Wurdeman Named One Of Five New England Finalists For State Farm Coaches' All-America Team
BABSON PARK, Mass. -- The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced the regional finalists for its 2010 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team on Tuesday, and Babson College sophomore Nicki Wurdeman (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional) was one of just five players named from the New England region.
A 6-foot-1 forward, Wurdeman currently leads Babson with 15.0 points per game and a .588 field goal percentage while also ranking among the team leaders with 7.3 rebounds and 1.93 blocks per contest. She was recently named NEWMAC Player of the Year for the first time in her young career, and she received her second straight All-Conference First Team selection. The conference Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-New England honoree as a first-year in 2009, Wurdeman has led Babson to back-to-back NEWMAC Championships and consecutive berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Like most great players, Babson's sophomore star has seemingly saved her best for the sport's biggest stage. In the Beavers' first and second round NCAA Tournament games at Colby this weekend, Wurdeman averaged 25.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting .720 from the field in back-to-back victories. She scored a career-high 29 points on 12-of-13 shooting against Emmanuel in the team's 76-56 opening round victory and then pumped in 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a thrilling 76-73 double-overtime win against Colby.
Wurdeman joins senior Alison Cappelloni of Colby, senior Jessica Chapin of Brandeis, sophomore Caroline Stedman of Amherst, and junior Melissa Teel of Western Connecticut State as the five finalists selected from the New England region for national All-American honors. The final 10-person All-America squad will be selected from a pool of 40 total candidates, which each of the country's eight regions consisting of five finalists.
With Wurdeman leading the way, Babson will now enter the NCAA Tourney's Round of 16 this weekend at Amherst, where they will take on Gettysburg College on Friday at 5 p.m. The Beavers carry with them a record of 27-3 and a program-record 19-game winning streak.