Embree, Sinn lead Women's Hoops All-MIAC honors

March 06, 2008

The 2007-08 MIAC women's basketball awards announced Thursday rewarded co-champion St. Thomas, which swept two major honors.

Senior forward Carrie Embree, in her first season of college basketball after a four-year layoff, was chosen MIAC Player of the Year. It's the Tommies' first Player of the Year in MIAC women's hoops since Missy Pederson was a back-to-back recipient from 2000-02.

UST's third-year head coach Ruth Sinn was named Coach of the Year. 

Embree and junior forward Jessica Katch were among 15 players named first-team All-MIAC. Katch and sophomore guard Sheena Porter-Wrzos were named to the seven-player All-Defensive Team. Embree also made the seven-player All-Rookie Team. Porter-Wrzos was among 19 named honorable mention all-conference.

Sinn's Tommies were picked for fifth in the coaches' preseason poll and came into January 4-3 overall before they jelled. UST hit four milestones not met in six or more seasons. The Toms reached 20 wins, made the NCAA playoff field, shared the conference title with St. Ben's, and reached the MIAC playoff finals beofre losing in overtime. UST won a league-best nine conference road games.

Embree recorded eight double-doubles this season in points and rebounds, and UST is 10-2 when she scores 16 or more points. She's averaging 14.9 ppg, and 8.6 rpg while shooting 51% from the floor. In her five seasons in college softball and basketball she contributed to five MIAC titles and five NCAA playoff trips, and her teams' combined MIAC record was 117-7. She's the lone female athlete in MIAC history to be a two-time All-American, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and play on two NCAA champion teams.

Katch, also a candidate for Player of the Year honors, averaged 14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.1 apg and 3.0 spg. She's had six 20-point scoring games and only six occasions has posted six or more assists. She just missed triple-doubles on two occasions. She was named MIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 18. Katch is the lone MIAC player to rank in the top 10 of conference stats in points, rebounds, steals, assists and blocks. In 77 career games, Katch has 910 points, 527 rebounds, 258 assists, 210 steals and 51 blocks. Last season, Katch had 20 points and a school-record 10 steals in an overtime win over Bethel.

Porter-Wrzos, who had a 31-point scoring game in a comeback win over Bethel, is a bellweather for UST success. She missed three January games with an injury and UST went 1-2 and nearly lost all three. St. Thomas is 17-1 this season when she's scored five or more points. In two of the Toms' seven losses, she was held scoreless. She's been a part of two MIAC track championship teams along with this year's basketball title. She's shooting 79% from the foul line and averages 8.7 ppg, 2.0 spg and 3.1 apg.

 

Ruth Sinn helped the Tommies win nine of their last 11 games into the NCAA playoffs. (Greg Smith photo)