MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - The Ashford University women's basketball team received a pair of awards on Tuesday when the Midwest Collegiate Conference announced its 2011-12 women's basketball postseason awards.
Freshman guard Madison Wagner and Bridegton, Mo. junior Courtney Panus were named to the All-MCC Honorable Mention team after their first season in action for the Saints.
"I am extremely happy for Madison and Courtney as they are well deserving of this all-conference award," said Head Coach Amy Eagan. "They worked extremely hard this year and put in a lot of extra hours in the gym."
Wagner, a 5-8 guard from Lancaster, Wis., started in all 30 games for Ashford during her first collegiate season. She averaged a team-high 11.6 points, which ranks 12th among all individuals in the league, while grabbing 3.3 rebounds and dishing out 2.1 assists per game.
In just the second game of her freshman year, Wagner set a career-high of 32 points and eight rebounds in a non-conference matchup at then #12-ranked (NAIA Division I) Olivet Nazarene as the Saints fell, 91-75. She went on to score in double-figures on 17 more occasions throughout the season.
Panus, a 5-11 forward, tallied 9.9 points per game and led the team by grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game in her first season for AU. She ranked eighth in the MCC with her rebounds per game average and grabbed the tenth-most offensive rebounds in the league (70) this season.
The St. Louis CC Meramec-transfer was listed as a starter in all but one game this year and set her Ashford career-high with 22 points versus Missouri Baptist on Nov. 15. Panus went seven-of-eight from the floor in that outing while converting eight-of-ten chances from the free throw line. She also grabbed nine boards while recording a pair of steals.
"They are outstanding young ladies with high character and I look forward to having both of them back next year to help us continue our building of championship program," added Eagan. "And as excited as we are for Madison and Courtney, we know individual awards could not be achieved without a team effort and that all of their teammates played an important part in what they accomplished."
Ashford finished the season with a 10-20 record overall which included a 6-11 record overall in its final year as a member of the MCC. The Saints qualified as the seven seed for the league's postseason tournament before being ousted by second-seeded Mount Mercy, 77-65.
