CLEVELAND - Both
Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) and
Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) earned honors from the Mid-American Conference on Tuesday as Lehman was named to the first team while Poisson was named to the all-freshman team.
The honor is the second of Lehman's career as she was selected to the third team in last year. She finished runner-up to Kent State's Larissa Lurken for MAC Player of the Year. Poisson is the first Huskie since teammate
Kelly Smith to earn the honor.
Lehman, second in the MAC in rebounding (10.0) and third in scoring (18.3) and assists (6.6), started in all 29 games this season and registered an NIU record 17 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. Six times she notched 10-or-more assists during the season and fell one rebound or assist shy of triple-double three times.
In the last eight games of the season, she averaged 25.3 points per game and earned three MAC West Player of the Week awards, improving on her conference-best six awards. Versus the top-three teams in the league, Lehman led the Huskies to an even 3-3 record with two wins on the road while averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
In her final game at the NIU Convocation Center against Toledo, she finished one assist shy of a triple day as she tallied 31 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. The Nineveh, Ind., native tied the Mid-American Conference's single-game record for points with 48 versus Milwaukee on Nov. 16 while pulling down 21 rebounds as well.
Lehman is the first Huskie since Amanda Corral to earn All-Mid-American Conference honors in a career as she earned third team accolades in 2013-14 and first team honors in 2014-15.
Poisson, who played in 28 games with her first career start at Western Michigan last Saturday, was the Huskies spark plug scorer off the bench this season, averaging 8.6 points per game and scoring double figures 11 times.
The Matteson, Ill., native had her breakthrough performance at Kent State on Jan. 11 with a season-best 27 points, going 4-for-8 behind the three-point line, 9-for-17 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line.
NIU finished 19-10 overall and 12-6 in MAC play, earning the MAC Tournament's No. 4 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals in Cleveland.
The Huskies will open the MAC Tournament on Wednesday at approximately 1:30-1:45 p.m. Central versus No. 5 seed Ohio. The game will air live on ESPN3. NIU is making its first appearance at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland since 2014.
