UMBC

Bio

	#20 - Michelle Kurowski
	Class: So. Height/Weight: 5-9     Hometown: Hicksville, N.Y. Position: G     High School: Hicksville

AS A FRESHMAN (2008-09): Selected to the America East All-Rookie Team after averaging 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game… UMBC’s second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder… The top rookie scorer in the America East and the eighth-best in the nation… Her scoring average was the fifth-best ever by a Retriever freshman… Also ranked second on the team in steals (48) and three-pointers (38), third in field goal percentage (.406) and fourth in assists (49)… Ranked third in the conference in free throw percentage (.817), sixth in scoring, eighth in steals per game (1.6), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.3), 11th in three-point percentage (.306) and 12th in shooting percentage… Ranked 62nd in the nation in free throw percentage… Scored 410 points on the season, the 13th-highest single-season total in UMBC history… Became 15th Retriever ever to score 400 points in a season, and just the third to do so as a freshman, joining Tammy McCarthy (1983-84) and Jamie Lange (1998-99)… Her .817 free throw percentage was the third-best single-season mark in school history, while her 94 free throws were the 10th-most ever by a Retriever and a freshman record… Started 28 games, the most by a UMBC freshman since Sharri Rohde in 2003-04… Ranked third all-time among Retriever rookies in field goals (139), field goal attempts (342) and free throw attempts (115) and fourth in steals (48), three-pointers (38) and three-point attempts (124)…Earned four America East Rookie of the Week awards, including three straight from Dec. 8-22, becoming the first freshman in the conference to garner three in a row since Vermont’s Courtnay Pilypaitis in 2006-07… Named to the Iona Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg and shooting 50 percent (13-for-26) in two games against Western Michigan and UMES (Nov. 29-30)… Became the third Retriever freshman ever (McCarthy, Lange) to score 30 points in a game against Navy (Dec. 3), draining 11 of 17 field goals and making all six free throw attempts… Scored 20 points in the first half… Earned her first Rookie of the Week award on Dec. 8 (Week 4) after averaging 26.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.5 assists and shooting 54.5 percent (18-for-33) in two games against Navy and Towson… Named the conference’s top rookie for Week 5 after scoring 20 points and adding five rebounds against Coppin State (Dec. 8)… Joined teammate Meghan Colabella as the only Retrievers to win three Rookie of the Week awards on Dec. 22 (Week 5) after averaging 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.5 spg in two games against James Madison and Loyola… Scored 25 points, including three triples and an 8-for-8 effort at the foul line, at Albany (Feb. 25)… Followed with her first career double-double, posting 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Binghamton (Feb. 28)… Added a career-high four steals against both the Great Danes and the Bearcats… Named America East Rookie of the Week on March 2 (Week 16) after averaging 20.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 spg and 2.0 apg in those two games… Led the Retrievers with 23 points in the America East quarterfinals loss to Binghamton… Scored in double figures 20 times, including 12 of her first 15 games… Averaged 19.7 points and 5.0 rebounds and shot 50.6 percent (43-for-85) during a six-game stretch from Nov. 29-Dec. 18… Scored at least 20 points seven times, including three straight games from Dec. 3-8, when she averaged 24.0 ppg and shot 55.6 percent (25-for-45)… Also posted double figures in seven of the last nine games of the season… Averaged a team-best 15.5 ppg during the final six games of the year… Made 20 straight free throws and 26 of 28 from Dec. 21-Jan. 24… Drained 25 of 29 foul shots to end the season… Named America East Player of the Game five times – vs. George Mason (Nov. 19), vs. Navy (Dec. 3), vs. Vermont (Feb. 11), at Albany (Feb. 25) and at Binghamton (Feb. 28)… Led the Retrievers in scoring seven times and in rebounding six times… Was recognized on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL: The 2008 Nassau County Player of the Year after averaging 21.9 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals per game… Long Island’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,581 points, which ranks 10th all-time in the state of New York… Averaged more than 20 points per game during her varsity career… Selected to the All-State Second Team as a senior and the Fifth Team as a junior… Also earned All-Long Island honors from Newsday in 2007 and 2008… A five-time All-County honoree… Led the Comets to back-to-back county titles… The 2007 Nassau County Tournament MVP after scoring 28 points in the title game… A six-year starter at Hicksville… Also an All-County volleyball player at Hicksville… President of the National Honor Society and a member of the Italian Honor Society… Received the Nassau County Sports Commission Achievement Award… A Principal’s List student who graduated seventh in her class.

PERSONAL: The youngest of two children to Ireneusz and Maria Kurowski… Has an older sister, Donna… Chose UMBC over Manhattan, Iona and Bentley… Born Jan. 5, 1990… Majoring in psychology with a minor in social welfare… Would like to become a sports psychologist.