Porath Collects All-America Honorable Mention Recognition
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association selected UW-Oshkosh junior guard Leah Porath to its NCAA Division III All-America Honorable Mention Team.
Porath, who was among 30 players on the Honorable Mention Team, becomes the eighth UW-Oshkosh player to receive WBCA accolades, joining previous First Team honorees Lisa Kirchenwitz (1991), Kay Mikolajczak (2004), Terri Schumacher (1985), Holly Spoo (1998) and Wendy Wangerin (1996); and Honorable Mention selections Eliza Campbell (2018) and Taylor Schmidt (2015, 2016, 2017).
Maddie Hasson from Bowdoin College (Maine) was named WBCA's 2020 Division III Player of the Year. Rounding out the 10-member All-America First Team were Taite Anderson from Bethel University (Minn.), Erica DeCandido from Tufts University (Mass.), Hannah Fox from Amherst College (Mass.), Hallee Hoeppner from UW-Eau Claire, Raenett Hughes from University of Texas at Dallas, Sydney Kopp from DePauw University (Ind.), Katie McShea from Marymount University (Va.), Kenedy Schoonveld from Hope College (Mich.) and Leah Springer from Messiah College (Pa.).
Porath, the WIAC Player of the Year, had one of the most productive seasons in UW-Oshkosh history, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game with 49 made 3-pointers, a .489 field goal percentage and a .408 3-point percentage. She led the WIAC in both scoring and 3-point percentage while ranking second in the league in total rebounds (200) and made 3-pointers, and third in both rebounds per game and field goal percentage.
Porath's 524 points this season were the most by a Titan since Wendy Wangerin had 559 in 1996 en route to garnering NCAA Division III Player of the Year honors and leading unbeaten UW-Oshkosh to the national title. Porath also became the first WIAC player with at least 500 points and 200 rebounds in a season since UW-Superior's Sally Linzmeier in 2014. Porath's point total this year was also the most by a league player since Sam Barber had 573 for UW-Stevens Point in 2013.
Porath started all 30 games on the year and led the Titans in scoring on 19 occasions. She has scored in double figures 33 times in UW-Oshkosh's past 34 games dating back to last season. Porath's lone contest with less than 10 points during that stretch was an eight-point effort on 3-for-4 shooting from the field in 15 minutes played during an 88-49 blowout win over UW-River Falls on Feb. 22.
Porath scored more than 20 points in eight games this season, including a career-high 30 points with a season-best five made 3-pointers against UW-Stout on Jan. 11. She also had 29 points at Alma College (Mich.) on Nov. 25, 27 points on 12 of 18 shooting from the field to go along with a season highs of four steals and two blocks at Pacific Lutheran University on Dec. 21, 27 points against Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) during the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship on March 7, 26 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double at Loras College (Iowa) on Nov. 16, and 22 points against both Augustana College (Ill.) on Nov. 15 and fourth-ranked UW-Whitewater in the WIAC Championship semifinals Feb. 27.
Porath recorded a pair of double-doubles on the year, including a 15-point and 10-rebound performance against UW-Platteville on Jan. 29. Her season highs also include four assists against UW-Whitewater on Feb. 19 and UW-Stout on Feb. 25. Porath, who knocked down at least two 3-pointers in 17 games this season, went 17 of 24 from 3-point range during the first seven contests of the year.
Porath and the Titans became the first fourth-seeded team to make the WIAC tournament championship game. UW-Oshkosh then culminated its unprecedented run through the WIAC Championship with a 52-50 victory at UW-Eau Claire to claim the program's second straight league and sixth overall postseason title.
UW-Oshkosh (20-10) went on to reach the third round of the Division III Championship, becoming the first Division III women's team to ever begin the season with an 11-9 record and still manage to advance to the Sweet 16. The Titans, one of 16 teams still remaining when the national tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, have now reached the third round of the NCAA postseason in Porath's past two seasons.
Porath will enter her senior season in 2020-21 with 804 career points, 327 rebounds and 109 assists.