All-MIAC Women's Basketball Release

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) took the women's basketball world by storm last season, being named First-Team All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, as well as landing a spot on the MIAC's All-First-Year Team.
 
And there would be no sophomore slump for the Cardinal standout, as Blattner was once again in the MIAC spotlight when the league office announced its post-season awards Thursday—earning her second straight All-MIAC First-Team honor.
 
Blattner wasn't the only Cardinal hauling in conference post-season accolades, either, as Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) also earned a spot on the All-MIAC First-Team.
 
For the second year in a row, Blattner closed out her season as the Cardinals' offensive leader—not to mention one of the top scorers and rebounders in the entire conference. Blattner started all 25 games for the Cardinals, averaging 14.4 ppg and 9.8 rpg. Her 361 points and 14.4 ppg ranked seventh in the MIAC, while her 246 rebounds and 9.8 rpg left her second.
 
Blattner scored 10 or more points in 21 of the team's 25 games, including four games of 20 or more points. Blattner also netted a career-high 28 points twice this season—the Cardinals' highest single-game performance since the 2013-14 season. Blattner, who closed out the year with 10 double-doubles—giving her 18 in her two years as a Cardinal—hauled in 10 or more rebounds 12 times this season, including a season-high 17-rebound effort against Carleton on Nov. 30. She also led the team in blocks (19), while chipping in 31 steals and 28 assists.
 
Schaefer, who earned MIAC post-season honors for the fourth straight season—having been named to the MIAC All-First-Year team as a freshman, All-MIAC First-Team as a sophomore, and  honorable-mention All-MIAC a year ago—finished second to Blattner in scoring, averaging 10.6 ppg. The senior point guard led the team, and the entire conference, in assists, dishing out a single-season career-high 120—including a career-best 12 helpers against Concordia on Dec. 3. Schaefer, who, like Blattner, started all 25 games this season, was also the team-leader in steals with 50, while shooting a team-best 77 percent (65-for-85) from the free throw line. She also chipped in 28 3-pointers.
 
Regular-season and MIAC Playoff champion St. Thomas swept the conference's top awards, as Kaitlin Langer was named MIAC Player of the Year, while Hannah Spaulding was the Sixth Player of the Year, and Ruth Sinn—who guided the Tommies to a perfect 27-0 record heading into NCAA tournament play­—was tabbed as MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the 10th annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women's basketball, which included Saint Mary's Sam Jones (White Bear Lake, Minn.)