For Immediate Release

eureka, illinois

March 3, 2008

Fisher, Gardner earn SLIAC awards

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has named Eureka College senior Nicole Fisher (Canton, Ill./HS) Women's Basketball Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference and her classmate, Brittany Gardner (Mooresville, Ind./HS), Second Team All-Conference following a vote of the league's coaches.

Fisher set an all-time conference record by averaging 14.0 rebounds in her 16 league games played this season.  She also led the SLIAC in field goal percentage (55.6%).  She finished just six points shy of winning the league's scoring title, which was captured by Abby Lowe of MacMurray.  Fisher ranked second in the conference in points (17.9 ppg) and eighth in free throw percentage (73.9%).  She recorded a double-double in 13 out of 16 SLIAC games played, scoring in double figures in all but one contest.

The 5-10 forward set Eureka school records with 22 rebounds in a game twice (Dec. 5 vs. Blackburn and Feb. 26 vs. Lincoln Christian), 336 rebounds in a season and a 13.4 rebounds per game average.  Fisher set the EC career rebounding record with 892, breaking the former record of 890 with 42 seconds remaining in her final game.  The Red Devils (7-18, 5-11 SLIAC) were not out-rebounded in any conference game this season, and led the SLIAC in field goal percentage defense (32.6%).

Fisher is the first player from a team that finished in the bottom half of the league standings to win the Player of the Year award in the 11 years it has been handed out.  She becomes the third Red Devil to win a conference player of the year award following fellow Canton High School graduate Sarah Taylor (1997-98) and Carrie Eisenbarth (2002-03), who both took the honor while EC was in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

Gardner was the only player in the conference to finish in the top eight in both points and assists.  She ranked fourth in scoring (14.1 ppg) and eighth in assists (2.4 apg).  She shot 72.9 percent at the line, good for ninth highest, and made the 10th most three-pointers (22).  On February 6 in a game at Blackburn, Gardner scored a career-high 31 points, the second highest total for any player in the SLIAC game this season.  She was Eureka's leading scorer in seven league contests.

Gardner finished her career as one of five players in Eureka history in the top 10 in both career points and assists.  She ranks seventh with 1,075 points and tenth with 206 dishes.  She set the school record for made three-pointers during her junior year, finishing with 192.  Gardner played 965 minutes out of a possible 1,010 for the season, resting a total of two minutes over her last seven games.

Below is a complete listing of the SLIAC awards for the 2007-08 season:

FIRST TEAM ALL-SLIAC

Sierra Shipley                  Blackburn
Nicole Fisher                   Eureka
Meredith Banal                Greenville
Allie Wilhelm                    Maryville
Christina Speer               Principia

SECOND TEAM ALL-SLIAC

Brittany Gardner               Eureka
Heather McCallister        Fontbonne
Abby Lowe                       MacMurray
Courtney Bergheger       Maryville
Sara Wemlinger              Maryville

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-SLIAC

Meghan Polston               Blackburn
Michele Reale                  Fontbonne
Megan McCabe                Maryville
Katy Meyer                       Webster
Ashley Stanfill                  Westminster

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nicole Fisher                    Eureka

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Sierra Shipley                  Blackburn

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Williams                  Blackburn

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Greenville College

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For More Information Contact:

Bryan Moore
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bmoore@eureka.edu