Winter IIAC All-Academic Team Announced

Duhawks place 1/3 of team on elite list

Junior Nicole Swanson of McHenry, IL (McHenry East High School) is an Early Childhood Education major and holds a 3.87 GPA.

A sophomore guard from Chicago, IL, Sarah Pillon (top left) earned All-Academic honors with a 3.74 GPA. Pillon is a Early Childhood Education major.

Lisa Morrissey a junior from Urbandale, IA (Dowling Catholic High School) earned a 3.65 GPA and is majoring in Unified Early Childhood Education.

A junior guard from Downers Grove, IL (Montini Catholic High School), Lindsay Bava earned All-Academic honors with a 3.81 GPA. Bavais a Elementary Education major.

To be eligible for IIAC All-Academic Team honors a student-athlete must compete at the varsity level, be at least a sophomore in academic standing, and attain a 3.5 or better grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

Bava First Team All-Region
Loras Junior is 2nd Duhawk Ever to Net Award

Duhawk junior guard Lindsey Bava was named 1st Team All-West Region by D3hoops.com. Bava lead the Duhawks with 18.9 points per game while shooting 40% from 3 point-range, and 89% from the line. Bava also averaged 4.9 rebound and 2.5 assists per game in one of the top single season efforts in Loras history. She follows Alicia Davis (member of the D3 hoops All-Decade Team) as the second Duhawk since the inception of the All-Region Team ten years ago.

Bava and Morrissey named All-Conference

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced its All-Conference Women’s Basketball teams on Wednesday night and Loras College had two individuals earning recognition.

Junior guard Lindsay Bava (Downers Grove, IL/Montini Catholic) was named a First Team selection for the second straight season, while classmate point guard Lisa Morrissey (Urbandale, IA/Dowling Catholic) was a Second Team member.

Bava finished second in the league in scoring by averaging 18.2 points per game. She turned in a league high 32 points in a showdown against the conferences leading scorer on February 14th and topped the 20 point mark 11 times this season. Bava also finished second in the conference in 3 pointers made while shooting at a 41% clip from downtown. She ended up in the top 10 in assists, top 15 in steals, and top 20 in rebounding

Morrissey led the conference in assists, out-dishing the second place finisher by over 30 helpers. Her overall assist mark of 165 set a new single season record at Loras. She also led the league in steals averaging 3.4 a game. Lisa also led the IIAC in assist-turnover ratio (1.80) and finished the season with a 44% shooting mark, good for second on the Duhawk roster. With her assist numbers and shooting percentage, Morrissey really emerged as one of the conferences best playmakers this season.

The duo helped guide Loras to an 16-11 overall record this season that included a 3rd place finish in the IIAC with a 10-6 mark.

Simpson’s Carrie Larson was named the league’s MVP, while the Storm’s Brian Niemuth was named the Coach of the Year.

Complete IIAC All-Conference Team

Duhawks fall in IIAC semis

LORAS 54 WARTBURG 61
Loras bounced after offense sputters on second half
Thursday, February 26

The 2008-09 Loras College women’s basketball season came to an end on Thursday night in Waverly, Iowa. An impressive first half was wiped away in the second 20 minutes, and the Knights of Wartburg College prevailed 61-54.

In the opening frame, Loras scored 29 points, forced 15 turnovers, made three three pointers, and scored three baskets on the offensive glass. The Knights were held to 22 points, made just nine shots, and didn’t reach double digits on the scoreboard until the 9:33 mark of the first half. Wartburg made just one free throw in the first 20 minutes. Three Duhawks scored eight points; Lindsay Bava, Lisa Morrissey, and Sarah Pillon.

The second half started with an 11-2 run by the home Knights, and they never looked back. Wartburg led by as many as ten points, and with 1:58 left, Loras was within four points at 52-48. Hollee Silvey had three straight points in the next few possessions, and totaled ten points in the second half. The Duhawks were forced to foul and failed to convert on the offensive end down the stretch, and the Knights held on to win by seven.

The third seeded Loras team finishes the 2008-09 season at 16-11. They won their first IIAC Tournament game under head coach Justin Heinzen and did not say goodbye to any seniors at the conclusion of Thursday’s game.