February 11, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference today announced that Bemidji State University junior guard Heidi Matzke (Red Lake Falls, Minn.) has been selected as its Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her efforts during the week of Feb. 3-10.

Matzke netted a career-high 32 points on 13-of-23 (.565) shooting from the field and 6-of-11 (.545) from behind the arc leading Bemidji State to a 89-56 win over the University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles Sunday afternoon. Matzke’s 13 field goals made and six three-point field goals made were career-highs. It was her first 30-point game of her career and the seventh time this season that she has led the Beavers in scoring. She also recorded a career-high with four steals, while grabbing five rebounds in the contest. It was the 17th time she has scored in double-figures, the 13th time she has recorded five plus rebounds and the third time she has garnered three or more steals in a game this season.

The Red Lake Falls, Minn. native currently ranks sixth in the conference in overall scoring (15.3) helping BSU to the second highest scoring average in the league (78.0) and 17th in the nation. In conference games alone Matzke sits atop of the NSIC netting 16.8 ppg while senior Amy Lawson (Spencer, Iowa) sits in second with 16.6 ppg.

The conference award marks the third of the season for BSU and the first of its kind for Matzke. She follows Lawson who received the award on Jan. 21, 2008 and Feb. 4, 2008. Matzke’s selection marks the second time on record that BSU has had players honored by the league in consecutive weeks. Last season Stephanie Peterson (Sr., C, Bismarck, N.D.) and Lawson garnered NSIC Player of the Week on back-to-back occasions. The award also marks the second time that BSU has garnered three NSIC Player of the Week awards in one season.

The Beavers (12-11 / 8-6 NSIC) travel to the Dakota’s this weekend for a pair of conference tilts. Friday BSU will be in Bismarck, N.D. to face the University of Mary (14-9 / 9-6 NSIC) and then will be in Aberdeen, S.D. on Saturday to take on the Northern State University Wolves (9-15 / 5-10 NSIC). Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m. opening tips.

2007-08 Bemidji State NSIC Player of the Week recipients
Jan. 21, 2008 - Amy Lawson
Feb. 4, 2008 - Amy Lawson
Feb. 11, 2008 - Heidi Matzke

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

--beavers--