Story courtesy UND Media Relations
March 16, 2001
GRAND FORKS, ND - University of North Dakota women’s basketball player Theresa LeCuyer (Sr., Anoka, Minn.), a 1997 graduate of Anoka (Minn.) High School, was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year, the WBCA announced today.
The WBCA presents the award annually to the top players in each of the five WBCA collegiate divisions (Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and JC/CC) at its national convention, held annually in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
“Theresa has had an outstanding career at the University of North Dakota,” said WBCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Bass. “Her credentials both on and off the court speak for themselves. We are extremely pleased to present Theresa with the WBCA Player of the Year award, and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.”
LeCuyer, a 6-1 forward, has led North Dakota (27-3 overall) to a berth in the 2001 NCAA Division II Elite Eight, to be held March 21-24 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn. The Sioux will play Texas A&M Kingsville (27-6) on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
LeCuyer leads North Dakota in scoring (17.9 ppg), rebounds (7.1 rpg) and assists (3.8 apg). This year she has been named the North Central Conference’s most valuable player, and she was also the MVP of the NCAA North Central Region tournament, co-MVP of the NCC postseason tournament and MVP of the Grand Canyon University Invitational. LeCuyer also earned both All-NCC and Daktronics first team All-North Central Region honors for the second straight year.
LeCuyer finished second in the NCC in scoring this season (17.2 ppg in 18 conference games), tied for fourth in steals (2.22 per game), was fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.393), 10th in free throw percentage (.767) and 14th in rebounding (6.5 per game).
LeCuyer, who transferred to UND prior to the 1999-2000 season after playing for two years at the University of Minnesota, scored her 1,000th career point at UND on Saturday against St. Cloud State in the first round of the NCAA North Central regional. She currently ranks 19th on the all-time UND scoring list with 1,021 points in two years. LeCuyer has 537 points this season, the 10th-best single-season mark in UND history, and 63 points away from the top mark (600 points) in school history, held by former Sioux player Jenny Crouse, who set the school record in 1998-99.
LeCuyer, a physical education major, is the daughter of Ray and Barb LeCuyer. She ended her high school career in 1997 as the all-time leading scorer in Anoka High School history and averaged 25 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior.
The WBCA Player of the Year Award is selected by the 10-member WBCA Player of the Year Committee and consists of one WBCA-member head coach from each of the eight WBCA Division II Districts.
LeCuyer will be formally presented this year to the coaches and convention registrants at the WBCA Player of the Year Luncheon on Friday, March 30 at noon in the St. Louis Ballroom in the Adam’s Mark Hotel. The luncheon is part of the 2001 WBCA national convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four in St. Louis.