Ex-Vikings Orlandi, Tackett named NAIA All-Americans
With their deep run in the NAIA Women’s Basketball Tournament and success all year, Caelyn Orlandi and Brittany Tackett of Lewis-Clark State, both former Coeur d’Alene High standouts, were named All-Americans by the NAIA on Thursday.
Orlandi earned first team All-American while Tackett was named to the second team list. Last year, Orlandi was named to the second team and Tackett to the third team.
Orlandi finished the year leading the NAIA in total assists, assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. She also broke school records for most assists in a season and most assists in a career. During the season, she averaged 14.1 points and 7.1 assists per game. In the NAIA Tournament, she averaged 17 points and nine assists per game.
“Having Caelyn Orlandi at the point guard for the last three seasons has been a coach’s dream,” L-C State coach Brian Orr said. “I am stressing three seasons because Brittaney Niebergall was our starting point guard Caelyn’s freshman season and we had ‘Goose’ running the 2 or the 3; so when you consider what she accomplished, just in terms of assists, it’s pretty incredible. She is so fast. We have never had anyone advance the basketball as fast with the dribble or so quick with the perfect 70-foot pass to a sprinting teammate for a wide-open layup.
“Caelyn is one of those unique competitors who has the ability to see the action and play the game with superior control. Her poise and confidence has always been special but this season her on-court leadership was simply amazing. But none of it happens without her love of the game and her off-season commitment to continue to improve every year. So we couldn’t be happier because no one could possibly be more deserving of this honor.”
Tackett led the nation in field-goal percentage, shooting 65.3 percent on the season. She averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Tackett broke her own school record in field goal percentage in a season by .036. She shot .617 percent from the floor last year.
“The first thing that stands out about Brittany is her athleticism and her ability to run the floor helped ignite our transition game,” Orr said. “But what makes Brittany a special player is her remarkable ability to finish around the rim.”
The Warriors finished better than any team in program history. They won a school-record 35 games and made it further in the NAIA Tournament (championship game) than any other team before them.