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Women’s hoops guard Amanda Corral named Academic All-MAC, three teammates honored

April 22, 2013
Amanda Corral

Amanda Corral

Northern Illinois University women’s basketball player Amanda Corral was named to the 2012-13 Women’s Basketball Academic All Mid-American Conference Team, the league announced Monday.

“As hard as she plays on the court and how driven she is, she’s the same way in the classroom,” said NIU head coach Kathi Bennett. “She’s somewhat of a perfectionist. She pursues excellence in everything she does. I’m really proud of her.”

A native of Hobart, Ind., Corral led the Huskies and was eighth in the MAC in scoring averaging 12.7 points a game. She started all 29 games she played in establishing single season career highs in points (369), field goals (129), assists (60) and steals (33).

Corral, who earned MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week earlier in the season, was second on the team and sixth in the league in three-point field goal percentage hitting at a 38.1 percent clip and her 48 three pointers led the team and ranked eighth in the MAC.

Corral, who carries a 3.9 grade point average in pre-physical therapy, tallied 22 double-digit scoring performances, including a season-high 20 points in NIU’s 73-52 win over Ohio. She recorded the third double-double of her career scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds at Western Michigan in the regular season finale.

The 5-6 guard led the Huskies in rebounding with 144 boards. Corral led the team and was fourth in the MAC in free throw percentage shooting 79.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Shaakira Haywood

Shaakira Haywood

Shaakira Haywood (Canton, Mich./Plymouth), Ashley Sneed (Harvey, Ill./Thornton) and Jenna Thorp (Hinckley, Ill./Hinckley-Big Rock) earned Honorable Mention accolades.

Haywood, a psychology major, scored a career-high 73 points playing in all 30 games for the Huskies in 2012-13.

Sneed logged career-highs in minutes per game (20.9), rebounds per game (2.7), points per game (5.3) and points in a season (157) last year for the Huskies. She is majoring in corporate communications. Thorp, a pre-physical therapy major, established career highs in rebounds per game (4.8) and points per game (6.3).

Selection to the Academic All-MAC Team, which is voted on by the league’s Faculty Athletic Representative, requires that the student-athlete achieve a minimum cumulative 3.20 GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.

For more information on NIU women’s basketball and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.