Dutch Fork's Alaina Coates Named Gatorade Player of the Year

The accolades keep coming for one of Dutch Fork High's Lady Foxes.

Alaina Coates, a 6-foot-4 center and McDonald's All-American, has been named the 2012-2013 Gatorade South Carolina Basketball Player of the Year, the organization announced Thursday. 

Coates is the first player from Dutch Fork to be chosen for the award, according to a news release. 

She is now a finalist for the national Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year award.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court. 

Coates has maintained a 3.04 GPA and is an active member of the Young Women organization and Distributive Education Clubs of America, according to the release. She has volunteered locally on behalf of a soup kitchen, a holiday gift-giving campaign and her church’s youth group and nursery.

Coates, who helped lead the Silver Foxes to their second consecutive Class 4A state title, averaged 21.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.6 steals and 1.4 assists per game.

This fall, Coates will play for University of South Carolina women's basketball team.