Women's Basketball

2008 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women's Basketball All-North Central Region Team
UND's Langen Named 2008 Daktronics All-North Central Region Player of the Year

Colorado Springs, Colo. - March 12, 2008 -University of North Dakota's Ashley Langen was a unanimous choice for the 2008 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women's Basketball All-North Central Region Team, as selected by the sports information directors from the 33 North Central institutions and conference offices.  Joining Langen on the first team is Jeana Hoffman from South Dakota, Amanda Behnke from Concordia-St. Paul, Amy Mathis from Nebraska-Kearney, and Katie LaViolette from South Dakota.

A three-time North Central Conference Player of the Week, Langen became just the second player in UND history to score 2,000 career points or grab 1,000 career rebounds.  She became UND's all-time leader in free throws made and ranks second all-time at UND in scoring, rebounding, field goals made and field goal percentage and ranks third all-time in free throw percentage.  She leads the North Central Conference in rebounds (10.8 per game), and is ranks third in field goal percentage (.572) and fourth in scoring (16.4 points per game).

Hoffman helped lead her team to the North Central Conference title and the top seed in this week's North Central Regional tournament.  She leads the league in scoring with 17.7 points per game and leads the nation in made three-point field goals with 3.66 per game.  She also ranks fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.429).  Hoffman also led the Coyotes in scoring in 20 games this season and she shattered the single-season school record for most made three-point field goals with 106 (former record was 89).  Last year, she was named All-NCC and selected as the NCC Newcomer of the Year.

Behnke, who was selected as the 2007-08 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Player of the Year, was named NSIC Player of the Week (12/10/07) with 26 points and career-high 18 rebounds against Bemidji State.  She leads the NSIC in scoring (16.2 points per game), offensive rebounds (2.87 per game) and she ranks second overall in rebounding (8.6).  She has 10 double-double performances this season and 22 in her career in 90 games (86 starts).  She also has 11 20-plus point and 14 10-plus rebound performances on the year.  Her career honors include being named the 2006-07 NSIC Player of the Year, and to the 2006-07 WBCA all-America honorable mention team, the 2006-07 Women's Division II Bulletin all-America honorable mention team, the 2006-07 Daktronics all-region first team, and the NSIC All-Tournament Team.

The leading scorer in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with 17.7 points per game, Mathis also leads the league in free throw percentage (.895), three-point field goal percentage (.479), and she ranks second in double-doubles (10).  Earlier this season, she was voted the 2008 RMAC Academic Player of the Year and to the 2008 CoSIDA first team Academic All-District.

LaViolette joins teammate Behnke on this year's 2008 Daktronics all-region first team.  She lead the league in assists (8.47 per game) and assists/turnover ratio (3.34), and she ranks second in free throw percentage (.864), steals (2.32) and minutes played (34.17).  An ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII first team selection, LaViolette was a three-time NSIC Player of the Week in 07-08.  She has six double-doubles in 2007-08 and 15 career double-doubles.  She holds Concordia school records for career assists, single season assists, and holds NSIC records in career assists, single season assists (159 in 06-07) and NSIC Tournament assists/game (13.0, 06-07). 

First Team
* Ashley Langen, University of North Dakota, Senior, Center, 6-2, Kennedy, Minn.
Amanda Behnke, Concordia-St. Paul, Senior, Center, 6-2, Eagan, Minn.
Jeana Hoffman, University of South Dakota, Senior, Guard, 5-8, Mitchell, S.D.
Amy Mathis, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Senior, Forward, 6-0, Omaha, Neb.
Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul, Senior, Point Guard, 5-9, Manitowoc, Wis.

Second Team
Kierah Kimbrough, University of North Dakota, Junior, Forward, 6-0, Greenbush, Minn.
Allison Rosel, Fort Lewis College, Sophomore, Forward, 5-11, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Noelle Hall, Northern State, Senior, Center, 6-2, Altura, Minn.
Heather Johnson, Minnesota State-Mankato, Junior, Guard, 5-8, Janesville, Minn.
Amy Lawson, Bemidji State, Senior, Point Guard, 5-4, Spencer, Iowa

* unanimous selection