March 5, 2004

DALLAS - Missouri senior forward and All-America candidate Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) has been made a repeat selection to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team, as voted on by the league's coaches and released by officials from the conference office today. After being named honorable mention as a sophomore in 2002, Unrau last year became just the second Tiger to be named to the All-Big 12 First Team (Amanda Lassiter in 2001).

Unrau becomes the first Tiger in the eight-year history of the Big 12 to repeat as a first-team selection, and is Missouri's first back-to-back first team all-conference honoree since Renee Kelly was named to the All-Big Eight Conference First Team in 1986 and 1987. She leads the league in rebounding (9.0 rpg) and double-doubles (13), is third in scoring (17.7 ppg), and is ranked among the league's leaders in eight of 12 diverse categories, more than any other player in the league.

In addition, senior forward Stretch James (Columbus, Ohio / Northland HS / Tyler [Texas] JC) was earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention plaudits following a stellar season. James leads the league with 2.37 blocks per game, and is ranked in the league's top 15 in scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg). She needs just one block to join the Big 12 single-season top-10 performers of all time, and is just five away from Mizzou's single-season school record of 69 set by Amanda Lassiter in 2000.

The Tigers begin play in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Tournament this Tuesday, March 9, as the No. 7 seed. Mizzou will face No. 10 seed Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

Texas' Jody Conradt was named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and Kansas State senior Nicole Ohlde was selected as Big 12 Player of the Year. Oklahoma State's Nina Stone was selected Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while Texas' Tiffany Jackson was Freshman of the Year.

2003-04 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Team

First Team
Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State   F/C  6-4  Sr.  Clay Center, Kan.
Kendra Wecker, Kansas State  F    5-11 Jr.  Marysville, Kan.
Stacy Stephens, Texas        F    6-1  Sr.  Winnsboro, Texas
Tera Bjorklund, Colorado     C    6-5  Sr.  St. Peter, Minn.
Evan Unrau, MISSOURI         F    6-1  Sr.  Fort Collins, Colo.
Heather Schreiber, Texas     F    6-2  Jr.  Windthorst, Texas
Toccara Williams, Texas A&M  G    5-9  Sr.  Hollywood, Fla.
Sophia Young, Baylor         F    6-1  So.  St. Vincent, West Indies
Steffanie Blackmon, Baylor   P    6-2  Jr.  Dallas, Texas
Jamie Carey, Texas           G    5-6  Jr.  Thornton, Colo.


Second Team
Erin Grant, Texas Tech       G    5-8  So.  Arlington, Texas
Dionnah Jackson, Oklahoma    G    5-9  Jr.  St. Louis, Mo.
Tiffany Jackson, Texas       F    6-3  Fr.  Dallas, Texas
Laurie Koehn, Kansas State   G    5-8  Jr.  Hesston, Kan.
Maria Villarroel, Oklahoma   G    5-8  Sr.  Margarita, Venezuela


Honorable Mention
Alesha Robertson, Texas Tech; Caton Hill, Oklahoma;
Keasha Cannon-Johnson, Nebraska; Kate Fagan, Colorado;
Megan Mahoney, Kansas State; Alexa Johnson, Nebraska;
Stretch James, MISSOURI; Randie Wirt, Colorado; Anne O'Neil, Iowa State


Big 12 Coach of the Year: Jody Conradt, Texas
Big 12 Player of the Year: Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year: Nina Stone, Oklahoma State
Big 12 Freshman of the Year: Tiffany Jackson, Texas