GRANTHAM, Pa. - Just days after the Messiah women's basketball team was scheduled to compete in the Sweet 16 against Smith College, two Falcons were honored by D3hoops.com in their All-Region Announcement. Senior forward
Leah Springer was named First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region as well as the Regional Player of the Year while head coach
Mike Miller was honored as the Regional Coach of the Year.
The Falcons ended their year with a victory in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament with a come-from-behind victory over Eastern Connecticut State University by a 60-50 final score. Messiah finished the year with an overall record of 25-4 in a season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Messiah's 29 games this season, Springer was fantastic. The senior forward was the lone Falcon to log more than 1,000 minutes on the court this season. She did so by averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game, accumulating a total of 15 double-doubles on the season. An all-around player, Springer swatted 54 shots on the year while grabbing 49 steals and dishing out out 69 assists.
The heart and soul of Messiah women's basketball, Springer collected her 1,000th career point on the road against Stevenson on Feb. 12. Springer needed just three seasons and a total of 81 career games to reach the milestone, becoming the 24th member of the exclusive club in program history. She ends her senior season with 1,148 career points.
On the bench, head coach
Mike Miller was named the Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year after leading the Falcons to their third-straight Sweet 16, 12th MAC Commonwealth Championship, fourth-straight 25-win season, and an overall record of 25-4. In his 34 years at the helm of the program, Miller owns a career record of 676-242.
The Falcons ended their season on a 16-game winning streak, advancing to the Sweet 16 before the season was cut short as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Messiah claimed their fourth-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship with a 78-69 victory over Albright on Feb. 29.
