Bowling Green State University Athletics
Lauren Prochaska Named Regional Finalist for State Farm Coaches' All-America Team
March 17, 2009 | Women's Basketball
March 17, 2009
ATLANTA, Ga. (BGSUFalcons.com) - Bowling Green State University sophomore Lauren Prochaska is one of 52 regional finalists for the 2009 State Farm Coaches' All-America Basketball Team for NCAA Division I. The announcement was made by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in cooperation with State Farm, Tuesday afternoon (March 17).
Prochaska is the third BGSU player in as many years to earn the honor. Ali Mann was a regional finalist in 2007, while Kate Achter was recognized a year ago.
The State Farm Coaches' All-American Team selection committee will review the 52 candidates and cut the list to 40 finalists on Thursday, March 25. The 40 finalists will all be in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Prochaska, a native of Plain City, Ohio, has had one of the finest seasons in program history. She leads the Falcons in scoring, with 17.0 points per game, and has averaged 6.2 rebounds per contest to rank second on the team. She has made 72 three-point field goals to date, the fourth-highest total in school history, and leads the entire nation in free-throw percentage (93.6%; 146-of-156).
The 2009 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Prochaska led the entire league with 19.6 points per game, and also paced the conference in free-throw accuracy, at 95.4%. She has had 11 games of 20 points or more this year, including a pair of 32-point outings and a school-record 43-point outburst in the Falcons' regular-season win over Central Michigan. Prochaska became only the second player in BGSU history to surpass 1,000 career points before the end of her sophomore season.
Prior to the three selections in the last three years, the Falcons had not had an all-region honoree in nearly a decade (since 1997-98).
The 2008-09 Falcons earned an automatic berth in the Women's National Invitation Championship, and BGSU has received a first-round bye and a second-round home game in the 48-team tourney. Miller and the Falcons will host either Canisius or Syracuse at Anderson Arena, with date and time to be announced.
About the Process
In an effort to establish a fair number of candidates from each region, an equation to determine the number of regional nominees was formulated. The total number of Division I institutions in each region is divided by the total number of Division I institutions to get a percentage for each region. Multiply 52 (the total number of desired finalists) by the percentage to get a total number of finalists for each region. The 52 regional finalists then go before the selection committee where the list is reduced to 40 finalists. These 40 finalists can come from any region. Per a motion passed by the WBCA Board of Directors in 2008, Region 1 will now have 12 finalists and Region 4 will have six finalists.
The State Farm Coaches' All-America Basketball Team for NCAA Division I will be announced at the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team Press Conference at the Renaissance Grand and Suites Hotel on April 4, at 9:45 a.m. CT in St. Louis, Mo.
About State Farm

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve more than 78 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
About the WBCA

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.
