April 17, 2000
Bowling Green, Ky. -- Western Kentucky University's men's and women's basketball teams are well represented in the final 1999-2000 NCAA statistical reports, which were released last Friday.
On the men's side, sophomore center Chris Marcus (Charlotte, N.C./Olympic) finished 14th in the nation in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and 22nd in the country in blocked shots (2.6 bpg). Marcus also led the Sun Belt Conference in both categories, becoming the first Hilltopper to win the league title in either area. As a team, Western posted one of the top rebound margins in college basketball this season, ranking 28th with a +4.6 edge on the boards. That mark was also the best in the Sun Belt this year.
Junior All-America forward ShaRae Mansfield (Louisville, Ky./Manual) leads a trio of Lady Toppers in the final NCAA women's statistical rankings. Mansfield placed 17th in the nation in rebounding (10.6 rpg), 30th in field goal percentage (55.6%) and 43rd in scoring (18.5 ppg), leading the Sun Belt in all three categories. Senior guard Jaime Walz (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) ranked seventh in the country in three-point field goals made (2.9 per game), also the best mark in the Sun Belt this season.
In addition, sophomore guard Natalie Powers (Owensboro, Ky./Apollo) ended this year as one of the top free throw shooters in the nation, placing 28th with a 84.2% mark, the second-best ratio in the SBC. The Lady Toppers posted a team free throw percentage of 73.5% this season, good for 29th in the country and tops in the Sun Belt for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
The youthful Hilltoppers finished 11-18 this season, including a 9-9 record in the final two months of the season. Meanwhile, the Lady Toppers completed their season with a 22-10 record, making their 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the second round.
-WKU-
