Stelloh named CCAC Player of the Year
Milwaukee, Wis. - After having such a successful season in 2009-10, it’s no surprise that the Cardinal Stritch University women’s basketball team is well represented on the CCAC All-Conference team. All five of the Wolves starters earned a place on the roster, while senior Michelle Stelloh was awarded Player of the Year for the second time in her career.
Stelloh averages 15.8 points per game this year, leading the league with 473 total points. One of the strongest parts of Stelloh’s game is her long range shooting ability. The West Allis, Wis. native hit 81 three-pointers this year, twenty more than any other CCAC player. The senior is also big under the basket, pulling down 5.9 rebounds a game. The 5-11 forward is a big part of the Wolves defense. She averages one blocked shot per game, good for second in the conference, as well as two steals a game, fifth best in the CCAC. This is Stelloh’s fourth consecutive All-Conference honor.
Brittney Daum (Gilberts, Ill.) earns her second consecutive first team All-Conference award this season. The senior averages 12.2 ppg while shooting 46.9 percent from the field. The 5-5 guard joins Stelloh and Liz Neitzel (Lomira, Wis.) as the top three-point shooters in the CCAC, hitting on 37.6 percent of her attempts. Daum has an impressive ability to drive through the lane right past the defense. Besides being a scoring threat, she also sees the floor well, averaging 1.9 assists a game.
Beth Gilgenbach (Fond du Lac, Wis.) returned full-time to the court this year after struggling with a knee injury in the past and has earned first team All-Conference honors for the first time in her career. Gilgenbach leads the CCAC in assists, dishing out 4.2 a game this season. The senior’s defensive skill made a huge impact for the Wolves, as she recorded 83 steals on the season, second best in the conference. Using her speed and ability to read the opponent, Gilgenbach puts constant pressure on every team that Stritch faces.
Sophomore Liz Neitzel receives All-Conference honors for the first time in her career. The 5-6 guard came in just below Stelloh in the scoring ranks, averaging 15.1 points a game. She leads the league in three-point and free throw percentage. Neitzel broke the single game scoring record for Stritch on Feb. 10, against Trinity International, where she netted 35 points. Another multifaceted player, Neitzel is more than a scoring threat for the Wolves. She has also dished out 3 assists a game, third best in the CCAC. Stritch looks forward to welcoming back the talented young player that is likely to slide into a leadership role with the loss of the four starting seniors.
For the second season in a row Renet Skorusa (Lemont, Ill.) earns Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. The senior leads the Wolves under the basket with 6.4 rebounds a game. Skorusa is a huge defensive threat and sits at the top of the blocked shots leader board once again this season. The 5-10 forward, often forced into the role of center, recorded 41 blocked shots so far this year, for an average of 1.4 a game. Skorusa hasn’t shot as often as the rest of the starting group this season, but she leads the team with a field goal percentage of 52.8 and averages 7.1 ppg.
As the Wolves look forward to the postseason they will depend heavily on these five starters to get the job done at the NAIA National Tournament. Stritch will depend on their experience and consistency as they look to advance in the tournament.