Lauren Prochaska has been named MAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season
Lauren Prochaska Repeats as MAC Player of the Year
March 09, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Tracy Pontius earns All-MAC honors as well
Bowling Green State University women's basketball junior Lauren Prochaska has been named the 2010 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. Prochaska earns the honor, announced by the MAC office Tuesday morning (March 9), for the second consecutive season.
Prochaska earned All-MAC honors for the third time in as many seasons. She was named to the all-conference first team for the second successive year, after earning second-team honors in her freshman season of 2007-08.
Fellow junior Tracy Pontius was voted to the All-MAC Second Team.
Prochaska becomes only the sixth woman in conference history to be named the MAC Player of the Year on multiple occasions. Ohio's Caroline Mast won the award in three-straight seasons, from 1984-86, while BGSU's Jackie Motycka earned the honor in both 1987 and '88. Toledo's Dana Drew (1992, 1994), Kent State's Amy Sherry (1995-96), UT's Kim Knuth (1998-99) and Ball State's Tamara Bowie (2001, 2003) are the other multi-time winners.
"The entire BGSU program is excited about Lauren being named the MAC Player of the Year," said Falcon head coach Curt Miller. "She has been our leader at both ends of the floor, and continues to compile impressive statistics despite being the center of attention for all of our opponents.
"Lauren is the most unselfish superstar that I have worked with during my 20 years of collegiate coaching."
Prochaska's honor marks the fourth time in as many seasons that a BGSU standout was named MAC Player of the Year. Ali Mann shared the honor in 2006-07, while Kate Achter was named the league's P-O-Y in the '07-08 season. It is only the second time in MAC history that players from the same school have won or shared the award four seasons in a row.
BGSU's total of six player-of-the-year honors is the second highest among MAC schools.
Prochaska, a native of Plain City, Ohio (Jonathan Alder H.S.), has had yet another stellar season in the Brown and Orange. She leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, with 17.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Prochaska, who has paced the Falcons in scoring 16 times this season, leads the MAC in three-point field-goal percentage (.447) and ranks second in free-throw pct. (.899) and third in both scoring and three-pointers made per game (2.67). She had 17.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg in MAC games this season.
In addition to leading the Falcons in scoring and rebounding, Prochaska is second on the team in both steals (1.5 spg) and blocked shots (0,8 bpg) and third in assists (2.3 apg).
Prochaska has hit a school-record 80 three-pointers this season, and also holds the school's career record, with 229. She is the only player to make more than 70 three-pointers in a season more than once, and has done so in all three years in the Orange and Brown.
Prochaska, just a junior, already ranks fourth on the BGSU career scoring list, with 1,619 points in 98 games. She is averaging 16.5 ppg, the second-highest average in school history, in her storied Falcon career.
Prochaska has started all 98 of BGSU's games since venturing to Northwest Ohio, and has scored in double digits in 88 of those 98 games. She has 32 career games of 20 points or more, including 13 this season.
Pontius, a native of Morton, Ill. (Morton H.S.), earns all-conference honors for the second consecutive March, having been named to the first team a year ago. This season, she has 12.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg, and ranks second on the Falcons with 3.1 assists per game. Pontius has made 61 three-pointers this year to date.
Pontius, in her second season as a starter, has scored in double digits in 49 career games, including 20 this year. She has led BG in scoring nine times, in assists a team-high 14 times and in steals a BG-best 13 times this season. Pontius has hit free throws at an 84.7-percent rate, and is third on the Falcons in steals, with 1.3 per game.
Akron's Jodi Kest was named MAC Coach of the Year, while Miami's Courtney Osborn was voted the league's Freshman of the Year. Another freshman, UA's Rachel Tecca, was the MAC's Sixth Player of the Year, with Buffalo's Kourtney Brown being named MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Brown, Eastern Michigan's Tavelyn James, Kent State's Jamilah Humes and Toledo's Tanika Mays joined Prochaska on the All-MAC First Team. Pontius was joined on the second team by UA's Kara Murphy, Ball State's Emily Maggert, UT's Naama Shafir and Marke Freeman of Northern Illinois.
The Falcons, 24-6 overall, finished the regular season with a MAC record of 14-2, good for a sixth consecutive outright conference championship. BGSU heads to Cleveland to face Miami University in MAC Tournament quarterfinal action on Wednesday (March 10), with tipoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.
The complete list of 2010 conference women's basketball awards follows...
2010 ALL-MAC SELECTIONS & SPECIALTY AWARDS
Player of the Year – LAUREN PROCHASKA, Bowling Green
Freshman of the Year – Courtney Osborn, Miami
Sixth Player of the Year – Rachel Tecca, Akron
Defensive Player of the Year – Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Coach of the Year – Jodi Kest, Akron
First Team
LAUREN PROCHASKA, Bowling Green
Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan
Jamilah Humes, Kent State
Tanika Mays, Toledo
Second Team
TRACY PONTIUS, Bowling Green
Kara Murphy, Akron
Emily Maggert, Ball State
Marke Freeman, Northern Illinois
Naama Shafir, Toledo
Third Team
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan
Shonda Long, Central Michigan
Kaihla Szunko, Central Michigan
Taisja Jones, Kent State
Courtney Osborn, Miami
Honorable Mention
Kyle Baumgartner, Akron
Audrey McDonald, Ball State
Jennifer Bushby, Ohio
Melissa Goodall, Toledo
Miame Giden, Western Michigan
All-Freshman Team
Rachel Tecca, Akron
Abby Dowd , Buffalo
Rachel Mauk, Central Michigan
Kirsten Olowinski, Miami
Courtney Osborn, Miami
Prochaska earned All-MAC honors for the third time in as many seasons. She was named to the all-conference first team for the second successive year, after earning second-team honors in her freshman season of 2007-08.
