Outlay Earns Two Awards, Turchin, Keys Named All-CCAC

CHICAGO – For the first time in a decade, Roosevelt placed multiple players on the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference's all-league teams when the conference announced its all-conference selections Tuesday.

The selections were highlighted by the dominant performance from Marie Outlay, who took home two individual honors in her first collegiate season. The Sun Prairie, Wis. native was named the CCAC's 2023-24 Freshman of the Year, earning her a spot on the all-rookie team, but she was also the league's Defensive Player of the Year. She is the first Lakers player to be named the Defensive Player of the Year and the third to be Rookie of the Year, joining Nadia Thorman-McKey in 2018-19 and Casey Davis in 2010-11.

Outlay finished the season with a school-record 87 steals, leading the CCAC by 19 thefts and finishing sixth in the nation. Her 3.5 steals per game bumped her up to third in the country and she also blocked 19 shots this season to finish in the top-10 in the CCAC. The guard also averaged more than nine points and five rebounds per game, highlighted by her only double-double of the season against current No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan in November.

"I've never coached a freshman with more postseason accolades than Marie," Roosevelt head coach Deon Thomas said. "In our preseason meeting, Marie came into my office and told me that she wanted to be Defensive Player of the Year and on the all-freshman team. She set the bar high for herself and was able to achieve it by taking care of her body and being coachable all season long. Marie was the defensive juggernaut that disrupted many teams scouting reports. I can't wait to coach Marie for the next three years."

Jayla Turchin also made history as she became the first Lakers player since Davis in 2013-14 to be named a first-team all-conference honoree. Kristen Keys was a second-team selection as well, joining Turchin as the first Roosevelt teammates on the two all-league squads since Davis and Maria Tamburrino were first-team picks in 2012-13. Outlay continued her haul with an honorable mention nod on the all-conference teams, tying the program record for most players honored.

After being a second-team selection last season, Turchin was again the Lakers' leading scorer this season at 13 points per game. The junior from Evanston averaged 13.7 points per game in CCAC contests while also grabbing more than eight rebounds per game on the season. She recorded seven double-doubles this season, including one in the CCAC quarterfinals against Indiana Northwest.

Keys made an instant impact in her one year at Roosevelt by finishing second on the team at 11.3 points per game. She shot 43 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from behind the arc while playing in 23 games this season and averaging slightly more than 26 minutes per contest. She bounced back from an early-season injury to drop 21 points at then-No. 22 Grand View then topped that with 26 points at St. Francis on Feb. 10.

"Jayla was a mismatch nightmare all season long. She spent a lot of time and effort in the offseason to take care of her body, and it showed by the product she put on the court," Thomas said. "Keys had the talent to be first-team all-conference player, but battled injuries all season long. She came in and added another mismatch to our arsenal as the smooth stretch four we were missing from last season while also providing valuable off-court veteran leadership."

Roosevelt was also named the Champions of Character Award winner for their sportsmanship and community service this season.