March 2, 2011
San Antonio – Kevin Kotzur and Kristen Williams perform similar roles for the St. Mary’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, scoring from the post, cleaning up the boards and, at times, simply intimidating opponents down low.
On Wednesday, they shared something else: Heartland Conference honors.
Kotzur, a sophomore from La Vernia, Texas, was named to the All-Heartland Conference First Team, while Kristen Williams, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., was named to the All-Heartland Conference Second Team.
Kotzur leads the Heartland Conference in scoring (18.0 points per game), rebounding (8.3 boards per game) and field-goal percentage (68.1 percent). Kotzur, who scored in double figures in 25 of the Rattlers’ 26 games, was the conference’s Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year last season.
He was a three-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week this season.
Williams has been equally important for the Lady Rattlers.
She leads the team in scoring (12.7 points) and rebounding (9.7 boards), ranking second in the conference in the latter category. Last year, she was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year and made the All-Heartland Conference First Team.
This season, she was twice named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams have matching 15-11 records and will compete Friday in the Heartland Conference Tournament semifinals. The women will take on Texas-Permian Basin at 2:30 p.m. at Bill Greehey Arena, while the men will play UTPB at 5 p.m. St. Mary’s is hosting the tournament.