MIAC Men's Basketball Awards Release

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team enjoyed its most successful conference season in the last six years—and the efforts of the Cardinals did not go unnoticed when the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference handed out post-season awards Tuesday.
 
Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.), Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.), and Quashingm Smith-Pugh (St. Paul, Minn.) were all named honorable-mention All-MIAC, the league office announced.
 
In his first year in a Cardinal uniform, Smith-Pugh made an immediate impact, leading the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and assists (62), while also chipping in 12 steals and six blocks. Smith-Pugh scored 10 or more points 17 times this season—including a season-high 24 points against Saint John's on Feb. 6—while also notching his first collegiate double-double with 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds against Macalester on Jan. 23.
 
In the Cardinals' 20 conference games, Smith-Pugh—the only Saint Mary's player to start all 25 games this season—poured in 230 points (11.5 ppg) and again led the team in assists (51).
 
Swiggum, who is no stranger to the MIAC post-season podium—the senior forward was an All-First-Year selection in 2012-13 and an honorable-mention pick in 2013-14—was the team's rebounding leader, hauling in 175 boards (7.0 rpg), while also chipping in 8.8 ppg. The 26^th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, closing out his four years in a Cardinal uniform with 1,037 points, Swiggum recorded 100 or more rebounds in all four seasons, and had 10 or more rebounds in a game four times this season—including a season- and career-best 16-rebound effort against Martin Luther on Nov. 24.
 
Owner of 10 career double-doubles and seven games of 20 or more points, Swiggum appeared in all 20 conference games, averaging 9.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg, while also shooting a team-best .886 (31-for-35) from the free throw line.
 
Like Smith-Pugh, Ferron earned his first MIAC post-season honor, after a junior season that included an 8.8 ppg scoring average and 140 rebounds (5.6 rpg). Ferron, whose 140 rebounds were a single-season career-high, recorded the first two double-doubles of his career, and posted a career-best 13 rebounds against St. Olaf on Feb. 13.
 
Ferron—who equaled his career high with 22 points against St. Olaf on Jan. 15—appeared in all 20 MIAC games, averaging 9.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg, while also adding nine blocks and 10 steals.
 
Jordan Bolger of Concordia was named the Joe Hutton Player of the Year, while Tianen Chen of Carleton earned the MIAC Sixth Man of the Year honor, and regular-season champion St. Thomas' John Tauer was tabbed MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the ninth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for men's basketball, which included Saint Mary's Mark Schumacher (Perham, Minn.)