Maier and Leong Named NEWMAC All-Conference

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Two Wellesley College basketball players were honored by the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) with post-season awards.

The Blue's Malia Maier and Leslie Leong were both named to the 2012 All-NEWMAC team, after a vote of the league's 10 coaches. This is the first time since the 2002-03 season that the program has had multiple student-athletes named All-Conference.

Maier, a junior, is a repeat selection to the All-Conference team. She finished the season averaging 9.5 points per game, 4.6 steals per game and 4.4 assists per game. Maier's steal and assist totals ranked her first in the NEWMAC, while her steals rank among the top-five in the country in Division III.

Maier led the NEWMAC in minutes per game, averaging nearly 36 minutes of playing time per contest. She also ranked second in the NEWMAC in overall assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and second in three-point field goals made (38).

Leong, a sophomore, earns her first NEWMAC All-Conference honor. She led the Blue in scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.7 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game, while recording seven double-doubles. Her scoring total ranked her 11th among all NEWMAC players, while her rebounding numbers placed her fourth overall, as the 5'9" guard out-rebounded all but Babson's three 6' players.

Leong was among the league leaders in three-point percentage, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc.  She also ranked sixth in minutes per game (32.2), and eighth in the conference in free-throw percentage (77.1).

Maier and Leong led the Blue to a 13-12 overall mark this season, with an 11-7 record in NEWMAC play. Wellesley earned the #4 seed in the NEWMAC tournament, hosting a playoff game for the first time in ten seasons. This year's squad also set a program record for NEWMAC wins (11) and had the most overall wins (13) since the 2001-02 season. 

Malia Maier	Leslie Leong

2011-12 NEWMAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team and Award Winners

NEWMAC Athlete of the Year:
Nicki Wurdeman, Babson

NEWMAC Rookie of the Year:
Mari Kordell, MIT

NEWMAC Coach of the Year:
Lynn Hersey, Smith

NEWMAC Sportsmanship Award:
MIT

First Team All-Conference
Sarah Collins, Babson
Kathleen King, Babson
Nicki Wurdeman, Babson
Ashleigh Condon, Clark
Rosa Drummond, Smith

Second Team All-Conference
Emily Reilly, Clark
Mari Kordell, MIT
Kelly Slattery, Springfield
Leslie Leong, Wellesley
Malia Maier, Wellesley
Theresa Logan, WPI