Backus Native Taylor Sheley Selected to d3hoops.com All-West Region First Team

SAINT PAUL, MN (03/20/2012)(readMedia)-- On Tuesday, March 13, Bethel University women's basketball senior Taylor Sheley of Backus, Minn., added another award to her senior season trophy case, as she was honored to the d3hoops.com All-West Region First Team. The five-player team of student-athletes is nominated by the associated schools and chosen by coaches and d3hoops.com administration. Sheley is just one of two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) athletes to be among the 15 players on the first, second, and third teams.

Sheley, who was selected as the MIAC Player of the year two weeks ago, was the conference's leading scorer and nation's 16th leading scorer at 19.4 points per game. She also ranked among the conference's best in free throw percentage (second, .810), 3-pointers (third, 2.12 per game), steals (fourth, 2.5 per game), and minutes played (fifth, 33.81 per game). She also ranked 12th in rebounding (5.9 per game), 14th in assists, and15th in 3-point percentage (.309) and blocked shots (0.77 per game).

The senior shooting guard was Bethel's leading scorer in 23 of its 26 games, topping the 20-point plateau 12 times, including a season-high 32 points in a two-point loss to conference champion St. Thomas on Jan. 16. This allowed her to go down as Bethel's second leading scorer in a single season (503 points) and fifth in career points (1,425).

Bethel University is a leader in Christ-centered higher education with approximately 6,600 students from 48 states and 25 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs. Based in St. Paul, Minn., with additional seminary locations on both coasts, Bethel offers rigorous bachelor's and advanced degrees in nearly 100 relevant fields. For further information on Bethel University, go to www.bethel.edu.