March 13, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Bemidji State University point guard Amy Lawson (Sr., Spencer, Iowa) has been named to the 2008 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball All-North Central Region Second Team, as announced by the NCAA.

Lawson led the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in steals (2.32 spg) was second in assists (6.64 apg) and assist to turnover ratio (2.27). During her four years at BSU she placed her self in the top ten in six categories. She holds the top two spots for single game scoring as she broke the Bemidji State women’s basketball team’s 14-year single game scoring mark twice during her senior campaign. On Jan. 19 she netted 38 points in a 84-82 win over Winona State to break Holly Logghe’s mark of 36 points set during the 1994-95 season. Two weeks later Lawson broke her two-week old record by exploding for 39 points in a 92-91 overtime win over MSU Moorhead on Feb. 2. She sits in eighth place on BSU’s scoring list with 1,212 points, second on BSU’s career assist list with 625 and second on BSU’s career steals list with 292 steals. She owns three of the top-10 single-season assist and steals totals.

This season she led the Beavers with a career-best 186 assists, in minutes played (33.9), steals (65), scoring (15.3), free-throws attempted (158) and made (120), field goal percentage (.539) while ranking second in three-point field goal percentage (.518) and fourth among her peers hauling in 4.3 rebounds per game. Lawson finished seventh in the nation in assist (6.6) and eighth in assist to turnover ratio (2.27). She garnered NSIC Player of the Week honors twice during her senior season and four times during her career.

The Spencer, Iowa native also became just the second Bemidji State University women’s basketball player to garner 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 200 steals in a career joining Kim Babula (1983-87) as the only other BSU player to reach those numbers.

For Lawson, a three-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference pick and 2006 NSIC Defensive Co-Player of the Year this marks the first award of its kind for the senior point guard.

Lawson joins three other NSIC players who were named to the All-North Central Region first and second team. She joins the point guard-center duo from Concordia-St. Paul, Katie LaViolette and Amanda Behnke who were named to the first team and Noelle Hall from Northern State University who joined Lawson on the second team.

The University of North Dakota’s Ashley Langen was named the 2008 Daktronics All-North Central Region Player of the Year.

Bemidji State (13-15 overall / 9-9 NSIC) saw its season come to an end with a heartbreaking 80-78 loss to the University of Mary in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament. It was the third consecutive season the Beavers have finished with 13 or more wins and the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

First Team
* Ashley Langen, University of North Dakota (Sr., C, 6-2, Kennedy, Minn.)
Amanda Behnke, Concordia-St. Paul (Sr., C, 6-2, Eagan, Minn.)
Jeana Hoffman, University of South Dakota (Sr., G, 5-8, Mitchell, S.D.)
Amy Mathis, University of Nebraska at Kearney (Sr., F, 6-0, Omaha, Neb.)
Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul (Sr., PG, 5-9, Manitowoc, Wis.)

Second Team
Kierah Kimbrough, University of North Dakota (Jr., F, 6-0, Greenbush, Minn.)
Allison Rosel, Fort Lewis College (So., F, 5-11, Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Noelle Hall, Northern State University (Sr., C, 6-2, Altura, Minn.)
Heather Johnson, Minnesota State University (Jr., G, 5-8, Janesville, Minn.)
Amy Lawson, Bemidji State University (Sr., PG, 5-4, Spencer, Iowa)

* unanimous selection

--beavers--