Trenkle of Bowdoin Named Player of the Year

HARTFORD, Conn. – Bowdoin senior guard Lora Trenkle was selected as the 2003-04 NESCAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in a vote by the conference coaches. Trenkle, a four-time all-conference selection and 2001-02 Player of the Year, led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.458) while averaging 13.2 points and 3.81 assists per game for the undefeated and top-ranked Polar Bears.

Bates junior Olivia Zurek earned first-team honors a year after being selected to the second team. Zurek, who leads the conference in scoring averaging 15.6 points per game, helped Bates a 19-8 mark and their second consecutive trip to the finals of the conference tournament.

Wesleyan sophomore Hannah Stubbs was also a first-team honoree. Stubbs contributed 13.2 points and 7.9 rebounds while leading the conference in field goal percentage converting 57.0 percent of her attempts from the floor.

A pair of first years, Williams’ Maggie Miller and Bowdoin’s Eileen Flaherty, shared NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors and were both selected to the all-conference first team. Miller led the Ephs in scoring (15.6), rebounding (6.5) and blocked shots (1.2) and ranked among the league leaders in all three categories. Flaherty, who ranked atop the conference in free throw percentage (86.0%), was among the league’s best in field goal percentage (45.9%) and scored 10.8 points per game for Bowdoin who claimed their fourth consecutive NESCAC title.

Justine Pouravelis of Bowdoin earned league Defensive Player of the Year honors. Pouravelis, a sophomore forward, led the conference in blocked shots (2.62 bpg) and ranked fourth in steals (2.42 spg) while leading a Bowdoin defense which held opponents to just 30% from the field. Only a sophomore, Pouravelis has already set the career record for blocks at Bowdoin with 98. Her 68 blocks already this season, is a single-season record.

Bowdoin head coach Stefanie Pemper was honored by her peers as the NESCAC Coach of the Year. Bowdoin, 26-0 overall and ranked number one in the nation over the last six weeks of the regular-season, earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship and will play the winner of the Lasell/Salve Regina contest on Saturday, March 6.

NESCAC all-conference selections are determined in a vote by the conference coaches. Additional players honored are due to ties in the voting.