Women's Basketball

3/13/98
SIUE's Clark tabbed All-American
	(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Misi Clark, who broke Southern Illinois University 
Edwardsville's freshman scoring record this season with 551 points, has been named a finalist 
for the Division II Kodak Women's All-America Basketball Team.
	The Women's Basketball Coaches Association tapped Clark as one of the best players in 
their District 5. The 40 national finalists will be reviewed by an eight-person panel who 
later will name a 10-player 1998 Division II Kodak Women's All-America Team. The other 30 
players not selected will be recognized as Kodak Honorable Mention All-Americans.
	Clark helped the Cougars to a 22-8 record this season, breaking the school's record 
for victories. The Cougars also advanced to the NCAA Tournament only to fall to Michigan Tech 
60-47 despite a team-high 18 points from Clark.
	Clark, a 5-10 point guard from Paris, Ill., finished the 1997-98 season with an 18.4 
scoring average with 105 assists and a Great Lakes Valley Conference-leading 93 steals. She 
was among the conference leaders in field goal percentage at 52.4 percent, hitting 177 of 338 
from the field, including 47 of 123 from three-point range.
	Clark set a school record with 150 free throws made this season and set a single-game 
GLVC record with free throws (18) and free throws attempted (24) against Missouri-St. Louis 
on Jan. 10. Her 93 steals also was an SIUE single-season record.
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3/1/98
Cougar Women's Basketball
Earns Bid to NCAA Division II Tournament
	(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) With players who were on a mission, the Southern Illinois 
University Edwardsville women's basketball team earned a bid to the 48-team NCAA Division II 
Basketball Tournament.
	SIUE (22-7), runners-up at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, will play 
Michigan Tech University (19-9) in the first round of the Great Lakes Regional Tournament at 
7:30 p.m. The SIUE-Michigan Tech winner will play top-seeded host Southern Indiana. In the 
other side of the bracket, the winner of the Lewis-Grand Valley State quarterfinal will play 
second-seeded Northern Michigan.
	SIUE Coach Wendy Hedberg said the bid was well earned.
	"Every week the pressure was on us to win games," she said.
	Hedberg said her team deserved a bid to the NCAA Tournament after posting a 
second-place finish in the GLVC Tournament. The Cougars broke the school's single-season 
record for wins, which was previously set at 20 during the 1989-90 and 1992-93 seasons. Of 
the Cougars' seven losses this season, six came from teams which posted 20 or more victories.
	"They believed they could get to the playoffs, but to do it we had to win," Hedberg said.
	This is the Cougars' second appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. SIUE 
travelled to Michigan Tech during the 1992-93 season, losing 69-57 in the Upper Peninsula of 
Michigan.
	SIUE has been led all season by a trio of scorers in double figures. GLVC Freshman of 
the Year candidate Misi Clark, of Paris, with 18.4 points per game. Senior Alicia Harkins, of 
South Bend, Ind., is averaging 16.2 points per game and is the team's top offensive threat in 
the paint. Kim Lowe, of Hamilton, is averaging 14.5 points and a GLVC-leading 11.2 rebounds 
per contest.
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