Thesing Is Now Spelled M-V-P
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/27/13)—Concordia reaped the benefits of winning the MIAC regular-season championship by having all five starters earn conference postseason awards with senior guard Emily Thesing being named the MIAC Most Valuable Player.
In addition to her Most Valuable Player honor, Thesing was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team for the second straight season. Joining Thesing on the All-Conference Team is fellow senior Tricia Sorensen – who also earned the award for the second consecutive season. Junior guard Erika Jossart was named to the MIAC All-Defensive Team while Alexandra Lippert and Alley Fisher earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors.
Complete list of 2012-13 MIAC award winners
Thesing becomes the sixth player in school history to earn the league's top honor. She is the first since since current St. Mary's assistant coach Jenna Freudenberg won the award in 2009.
Thesing didn't put up the best numbers in the conference but earned the top honor in the league for her overall play and outstanding leadership ability.
"Emily is a strong vocal leader – on and off the court," commented head coach Jessica Rahman. "She is a fierce competitor who is always in the mix of making big plays."
Thesing averaged 13.2 points in the team's 22 league games. She also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.95 steals in conference play. She scored 20 or more points in five games this year and had a season-high 23 points against Bethel on Nov. 28. Thesing was in the top 15 in the league in 11 different statistical categories in MIAC play. She was sixth in 3-point field goals (43) and seventh in both assists (67) and total points (291).
Sorensen was the team's leading point getter and rebounder in conference games. She averaged 14.0 points in her 21 league games and came away with a 6.8 rebound per game average. Sorensen scored in double figures in all but three league games. She scored 20 or more points in three games and had a season-high 23 points against Macalester on Jan. 5. Sorensen reached a pair of milestones over the course of the year. She collected her 1,000th career point and 500th career rebound to become only the 10th player in school history to have 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
Jossart earns MIAC postseason honors for the first time in her career. She played in all 22 conference games and averaged 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.32 steals. Jossart was used her intensity on defense to help the Cobbers finish third in the league in opponent's scoring average (56.2 ppg) and second in rebounds per game (41.8). Jossart had at least four rebounds in 13 of the 22 MIAC contests.
Lippert receives her third straight conference postseason award. She was named to the MIAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman and then earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors last year. Lippert averaged 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds against league opponents. She was fourth in the MIAC in blocks – collecting 35 rejections during the year. She also reached a pair of milestones during the season, grabbing her 500th career rebound and earning her 200th career block.
Fisher, who was on the MIAC All-First-Year Team last season, earned her All-Conference Honorable Mention honor for her ability to shoot from the outside and drive to the basket to set up the Cobber interior players. She averaged 11.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in the conference She led the team in 3-point field goal percentage (37.3%) and free throw percentage (86.7%). Fisher led the MIAC in free throw percentage and was ninth in 3-point field goal percentage. She enters the NCAA Tournament having made 30 consecutive free throws.