Benedictine’s Curtis an All-America finalist for women’s hoops
LISLE, Ill. -- Benedictine University women’s basketball standout Tamika Curtis (Bellwood, Ill./Nazareth Academy) has been named as one of 40 finalists for the NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team, it was announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Curtis was named as one of the top five players in Region 7 (among schools from Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri) in advancing to consideration for the 10-member first team Kodak/WBCA All-America Team, which will be announced on Thursday, March 15.

On the year, Curtis posted numbers that were stellar any way you look at it. She averaged a double-double of 18.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, all while shooting 55.3-percent from the field (213-385). Curtis was involved in every facet of the game for the Eagles, also averaging 2.3 steals, 2.0 blocks and 2.2 assists per game.

Benedictine’s team was 20-8 overall in 2006-07, the first time in the 32 year history of the program that an Eagles’ women’s basketball team has won 20 games.

Curtis was named as the 2006-07 “Player of the Year” in the 12-team Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) just last week. She has the distinction of winning back-to-back Player of the Year honors in two different leagues (Benedictine was a member of the now defunct Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference, previously, when Curtis won the same award in 2005-06). Curtis has also earned three-consecutive first team all-conference accolades. In 2006-07, she was a four-time “Player of the Week” in the NAC and was twice named to the D3Hoops.com national “Team of the Week.”

Curtis rolled up a total of 16 double-double games this season, giving her 40 career double-doubles (out of 80 career games). She tallied in double figure point total in 27 of BU’s 28 games in 2006-07, reaching her 1,000th career point on December 21, 2006 and ending the year with 1,382 career points (just 182 points shy of becoming the school’s scoring leader with a full year remaining).

In her Benedictine career, Curtis is averaging 17.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She is shooting 53.1-percent from the field in 80 games.

Courtesy of Benedictine University, Sports Information Department, March 8, 2007