whitney. Ward is also the first player to earn a major award from Sun Belt Conference women's basketball since Georgia Southern joined the league in 2014-15.

"This is a huge honor that the Sun Belt has bestowed upon Terren," Georgia Southern Head Coach Anita Howard said. "I am extremely thrilled to not only have one phenomenal freshman like Terren, but to have several great freshmen that will continue to lift our program. Terren has always said that she wants to be great, that she wants little girls to know her name, and she wants to win!  She has definitely put in the work to build upon that goal as a freshman. The Sun Belt has yet to see what she is fully capable of and I'm glad she's doing it in an Eagle jersey! The sky's the limit for this baby! We're blessed to have T3!"

Ward was part of a Georgia Southern roster in 2020-21 that featured 10 underclassmen, including six freshman. The Eagles increased their win total for a second straight season despite playing six less games than the previous season due to COVID-19, and Georgia Southern ranks among the Top 20 nationally in rebounding, steals and free throws.