The season may be over for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, but the accolades aren’t finished just yet. Junior guard Laura Crowley was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Eastman Kodak Company, and junior forward Chris Jeffries earned a first-team all-Midwest Region honor by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3hoops.com.
Crowley also achieved second-team All UAA honors with her performance this season. She was second on the squad in scoring, with an average of 11.2 points per game and was third on the team in steals with 35 and assists with 49. However, Crowley really made her mark this season from behind the arc. She broke the school records for three-pointers made (72) and three-pointers attempted (182) giving her a .393 percentage. In a spectacular performance against Webster University, Crowley recorded a career-high 29 points, including an amazing seven trifectas.
Jeffries had a banner season as well, earning first-team All UAA honors on top of the regional nod. Jeffries led the Bears in scoring with 16.9 points per game, rebounds (8.3) and free throw percentage (.779). He was second in field goal percentage (.560), steals (56) and assists (78). Helping to lead his team to one of the best seasons in school history, Jeffries scored in double figures in all but four of the WU’s 27 games and had 10 double doubles for the year.
Both the men’s and the women’s team enjoyed exceptional success this season, with both teams being ranked first nationally for several weeks. The women won their 13th UAA Championship after a 25-1 season. Their only loss was in the first round of the NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Wisconsin at Stevens Point. The men also conquered the UAA and made it to the Sweet 16, only to lose out to DePauw University.