June 4, 2014

 

Contacts:

University Relations, 657-2269  

Carmen Price, University Relations, 657-2243

 

Story courtesy Great Northwest Athletic Conference

 

PORTLAND, Ore.  – Montana State University Billings women’s basketball player Bobbi Knudsen was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Female Athlete of the Year for 2013-14.

 

Bobbi Knudsen

Knudsen, who received six first place votes and three second place votes by the conference athletic directors, led MSU Billings to the regular season GNAC title, where the team then earned the No. 2 ranking to attend the West Region tournament in California.  At Cal Poly Pomona, the Yellowjackets won two games, making it into the Sweet Sixteen round to play for the West Region title game. 

 

The 5’8’’ senior from Malta, Mont., Knudsen is the first student-athlete at MSU Billings to receive a conference athlete of the year award, and only the third women’s basketball player in the conference’s history to achieve the honor.

 

The MSUB women’s basketball team finished their season at 25-8 and completed a successful campaign to defend their home court, ending the season at a perfect 15-0 in Alterowitz Gymnasium.  Knudsen, the GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, ended her season ranked No. 5 in the nation in assists per game with 5.8, and No. 29 in assist/turnover ratio with 1.95.

 

“I was very pleased to see Bobbi Knudsen chosen for this prestigious award,” Head Coach Kevin Woodin said.  “Bobbi had an unbelievable career at MSUB and she definitely left her mark in both the MSUB and GNAC women’s basketball record books.   It was truly a pleasure to work with her on a daily basis.  Bobbi’s talent, leadership, and work ethic all played pivotal roles in our team’s success over the past four seasons.”

 

In her four years at MSU Billings, Knudsen amassed 1,831 points and 532 assists.  In the GNAC record books that puts her at No. 1 in both points and assists.  At MSUB, Knudsen finished her career ranked No. 2 in points behind Alira Carpenter (2,000) and No. 2 in assists behind Amy Winslow Pfeifle (589).

 

This season in the GNAC, Knudsen finished the year ranked No. 1 in assists (5.8/gm), No. 1 in assist/turnover ratio (1.9), No. 1 in min’s played (35.3/gm), No. 3 in free-throw percentage (84.1), No. 4 in scoring (17.2 pts/gm), and No. 6 in three-pointers made (2.0 gm).

Besides finishing her career ranked No. 1 in points and assists in the GNAC, Knudsen is the all-time conference career leader in field goals made (680), field goal attempts (1,617) and minutes played (3,838).

 

This season Knudsen was named the GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, she was a first-team All-Conference unanimous selection, a Daktronics All-American third team honoree, a West Region first-team honoree for the third consecutive year and a WBCA All-American HM for the third year in a row.

 

In 2013-14, Knudsen was a two-time GNAC / Red Lion Player of the Week to take her total to five career honors.  She was named to the West Region Tournament first team, and was the MSUB Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.

 

“It is great to see Bobbi getting the recognition she deserves for her outstanding senior season,” Montana State University Billings Athletic Director Krista Montague said.  “She was a major part of the success our women’s basketball team enjoyed this past season and all of her hard work and dedication has certainly paid off.  Her accomplishments speak for themselves and we are very proud of all this young woman has achieved in her four years as a Yellowjacket student-athlete.  Our sincere congratulations go out to Bobbi for this well-deserved honor.”   

 

Knudsen’s name appears 25 different times in the Montana State University Billings all-time women’s basketball record book.  This season at MSUB she set a new single season assist record with 193, just eclipsing Winslow Pfeifle at 183 (1998-99).  Knudsen finished ranked No. 5 in the 2013-14 season in points made with 569, No. 7 in field goals made (207), No. 6 in field goals attempted (467), No. 7 in three-pointers made (65), No. 8 in three-pointers attempted (182), and No. 4 in free-throw percentage (84.1).

 

“I am so proud of Bobbi and the year she has had,” Coach Woodin said.  “The women’s basketball team had a phenomenal season, and she was an instrumental part of that success.  Her dedication to the sport and her teammates was consistently on display both on and off the court.  I know how valuable she has been as a student-athlete, and I am so happy to see her being honored with this conference award.”

 

Besides her athlete achievement, Knudsen finished with a cumulative 3.5 GPA in the classroom and was named to the Daktronics Academic All-District team, the Co-SIDA Academic All-District list for the third consecutive year, and was a GNAC Academic All-Conference honoree for her third year.

 

“I am very honored to be receiving this award,” Bobbi Knudsen said.  “This could not have been possible without my teammates and coaches.  It has been an incredible four years at MSUB and I feel very privileged to have played with the teammates I have had and to have had the season we did.  The GNAC is a very competitive and well coached conference.  I have truly enjoyed every game I have played here the past four years.  I would like to thank the entire MSUB staff for all they have done for me and the athletic directors of the conference for giving me this honor.”  

 

PHOTO ABOVE: Knudsen surveys the court during the NCAA West Regional versus SFU. She becomes the first MSUB athlete to be named GNAC Player-of-the-Year.