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News Release

Kurowski Garners Fourth America East Rookie of the Week Nod

3/2/2009

Michelle Kurowski averaged 20.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 4.0 spg in two games last week.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—UMBC freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) was named America East Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week for the week ending March 1, the conference announced Monday. It marks Kurowski’s fourth award this season.

Kurowski led the Retrievers with 20.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 4.0 spg to go along with 2.0 apg, a .400 field goal percentage (12-for-30) and a .923 free throw percentage (.12-for-13). She also drained four triples and was named UMBC’s America East Player of the Game in both contests.

Kurowski scored a team-high 25 points at Albany on Wednesday, including three treys and an 8-for-8 effort at the foul line. She also added three assists and four steals in the game, both tying career bests.

The rookie then posted her first career double-double at Binghamton on Saturday, tallying 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with four steals. She scored eight straight points early in the second half, sparking a 13-3 Retriever run.

Kurowski ranks sixth in the America East in scoring with 13.7 ppg and 10th in steals with 1.6 ppg, while her .819 free throw percentage is second-best in the league. She is also the conference’s third-leading freshman rebounder with 4.7 rpg on the season.

UMBC has earned half of the Rookie of the Week awards this season, taking eight of 16 honors, and the Retrievers have actually won 10 of the past 18 rookie awards dating to last season. Katie Brooks won in weeks two and three, Kurowski in weeks four, five, six and 16, and Erin Brown in weeks seven and 11, while Meghan Colabella won the award for the final two weeks of the 2007-08 campaign.

The last time one team has dominated the rookie category was Vermont in 2006-07. Catamounts Courtnay Pilypaitis, May Kotsopolous and Sofia Iwobi took home nine of 10 awards from Nov. 19, 2006-Jan. 22, 2007 and 10 honors overall.

Kurowski and the Retrievers close out the regular season at home on Wednesday against league-leading Boston University.