Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — Ali Patberg’s performance in last week’s Big Ten women’s basketball tournament didn’t go unnoticed.
Media members voted the redshirt junior from Columbus North to the All-Big Ten Tournament team on Sunday. The five-player team was announced following Iowa’s win against Maryland in Sunday night’s championship game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Patberg opened Big Ten tourney play by leading 10th-seeded Indiana to a 66-58 win against seventh-seeded Minnesota on Thursday night. She then led the Hoosiers with 25 points in Friday’s 70-61 quarterfinal loss to second-seeded Iowa.
Consensus Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson, who led the Hawkeyes with 30 points and 17 rebounds against Indiana and 45 points in Sunday’s title-game win against Maryland, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Gustafson and Patberg were joined on the All-Tournament team by Iowa’s Hannah Stewart, Maryland’s Kaila Charles and Rutgers’ Stasha Carey.
Patberg is the first Hoosier to be named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team since 2006.
Last week, Patberg was named to the All-Big Ten second team. The 5-foot-11 point guard leads Indiana with 16.0 points and 4.7 assists a game and ranks third on the team with 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
The Hoosiers (20-12) will have to wait almost another week to find out their postseason fate. The Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket will be released on Monday. If they do not make the NCAA, they likely will have a chance to defend their NIT championship.
