FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

McLAUGHLIN NAMED NESCAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LEWISTON, Maine - Bates College senior forward Kate McLaughlin of Laconia, N.H., has been named the 2000-01 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year.

McLaughlin, a co-captain, was named a first-team All-NESCAC selection for the second year in a row. She averaged 15.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, leading the Bobcats in both categories. McLaughlin ranked fifth in the conference in scoring and eighth in rebounding, while her 45.6 shooting percentage was fifth best. She also tied for the team lead with 13 blocked shots and ranked third on the team with 33 steals. McLaughlin led the Bobcats in scoring 17 times and rebounding 14 times, recording eight double doubles in the process. Her top scoring performance came Jan. 11 against Colby, when she scored a career-high 26 points, while her 19 rebounds against Trinity on Jan. 27 were both a personal and team-high performance.

McLaughlin is ranked third on Bates' all-time scoring list with 1,189 points, while her 626 rebounds are eighth all time. Bates has posted an 81-21 record in her four seasons, reaching the postseason each time. Tonight, the 18-8 Bobcats host a 7 p.m. first-round contest with 19-7 Colby in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Division III tournament.

"I am very happy for Kate," said head coach Jim Murphy '69. "She is definitely one of the most gifted athletes I have coached at Bates."

McLaughlin is the third Bates player to win the NESCAC Player of the Year award, joining Emily King '00 and Sarah Bonkovsky '97, who also won the award in their senior campaigns.

McLaughlin is a 1997 graduate of Laconia High School. She is the daughter of Philip and Janice McLaughlin of Laconia, N.H.

For more information on Bates women's basketball, visit our home page at http://www.bates.edu/sports/whoops.html.

Click here for the entire NESCAC All-Conference team.