Three Leathernecks Earn All-League Honors

Emily Clemens, Morgan Blumer and Taylor Higginbotham earn All-Summit League awards

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MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois had a trio of players earn All-Summit League honors, as announced by the conference Wednesday (Feb. 28).

Emily Clemens (First Team), Taylor Higginbotham (Second Team) and Morgan Blumer (Second Team) all earned league recognition for the second year in a row.

"Awards in this league are a real honor," said head coach JD Gravina. "To have three players named in the top 11 for the league shows how much the members and other coaches respect our team."

Clemens garnered First Team honors for the second straight year. The senior from Muscatine, Iowa, leads the league in assists, assists per game, free throws made, assist/turnover ratio, free throws attempted, steals, steals per game, minutes and minutes per game. This season, she broke The Summit League all-time records for career assists and free throws made, while also becoming the program's all-time leading scorer and leader in games played.

This season, Clemens was a four-time Summit League Player of the Week, Summit League Female Athlete of the Month for January, espnW National Player of the Week (Feb. 26), and NCAA Starting Five honoree (Dec. 26). She is also one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award national honor.

Blumer also earned All-League honors for the second straight season, as she was named to the Second Team. The Milton, Wis., native currently ranks first in the league with 79 made 3s this season, and her 14.7 points per game rank fifth. She totaled a season-high of 32 points at Northern Illinois on Nov. 18, 2017.

Higginbotham garnered Second Team All-League honors for the second consecutive season. The Germantown, Wis., native became the program's 17th 1,000-point scorer and also notched eight double-doubles, which led the league. She ranks third in the league with 16.6 points per game, and tallied a career-high of 29 points at Wichita State (Dec. 1, 2017). She was also named Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 4.

The third-seeded Leathernecks take on No. 6 seed Omaha this Sunday (March 4) at 2:30 p.m. in The Summit League Championship Quarterfinal opening round at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

2017-18 Summit League Women's Basketball All-League Awards
First Team All-Summit League
Allison Arens, South Dakota
Emily Clemens, Western Illinois
Ciara Duffy, South Dakota
Madison Guebert, South Dakota State
Faith Ihim, Oral Roberts
Macy Miller, South Dakota State

Second Team All-Summit League
Morgan Blumer, Western Illinois
Taylor Higginbotham, Western Illinois
Maria Martianez, Oral Roberts
Ellie Thompson, South Dakota State
Jasmine Trimboli, South Dakota

Honorable Mention All-Summit League
Jordyn Alt, Denver
Jaycee Bradley, South Dakota
Claire Gritt, Denver
Reilly Jacobson, North Dakota State
Madison McKeever, South Dakota

All-Newcomer Team
Claire Gritt, Denver
Chloe Lamb, South Dakota
Tagyn Larson, South Dakota State
Maya Mayberry, Oral Roberts
Myah Selland, South Dakota State

Player of the Year
Macy Miller, South Dakota State

Transfer of the Year
Tagyn Larson, South Dakota State

Freshman of the Year
Claire Gritt, Denver

Sixth Woman of the Year
Jasmine Trimboli, South Dakota

Defensive Player of the Year
Jasmine Trimboli, South Dakota

Coach of the Year
Dawn Plitzuweit, South Dakota

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Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer: G; 5' 11"; Senior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast

#2 Emily Clemens: G; 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine

#24 Taylor Higginbotham: G; 5' 10"; Junior; Germantown

Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer
: 5' 11"; Senior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast
: G

#2 Emily Clemens
: 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine
: G

#24 Taylor Higginbotham
: 5' 10"; Junior; Germantown
: G

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Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer

#2 Emily Clemens

#24 Taylor Higginbotham

Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer

#2 Emily Clemens

#24 Taylor Higginbotham