ST. LOUIS  --  Missouri State junior Lacey Boshe has been named to the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team, released Tuesday by the conference office. Boshe, who was named a second-team MVC Scholar-Athlete for the second straight year, was one of 14 Valley women's basketball players honored for their work on the court and in the classroom, by the MVC's sports information directors. 

A Marshfield, Mo., native, Boshe has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a double major in cell and molecular biology and Spanish through her first three seasons as a Lady Bear. The 6-0 forward has been one of Missouri State's top contributors off the bench this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per outing, while shooting nearly 44 percent from the floor.

The academic honor is the second in as many months for Boshe, who was named to CoSIDA's Capital One Academic All-District VII First Team in February.

The Valley's criteria for its scholar-athlete team balloting parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must be starters or important reserves, have played at least 75 percent of a team's games, and must carry at least a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Student-athletes must also have completed at least one full academic year at their present institution.

A total of 26 Valley women's basketball student-athletes met the criteria for scholar-athlete honors in 2011. UNI junior guard Jacqui Kalin was selected Prairie Farms MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was joined on the first squad by UNI teammate Lizzie Boeck, Kelsie Cooley of Indiana State, and Sam Schuett and Kelsey Woodard of Creighton.

Boshe was honored on the second team along with Emily Hanley of Illinois State, Kellie Nelson of Creighton and Kristin Turk and Amber Wollschlager of Drake.

Honorable mention recognition went to UNI's Erin Brocka, Bradley's Hanna Muegge, Evansville's Chelsea Falkenstein and Indiana State's Shannon Thomas.

The Lady Bears (21-9) will begin their quest for an unprecedented 10th State Farm MVC Tournament title when they head to St. Charles for their quarterfinal round match-up against Drake this Friday. Missouri State will tip-off against the Bulldogs at The Family Arena at 8:35 p.m.

-MSU-