MIAC Women's Basketball Post-Season Awards

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's basketball team enjoyed a banner season in 2015-16, and if you asked coach Brent Pollari to pinpoint one player who was the Cardinals' difference-maker, he couldn't do it.
 
There were too many.
 
And the rest of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches couldn't argue with Pollari. Hence the reason four Cardinals—and their head coach—landed seven MIAC post-season honors.
 
Saint Mary's landed three players—Bridget Pethke (New London, Wis.), Micaela Meredith (Bloomington, Minn.), and Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.)—on the All-MIAC First-Team, while Pethke was also selected to the MIAC All-Defensive Team and Blattner headlined the All-MIAC First-Year Team.
 
But wait, there's more.
 
Pollari, in his first year as the Cardinals' head coach, was tabbed the MIAC Coach of the Year, while Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) was an honorable-mention All-MIAC pick.
 
Blattner turned more than a few heads during her inaugural campaign, leading the Cardinals in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.6 rpg). Blattner scored 20 or more points eight times this season—including a season-high 27-point effort in back-to-back games against St. Catherine and St. Olaf on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9—and shot 48 percent from the field (130-for-269). The freshman forward closed out the year with nine double-doubles and hauled in 10 or more rebounds in 13 of the 22 games she played in, including a career-high 19 boards against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 29—the Cardinals' highest single-game rebounding performance in the last two decades.
 
In 13 MIAC contests, Blattner, who missed five games due to an appendectomy, averaged 18.1 ppg and finished with 144 rebounds (11.1 rpg). Her 18.1 ppg conference scoring average ranked No. 2—behind St. Catherine's LaShay Holt (18.5 ppg), while her 144 boards were ranked fourth.
 
Meredith enjoyed a career year in 2015-16, as the senior guard started all 27 games, compiling a 14.3 ppg scoring average, going 120-for-322 from the field—including 36 of 115 from behind the 3-point line—and adding a 110-for-126 effort from the free throw line. Meredith—who netted 10 or more points in 20 of the team's 27 games—scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including a career-best 24-point showing against St. Thomas on Jan. 15.
 
Meredith's conference numbers were equally as impressive, as she averaged 14.3 ppg, with 17 3-pointers, 42 assists, nine blocks and 18 steals in 18 MIAC contests.
 
Pethke, who suffered a season-ending knee injury 12 games into the season a year ago, returned to the form that earned her All-MIAC First-Team and MIAC All-Defensive Team honors in 2013-14. The senior guard averaged 9.6 ppg in 27 contests, while also draining 35 3-pointers and added 156 rebounds, a school-record 157 assists, and 83 steals. The Saint Mary's single-season and career assist leader, Pethke started every game she played in a Cardinal uniform, a span of 94 games.
 
In 18 MIAC contests, Pethke averaged 10.2 ppg and was second to Blattner with 108 rebounds (6.0 rpg), while knocking down 24 3-pointers, dishing out 107 assists and adding 54 steals.
 
Schaefer appeared in all 27 games for the Cardinals, averaging 8.1 ppg and 3.3 rpg, while leading the team with 39 3-pointers. In conference play, the junior guard owned a 7.5 ppg scoring average, 62 rebounds (3.4 rpg), 23 3-pointers, 56 assists, and 17 steals.

St. Thomas' Kaitlin Langer was named MIAC Player of the Year, while LaShay Holt of St. Catherine was the conference' Sixth Player of the Year.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the ninth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women's basketball, which included Saint Mary's Haley Trom (Hampton, Minn.)