2004-2005 Midwest Conference Women's Basketball

Shannon Clerkin, Lake Forest

Clerkin, a junior forward from Barneveld, Wis. (HS), helped the Foresters begin the season with three wins in their first five games. Clerkin was named to the Forester Tip-Off All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 3.0 steals in the team’s first two games. After scoring 11 points in a loss to Illinois Wesleyan University, she made her second all-tournament team of the year at Washington University’s McWilliams Classic this past weekend by recording a pair of double-doubles, including a 31-point performance in the semifinals. In five games this season, Clerkin has averaged 16.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 2.2 steals. She scored in doublefigures each game and has three double-doubles.

Jill Gustafson, Carroll

Gustafson, a senior forward from Chaska, Minn. (Chaska HS), led the Lady Pioneers to a 1-1 week that included a win over defending MWC Champion St. Norbert. Against the Green Knights, Gustafson scored a game-high 24 points and added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal to her stat-line. In a loss at Loras, she tallied 14 points, two rebounds, one block and two steals. In the two games, Gustafson shot 15-of-29 from the field.

Liz Grana, Knox

Knox has found a window cleaner in Grana, a sophomore center from St. Louis, MO (Cor Jesu Academy), who cleaned the glass with 24 rebounds in a pair of games as the Prairie Fire went 2-0 for the week. Grana’s performance helped the Prairie Fire pick up wins over Eureka and Clarke improving their overall record to 3-3 She hauled in a career high 16 rebounds versus Clarke College, tied for 7th highest in school history. On the week, she averaged 12 rebounds, 8 points, 2.5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per contest.

Jill Gustafson, Carroll

Gustafson, a senior forward from Chaska, Minn. (Chaska), scored 14 points to lead the Pioneers to a New Year’s Day victory over the University of Pittsburgh - Bradford at the Monterey Bay Classic. She also grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists and recorded one steal. She then scored a career-high 30 points on Jan. 2 in a loss to Ashland University, an NCAA Division II institution. She also grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists. In the two games she shot 16-of-29 from the field.

Tai Duncan, Grinnell

Duncan, a senior center from Chicago, Ill., had an efficient and dominating performance in Grinnell’s win over Illinois College. She was 9 of 10 from the floor, finishing with 21 points, and hauled in 13 rebounds (ten on the defensive end). Over her last three games – all Grinnell wins — Duncan is hitting 77% of her shots (20/26), and is averaging 16 points and 10.3 rebounds. The senior center has also increased her conference averages to 13.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg.

Claire Getzoff, Lawrence

Getzloff, a sophomore guard from Evanston, Ill. (Evanston) scored nearly half of her team’s points last week while she averaged 27.3 points and 3.3 rebounds on the week. The sophomore guard was 27 of 52 from the floor (51.9 percent), including 15 of 26 on 3-pointers (57.7 percent). Against St. Norbert last Tuesday, Getzloff posted 25 points, grabbed five rebounds, had four assists and three steals. She then scored a career-high 29 points, had two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a win at Illinois C. on Friday. She finished her week with 28 points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals in a loss at Lake Forest on Saturday.

Joanie Hammer, Ripon

Hammer, a senior guard from Fond du Lac, Wis. (Goodrich), paced Ripon in their last three games averaging 14 ppg as the Red Hawks capped a 3-0 week with wins over St. Norbert, Illinois College and Lake Forest. The senior guard collected a game-high 19 points in Ripon’s win over Lake Forest, giving them sole possession of 1st place. For the week, Hammer shot 13-23 from the field, was 5-7 from the 3-point arc, 11-11 on free throws, and had 42 total points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists and 7 steals.

Katy Bowen, Grinnell

Bowen’s all-around play, much of which does not show up as statistics, has been instrumental in Grinnell’s five-game league winning streak and surge for a MWC tourney spot. In two wins this weekend, the sophomore forward from Omaha, Neb.,was 9 of 17 from the floor (53%), 11 of 15 from the free throw line, averaged 6.5 rebounds and 15.5 points, and totaled 9 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals and only 2 turnovers in 60 minutes of action.

Janine Emmer, Ripon

Emmer, a junior forward from Slinger, Wis., averaged 18.7 points per game last week while helping Ripon sweep the competition last week to stay atop the MWC standings at 13-0. Offensively, Emmer was 19 of 39 from the field, hit 18 of 23 free throws, and handed out four assists. Emmer’s contributions reached the defensive end as well, pulling down 21 rebounds, blocking five shots and recording six steals.

Angie Bossingham, Illinois C.

Bossingham, a senior guard from Lincoln, Ill. (Lincoln HS), was a key contributor in the Lady Blues road win over Monmouth scoring a game-high 24 points while making nine of her 10 field goal attempts, including 5-of-6 from 3-point distance. Bossingham also handed out six assists and made a pair of steals. The win hiked IC’s mark to 6-15 overall and 4-10 in MWC play.

Becky Nilson, Beloit

In two games last week, Nilson, a junior from Clinton, Wis. (Clinton HS), shot 71 percent from the floor and 89 percent from the free-throw line with a scoring average of 21 points and five rebounds per game as Beloit ended its 2003-04 season with a pair victories with wins over Lawrence and Carroll. Against Lawrence, Nilson was 7-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line as she scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds. At Carroll, Nilson was 10-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line, also grabbing five rebounds. For the two games, she was 17-of-24 from the floor, 8-of-9 from the free-throw line and hauled down the 10 rebounds. In both games, she led the Bucs in scoring.