• Full MVC Scholar-Athlete Team Release (PDF)
University of Evansville senior women’s basketball players
Ashley Austin (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) and
Shannon Novosel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) have both been named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s Scholar-Athlete first team for their work both on and off of the court, in a vote by the league’s sports information directors. They are the first UE teammates to earn first team MVC Scholar-Athlete status in the same year since Evansville entered the MVC in 1994.
Austin garnered first team MVC Scholar-Athlete status after leading the Purple Aces in scoring (13.0 ppg), assists (3.1 apg), and steals (2.2 spg) this year, while posting a 3.55 cumulative grade point average in Biochemistry at UE. She has routinely missed one practice a week this year to handle her classroom responsibilities as a Biochemistry major, but she has not missed a beat on the floor, as she finished the regular-season ranked among the MVC’s leaders in scoring (seventh-13.0 ppg), assists (sixth-3.1 apg), steals (third-2.2 spg), three-point accuracy (third-41.9 percent), and free throw accuracy (10th-75.2 percent). Austin will graduate from UE this May and hopes to attend medical school after graduation.
Novosel captured first team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors after earning second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors from CoSIDA earlier this year. Novosel is one of UE’s best both in the classroom and on the basketball court, as she carries a 3.80 cumulative grade point average in Mass Communications and Spanish at Evansville. She also ranked third on the team in scoring during the regular-season at 10.6 points per game, while also ranking eighth in the MVC in rebounding at 6.3 caroms per contest, and fourth in blocked shots at 1.4 per game. Novosel is getting set to wrap up a storied career at UE this weekend in the State Farm MVC Tournament, as she needs just 16 more points to become the only player in school history, male or female, to record over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, and 100 blocks as a Purple Ace.
For Austin, it marks the second year in a row in which she has captured MVC Scholar-Athlete honors, as she was an honorable mention selection last year as a junior. For Novosel, it is the third MVC Scholar-Athlete honor of her career, as she was an honorable mention selection two years ago as a sophomore, and captured second-team honors last year as a junior. All-time, 29 UE women’s basketball players have earned MVC Scholar-Athlete status in Evansville’s now 15 years in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Evansville (11-18 overall, 4-14 in the MVC) will open up State Farm MVC Tournament play on Thursday night at 6:05 p.m., as the Purple Aces will battle long-time rival Southern Illinois (9-18 overall, 5-13 in the MVC). Every UE game of the State Farm MVC Tournament can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
