Spartans Sweep NIIC Awards

AURORA, Ill. March 2, 2005 - After sweeping the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference regular and tournament championships, the Aurora University men’s basketball team continued to dominate the conference, this time sweeping the conference’s post-season men’s basketball awards.

Freshman forward Larry Welton (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood) was named NIIC Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and All-Conference. Welton finished third in the league in scoring with an 18.3 point per game average in 12 contests, leading AU to an 11-1 regular season record and 2-0 in the tournament. In addition to his scoring prowess, Welton averaged 7.8 rebounds and shot 50.6 percent (89-176) from the field.

Spartan Head Coach James Lancaster was named Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Coach of the Year as selected by his fellow coaches, completing the award sweep.

Lancaster led the Aurora University men’s basketball team this season to a 23-4 record and went 11-1 in the NIIC. The conference championship marked the Spartan men’s second consecutive title. In his 11 season’s at the helm of the men’s program, Lancaster is 199-87 overall and 94-31 in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

The Coach of the Year award is Lancaster’s fourth in his 11 years as men’s basketball coach, the other three coming after the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 2003-2004 seasons.

Joining Welton and Lancaster in post-season recognition by the NIIC is senior guard Adam McCoy (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa). McCoy was named Northern Illinois-Iowa All Conference by the conference’s men’s basketball coaches. On the season in conference action, McCoy averaged 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and shot 34 percent from three-point range.

Senior forward Drew Gronau (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) and junior guard Courtney Carson (Decatur, Ill./MacArthur) were named NIIC Honorable Mention All Conference. Gronau averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and shot 38.5 percent from the field, while Carson averaged 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.58 assists, and shot 51.8 percent from the field in conference action.

On the season, Welton leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and is shooting 53.6 percent from the field. McCoy is averaging 16.2 points and shooting 40.3 percent from three-point range, while Gronau is averaging 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Carson is averaging 10.3 points, 4.15 assists, and is shooting 50.7 percent from the field.

This Saturday, the #20 Spartans will host either #11 Wheaton College or #14 Calvin College in the second round of the NCAA tournament after receiving a first round bye. The rankings are from the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Thornton Gymnasium, where AU is 13-0 this season and 54-4 since the 2000-2001 season.

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