Ackerman a third-team All-American
Lexi Ackerman was named to the third team of the 2016-17 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-America selections.
Lexi Ackerman, a 5-10 senior guard from Rock Rapids, Iowa, was named a third-team NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-American.
Ackerman was the Mustangs’ second leading scorer and rebounder this past season with career-high averages of 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She led Morningside with 107 assists and ranked second on the team with 57 steals for averages of 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. Ackerman made 181 of 384 field goal attempts for 47.1 percent, 39 of 111 3-point field goal attempts for 35.1 percent and 101 of 155 free throw attempts for 65.2 percent. Ackerman had career highs of 33 points against Northwestern College and 13 rebounds against Concordia University.
She was named a NAIA II honorable mention All-American following her sophomore and junior campaigns. Ackerman was named to this season’s All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) First Team for the third time in her career to join Dani Gass, Ashlynn Muhl and Chelsie Trask as the only women’s basketball players in Morningside history to receive first-team All-GPAC honors at least three times.
Ackerman finished her career as the seventh leading scorer and 19th leading rebounder in Morningside history with 1674 career points and 563 career rebounds, respectively. Ackerman ranks third in the Morningside record book with 524 career assists and 10th with 267 career steals. She averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game over her Morningside career.
In addition to Ackerman, the Mustangs’ Madison Braun, a 5-8 junior guard from Bellevue, Neb., was named a NAIA II honorable mention All-American. Braun led the Mustangs in scoring with an average of 15.9 points per game to compliment an average of 2.1 rebounds per contest. She led the Mustangs with 116 steals to rank third nationally with an average of 3.5 per game and was second on the team with 71 assists for a norm of 2.2 per game. Braun was one of the most prolific 3-point field goal shooters in the nation with 97 3-point field goals in 256 attempts for 37.9 percent. Her 97 3-point field goals was the eighth highest total in the NAIA Division II. She made 179 of 403 overall field goal attempts for 44.4 percent and converted 70 of 84 free throw attempts for 83.3 percent.
Braun led the Mustangs with 27 double figure scoring performances, including a career-high 33 points in an 83-63 regular season victory against College of the Ozarks.
Braun will enter her senior season as the 18th leading scorer in Morningside history with 1272 career points. She is seventh in the Mustangs’ record book with 280 career steals and fifth with 252 career 3-point field goals. Braun is on pace to break the Morningside record of 317 career 3-point field goals set by Megan (Cloud) Ganz from 2001-05.
Morningside posted a 24-9 record during the 2016-17 season for its school-record 14th consecutive 20-win season. The Mustangs made a 15th consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship, where they advanced to the tournament’s second round before an 80-72 loss against College of the Ozarks. Morningside has a 420-81 record for a .838 winning percentage over the last 14 seasons and was the NAIA Division II National Champion in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2015.
Click here for the complete 2016-17 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-America Team.
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