March 22, 2006

West Texas A&M University women's basketball player Emily Brister was named to the third-team of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball All-America team announced by the 2006 Daktronics, Inc., selected by Division II Sports Information Directors.

"It's a tremendous honor for her, especially since this was just her first year at the college level," WTAMU head coach Bob Schneider said. "It's a great honor not just for her, but the program. I think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg with her talent level and ability and there's room for improvement. If she continues the hard work that she did last offseason, she can become an even better player."

Brister, a 5-9 freshman guard from Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo High School), who led the nation in steals, swiping 4.1 per game, with 132 swipes on the year and tying a Lady Buff single-season record, joining Josephine Longoria's 132 steals in 1990-91, and establishing a new school record for steals average. Brister also led the LSC and is ninth in the NCAA-II in scoring, netting 21.1 ppg, finishing with 676 points, ranking second on the WTAMU single-season scoring list and tied for fourth on the scoring average list. Brister also averaged 2.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Brister is seventh in the conference in 3-point FG made, hitting 2.19 per game (70-of-196, .357). From the free throw line, Brister is a team-best 80.7 percent (196-of-243), setting a new WTAMU single-season free throws made record and third in free throw attempts, as well as ranking 10th in the league in FT percentage, leading the conference in both free throws made and attempted.

Brister was named the LSC Tournament MVP for her performance in leading the Lady Buff to their first conference championship since the 1996-97 season. In the LSC Championship game, Brister established a new career-high in rebounds as she tallied 11 rebounds to go along with 17 points to record her third double-double of the season.

Brister was also named a WBCA South Central Regional Finalist, as well as the Daktronics All-South Central Region Team. She was also the LSC South Player of the Year, LSC South Freshman of the Year, and named to the first-team All-LSC South list.

Brister was the only freshman out of the three teams, and the only LSC player recognized. Three other South Central Region players were honored, with Washburn University's Michelle Harris being tabbed the Player of the Year and named to the first-team. Michelle Stueve, from Emporia State University, who knocked off WTAMU in the NCAA-II South Central Regional Semifinals and went on to win the Regional and advance to the Elite Eight, was named to the second-team, while Washburn's Brooke Ubelaker was tabbed to the honorable mention list.

Brister helped WTAMU to a 28-4 record, the most wins since 1996-97, having its season-long 13-game winning streak snapped in the NCAA-II South Central Regional Semifinals, falling to Emporia State, who went on to win the regional and advance to the Elite Eight.

WTAMU also won the LSC Championship, the Lady Buffs' conference-record eighth LSC title. This was the 19th season under head coach Bob Schneider that the Lady Buffs have reached the 20-win milestone.

-WT-