2016-17 MIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College's Tamira McLemore (FY, Eagan, Minn.) and Bridget Bednar (JR, Pierz, Minn.) earned women's basketball postseason honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Thursday, McLemore earning All-MIAC and All-MIAC Rookie Team honors and Bednar being named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.

McLemore was one of only two first-year players to be named to the 18-member All-MIAC team. The All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team award is the first conference honor for Bednar in her career.

A guard, McLemore led a group of eight first-year players that made the 2016-17 campaign one of the most amazing for Augsburg's women's basketball in its varsity program history. The group of first-years led the Auggies to a 15-11 record and a spot in the MIAC playoffs, scoring 82.8 percent (1,517) of the team's 1,833 points and pulling down 59.3 percent (584) of the team's 985 rebounds, while claiming 88.0 percent (325) of the team's 369 assists, 74.6 percent (217) of the team's steals and 60.5 percent (49) of the team's 81 blocked shots.

One of two players (both first-years) to start all 26 games this season and one of seven Auggie first-years to start 12 or more games, McLemore led the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per-game, while also leading the team with 87 assists (3.3 per-game) and 65 steals (2.5 per-game). Her 4.2 rebounds per-game were fourth-most on the team, and she also contributed seven blocked shots. Her 29.2 minutes played per-game were most on the team.

McLemore scored in double figures in 21 of her 26 games, while contributing four or more rebounds in 18 games, three or more assists in 12 games, and three or more steals in 10 games. 

Among MIAC players in overall statistics, McLemore finished eighth with a 14.3 points per-game average -- the only first-year player to rank in the top 10 in the MIAC in scoring. Her 64 steals were second-most in the MIAC, while her 87 assists were sixth-most, her 88 free throws were fifth-most and her 127 made field goals were 10th-most. Her 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio was 15th-best in the league. In league games-only, she finished ninth in points per-game (14.1), second in steals (42), ninth in assists (47), sixth in free throws (62) and 12th in made field goals (87).

McLemore's 372 points were the eighth-most in a single season in school history, while her 88 free throws were also eighth-most. Her 127 field goals made were tied for 12th-most, her 64 steals were 12th-most and her 87 assists were tied for 13th-most on the Auggie single-season record lists.

Bednar was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team, as part of the conference's sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. 

In her third season as a post player for the Auggies, Bednar averaged 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per-game, starting 13 of her 25 contests and playing 20.8 minutes per-game. Her rebounding total was second-best on the team. She also contributed 31 steals, 26 assists and nine blocked shots. Bednar recorded two point-rebound double-doubles and claimed four or more rebounds in 15 of her 25 games, including four double-digit rebound efforts.

In her 77-game career (32 starts), Bednar has scored 530 points (6.9 per-game) while pulling down 331 rebounds (4.3 per-game). She also has 70 assists, 77 steals and 31 blocked shots in her career. Her 45.2 percent (219-of-484) career field-goal percentage is seventh-best in school history.

Under second-year head coach Ted Riverso, Augsburg finished 15-11 overall and 8-10 in MIAC play in 2016-17, reaching the six-team MIAC postseason playoffs for the second time in the last three years and recording double-digit win totals four years in a row -- the first time that has happened in the varsity history (since 1972) of Augsburg women's basketball. The Auggies made a dramatic run to secure a conference playoff spot, winning seven of their last 10 regular-season games. Riverso is now 29-22 in his two seasons at Augsburg.