By WS Moore, Sports correspondent.

Hinesville natives Ky’Leo Worriels and Will Richardson were both recognized by their respective conferences for their efforts on the basketball court during the 2022-23 season.

Worriels, a junior forward on the women’s basketball team at Point University, earned second team honors in addition to be named to the all-defensive team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Richardson, a senior guard on the men’s basketball team at the University of Oregon, was named to the Pac-12 all-conference honorable mention squad. The 6-foot-2 Worriels finished the season averaging 8.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while helping Point to a 23-9 record and a trip to the NAIA national tournament. She had a season-high of 21 points against Milligan, 19 rebounds against Kentucky Christian, and had five games where she had a double-double with points and rebounds.

Before joining the team at Point, Worriels played for two seasons at Itawamba Community College. She is a 2020 graduate of Bradwell Institute.

Richardson, who earned all-Pac 12 second team honors last season, averaged 12. 5 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds this year while guiding the Ducks to a 2115 record and a trip to the National Invitational Tournament, where they advanced to the quarterfinals. He had season-highs of 28 points against Michigan State, 10 rebounds against Nevada, 12 assists against Portland and four steals against Arizona.

Richardson’s 28 points matched a career-high he set last year against Colorado while the rebounds and assists were career-highs for the 6-foot-5 fifth year senior.

Before Richardson enrolled at Oregon, he spent a year at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Prior to that, he played for three years at Liberty County High School and as a sophomore was a member of the Panthers’ state championship team.