Fellow junior Tracy Pontius was voted to the All-MAC Second Team.
Prochaska becomes only the sixth woman in conference history to be named the MAC Player of the Year on multiple occasions. Ohio's Caroline Mast won the award in three-straight seasons, from 1984-86, while BGSU's Jackie Motycka earned the honor in both 1987 and '88. Toledo's Dana Drew (1992, 1994), Kent State's Amy Sherry (1995-96), UT's Kim Knuth (1998-99) and Ball State's Tamara Bowie (2001, 2003) are the other multi-time winners.
"The entire BGSU program is excited about Lauren being named the MAC Player of the Year," said Falcon head coach Curt Miller. "She has been our leader at both ends of the floor, and continues to compile impressive statistics despite being the center of attention for all of our opponents.
"Lauren is the most unselfish superstar that I have worked with during my 20 years of collegiate coaching."
Prochaska's honor marks the fourth time in as many seasons that a BGSU standout was named MAC Player of the Year. Ali Mann shared the honor in 2006-07, while Kate Achter was named the league's P-O-Y in the '07-08 season. It is only the second time in MAC history that players from the same school have won or shared the award four seasons in a row.
BGSU's total of six player-of-the-year honors is the second highest among MAC schools.
Prochaska, a native of Plain City, Ohio (Jonathan Alder H.S.), has had yet another stellar season in the Brown and Orange. She leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, with 17.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Prochaska, who has paced the Falcons in scoring 16 times this season, leads the MAC in three-point field-goal percentage (.447) and ranks second in free-throw pct. (.899) and third in both scoring and three-pointers made per game (2.67). She had 17.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg in MAC games this season.
Prochaska has hit a school-record 80 three-pointers this season, and also holds the school's career record, with 229. She is the only player to make more than 70 three-pointers in a season more than once, and has done so in all three years in the Orange and Brown.
Prochaska, just a junior, already ranks fourth on the BGSU career scoring list, with 1,619 points in 98 games. She is averaging 16.5 ppg, the second-highest average in school history, in her storied Falcon career.
Prochaska has started all 98 of BGSU's games since venturing to Northwest Ohio, and has scored in double digits in 88 of those 98 games. She has 32 career games of 20 points or more, including 13 this season.
Pontius, a native of Morton, Ill. (Morton H.S.), earns all-conference honors for the second consecutive March, having been named to the first team a year ago. This season, she has 12.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg, and ranks second on the Falcons with 3.1 assists per game. Pontius has made 61 three-pointers this year to date.
Pontius, in her second season as a starter, has scored in double digits in 49 career games, including 20 this year. She has led BG in scoring nine times, in assists a team-high 14 times and in steals a BG-best 13 times this season. Pontius has hit free throws at an 84.7-percent rate, and is third on the Falcons in steals, with 1.3 per game.
Akron's Jodi Kest was named MAC Coach of the Year, while Miami's Courtney Osborn was voted the league's Freshman of the Year. Another freshman, UA's Rachel Tecca, was the MAC's Sixth Player of the Year, with Buffalo's Kourtney Brown being named MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Brown, Eastern Michigan's Tavelyn James, Kent State's Jamilah Humes and Toledo's Tanika Mays joined Prochaska on the All-MAC First Team. Pontius was joined on the second team by UA's Kara Murphy, Ball State's Emily Maggert, UT's Naama Shafir and Marke Freeman of Northern Illinois.
The Falcons, 24-6 overall, finished the regular season with a MAC record of 14-2, good for a sixth consecutive outright conference championship. BGSU heads to Cleveland to face Miami University in MAC Tournament quarterfinal action on Wednesday (March 10), with tipoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.
The complete list of 2010 conference women's basketball awards follows...
2010 ALL-MAC SELECTIONS & SPECIALTY AWARDS
Player of the Year – LAUREN PROCHASKA, Bowling Green
Freshman of the Year – Courtney Osborn, Miami
Sixth Player of the Year – Rachel Tecca, Akron
Defensive Player of the Year – Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Coach of the Year – Jodi Kest, Akron
First Team
LAUREN PROCHASKA, Bowling Green
Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan
Jamilah Humes, Kent State
Tanika Mays, Toledo
Second Team
TRACY PONTIUS, Bowling Green
Kara Murphy, Akron
Emily Maggert, Ball State
Marke Freeman, Northern Illinois
Naama Shafir, Toledo
Third Team
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan
Shonda Long, Central Michigan
Kaihla Szunko, Central Michigan
Taisja Jones, Kent State
Courtney Osborn, Miami
Honorable Mention
Kyle Baumgartner, Akron
Audrey McDonald, Ball State
Jennifer Bushby, Ohio
Melissa Goodall, Toledo
Miame Giden, Western Michigan
All-Freshman Team
Rachel Tecca, Akron
Abby Dowd , Buffalo
Rachel Mauk, Central Michigan
Kirsten Olowinski, Miami
Courtney Osborn, Miami
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