Independent file photo SMSU’s Meleah Reinhart dribbles the ball during their game against Concordia-St. Paul on Jan. 10.

BURNSVILLE — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced on Thursday that Southwest Minnesota State University junior women’s basketball player Meleah Reinhart has been named second team All-NSIC, while junior Abuk Akoi was named to the All-Defensive team as selected by the league’s 16 head coaches.

A 5-foot-9, junior guard from New Ulm, Reinhart led the team in scoring with 15.0 ppg and has the most games leading the team in scoring with 11. She also has the most games in double-digit scoring with 25. Reinhart led the team at the free-throw line with an 83.7 percentage (113-of-135) Reinhart has poured in 36 3-pointers and grabbed 115 rebounds.

In NSIC play this season, Reinhart, a 2017 graduate of New Ulm High School, ranked 11th in scoring with 14.2 ppg and eighth in free-throw percentage, recording 81.7 percent from the line.

In her three-year career at SMSU, Reinhart has scored 928 points in 80 games, with 101 3-pointers, 79.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line (219-of-275), 253 rebounds, 117 assists, and 92 steals.

Reinhart ranks sixth in the SMSU career books in free-throw percentage (79.5), 15th in free-throws made (219), and 13th in 3-point field goals made (101).

This is Reinhart’s second time receiving all-conference honors after earning All-NSIC second team a season ago. Reinhart was also recognized as the NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Nov. 12, 2019.

Akoi, a 6-foot-4, junior center from Sioux Falls, S.D., earned her first all-conference recognition being named to the NSIC all-defensive team after leading the team in rebounding at (8.2), blocked shots (57), and field goal percentage (49.7, 94-of-189).

A 2018 graduate of O’Gorman High School, Akoi is moving in the career record book for blocked shots. She ranks third in team history in blocked shots with 141 and is one shy of tying Shelly Honermann (1997-01) for second at 142. Chrishawn McCarthur (1993-96) holds the record of 183 blocked shots.

In NSIC play this season, Akoi led the league in rebounding with 8.5 per game and finished second in blocked shots (2.1).

In her three-year career, Akoi has scored 518 points in 77 games while shooting 47 percent from the field (220-of-466) and grabbed 498 rebounds.

Southwest Minnesota State finished the season with a 16-11 overall record following Wednesday night’s loss to UMary in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications