AUSTIN, Texas – Stevenson University senior women's basketball standout Sara Tarbert has been selected to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division III Women's Basketball Team as a Third Team selection, it was announced by the organization Tuesday. Tarbert becomes the sixth Stevenson student-athlete, and the first women's basketball player, to earn Academic All-America honors.
To be eligible for Academic All-America and All-District consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Tarbert, a Nursing major who has compiled a 3.41 GPA in three years at Stevenson, has been one of the top players in the country this season as she has led the Mustangs to a 17-9 record and a fourth straight postseason appearance. She is averaging 23.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.7 blocked shots per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 75.4% at the free throw line.
Through Sunday's games, Tarbert ranks fourthth nationally in scoring and seventh nationally in rebounding, while she leads the MAC Commonwealth in both categories. She also leads all of NCAA basketball, both genders and all three divisions, with 26 double-doubles on the season, and last week Tarbert recorded her 27th straight double-double going back to last season, a new NCAA Division III record. Tarbert also leads the MAC Commonwealth in field goal percentage and steals while ranking second in blocked shots, eighth in free throw percentage and 13th in assists per game.
Last Thursday, Tarbert was named the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection, becoming the first to repeat as the league's Player of the Year since the 2010-11 season. An eight-time MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week, Tarbert was twice named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week and was named USBWA National Player of the Week after pouring in a school-record 49 points in a win at Widener on December 3, 2016.
Stevenson returns to action Wednesday night when it hosts Cabrini College in an ECAC Division III Championship first round game. Tipoff at Owings Mills Gymnasium is set for 7:00 pm.