All-MIAC Women's Basketball Team

WINONA, Minn. — Courtney Euerle (Litchfield, Minn.) has certainly saved her best (season) for last.

On an individual basis, the Saint Mary's University senior forward is enjoying a career year.

After not scoring more than 17 points in her first three seasons as a Cardinal, Euerle has eclipsed the 20-point mark six times this season — including four times in SMU's last five games — and has scored in double figures 20 times this season and 48 times in her four years in an SMU uniform.

On a team basis, Euerle, with her team-leading 13.4 points-per-game and 7.4 rebounds-per-game, has helped spearhead the Cardinals to a school record-tying 24 wins — not to mention its first regular-season conference title and first appearance in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament in 28 years.

And the accolades continued on Thursday, as Euerle was not only named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First-Team and MIAC All-Defensive Team — but the Cardinal senior was also selected as the conference's Player of the Year.

"It's a great honor," admitted Euerle, who becomes the third member of this year's SMU team to be named league Player of the Year — joining head coach Mandy Pearson, a two-time winner, and assistant coach Jenna Freudenberg. "And even though I was the one named Player of the Year, it really is a team award — I could not have accomplished all that I did this year without the support of my teammates."

And the Cardinals could not have accomplished all that they have accomplished this year without the stellar play of Euerle in the middle.

"Courtney has a high basketball IQ — she's constantly helping everyone on the floor get in position to be successful," said Freudenberg, who, like Euerle jumped from an honorable-mention All-MIAC selection one year to conference Player of the Year the next during her playing days at Concordia. "Courtney is such an unselfish player, she just does whatever needs to be done to help the team succeed — whether that's setting a screen, making that extra pass, or shooting the basketball."

While Euerle has stepped up her offensive game this season — jumping from 9.2 points-per-game a year ago to 13.4 ppg this season — her defensive prowess continued to be second-to-none, as the senior was named to the MIAC All-Defensive Team for a third consecutive year.

"Courtney is such a well-rounded player," said Pearson. "People don't always get enough credit for what their do on the defensive end of the floor. When you think about it, there are only five players who get named to the (MIAC) All-Defensive Team, and there are 15 who are All-MIAC — so to be on the All-Defensive team three years in a row really says a lot about the type of player Courtney is.

"There are few people in this league who work harder that she does — from end-line to end-line, Courtney outworks everyone."