By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — If there's one thing coaches around the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference learned this season, it's that shutting down Saint Mary's University's Shayley Vesel (Austin, Minn.) was no easy task.
 
In her second season with the Cardinals, Vesel turned more than a few heads around the conference, finishing among the top five scorers in the MIAC.
 
And Vesel's efforts did not go unnoticed, as the Cardinal guard was named First-Team All-MIAC, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
Vesel wasn't the only Cardinal on the conference's postseason podium, either, as Brooklyn Paulson (Holmen, Wis.) picked honorable-mention All-MIAC honors for a second straight year.
 
Vesel, who missed all of last season due to injury, certainly made up for lost time, averaging 16.1 points-per-game in 18 conference contests — fifth among all MIAC scorers — while also leading the team in rebounds (80, 4.4 rpg), steals (39), and minutes played (30.0 mpg).
 
Overall, Vesel appeared in 23 of the team's 25 games, averaging a team-high 15.9 ppg and adding a team-best 100 rebounds (4.3 rpg), while also delivering 27 assists, 45 steals and six blocks in 29.0 minutes per game.
 
Vesel — who shot 40.3 percent from the field (133-for-330) with 30 3-pointers and a 70-for-84 effort from the free throw line — closed out the year scoring 20 or more points seven times, including a career-best 28-point effort against Concordia on Dec. 7.
 
The MIAC Co-Rookie of the Year and member of the MIAC All-First-Year Team a year ago, Paulson picked up right where she left off during her sophomore campaign, starting all 20 MIAC contests — and all 25 games overall. She finished the conference season with a 12.7 ppg scoring average, while leading the team in 3-pointers with 45, and chipping in 66 rebounds (3.3 rpg), 21 assists, 12 steals and four blocked shots while averaging 29.8 mpg).
 
In the Cardinals' 25 total games, Paulson also boasted a 12.7 ppg scoring average and closed out her sophomore season with 77 rebounds (3.1 rpg), 26 assist, 17 steals, and five blocks, while averaging 28.9 minutes per game.
 
Bethel's Taite Anderson was named the MIAC Player of the Year, while Rachel Kelly of St. Olaf earned Sixth Player of the Year and Gustavus' Caitlin Rorman was MIAC Rookie of the Year. Bethel head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, who guided the Royals to the MIAC regular-season and tournament titles, was tabbed MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
The MIAC also announced the 13th annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women's basketball, which included the Cardinals' Michele Remer (Bismarck, N.D.).