ROCK HILL, S.C. - Anderson University senior guard Chandler Hash and Mars Hill junior Ansley Ricker have been selected as the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year, an award which recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, service and leadership.

Hash's selection marks the fourth consecutive year that a member of the Anderson men's basketball team has earned the accolade, as Hash also earned the honor following last season. Former AU standout Nick Trull was a back-to-back recipient in both 2011 and 2012.

"This is a wonderful recognition and the perfect way to top off an amazing season by Chandler," said Anderson head coach Jason Taylor. "I cannot say enough good things about him. I could not be more proud of everything he has been able to accomplish and the manner of which he has done it. He is the complete student-athlete."

The SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are presented to one male and one female student-athlete in each of the conference's 18 championship sports. The awards are voted on by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.

Hash currently carries a 3.51 GPA majoring in nursing. He is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honorary Society, the AU Dean's List and the Capital One Academic All-District and All-America Teams.

On the court, Hash was one of the SAC's top players this season, earning All-Conference and Daktronics All-Region First Team accolades while leading Anderson to the NCAA Tournament. The SAC Championship MVP led the conference and currently ranks fifth in the nation in scoring at 24.3 points per game. His 778 total points is tops in NCAA Division II this season and marks the second-highest single-season total in league history.

Away from basketball, Hash serves with numerous organizations, including Hospice House and Discipleship-Now. He has also given time as an elementary school speaker, youth clinic volunteer, church clothing drive organizer and an Anderson freshmen orientation leader.

Ricker is the third Mars Hill student-athlete in four years and fourth in school history to receive the SAC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. She holds a perfect 4.0 GPA studying biology with a minor in chemistry.

Ricker's additional academic accolades include selections to the Mars Hill Dean's List, Alpha Chi Honor Society and SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. She is also a college marshal and a founding member of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Society, and has been selected for multiple academic research initiatives.

An All-SAC Second Team selection, Ricker ranked third in the conference in scoring this season, averaging 17.8 points per game. She was also the league's third-best three-point shooter, connecting on 35.4-percent of her attempts.

Ricker - a past SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference participant - is involved in multiple leadership roles on campus, representing her team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Faculty Athletics Committee. She mentors incoming freshmen, serves as an on-campus tutor, and volunteers with Beacon of Hope, My Sister's Place and Big Brother's Animal Rescue Center.