University of Maryland Baltimore County junior guard Michelle Kurowski, of Hicksville, who was named America East women’s basketball Player of the Week earlier this month, earned the same honor from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
Kurowski was outstanding in a pair of America East wins recently, averaging 29 points per game while shooting 67.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long distance. The conference’s leading scorer began her run with a 30-point performance on 12-of-19 shooting against Binghamton, then nearly matched that output with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting against Vermont.
Kurowski, who leads the America East with 16.2 points per game this season, now ranks 10th all-time at UMBC with 1,087 career points.
Kurowski also plans to graduate a year early. She has excelled both on the court and in the classroom since she stepped onto campus and has ranked among the America East’s top 10 scorers each season, averaging more than 13 points per game in her career, all the while maintaining an outstanding 3.8 GPA.
Kurowski credits her organization and time management skills for her success in both areas.
“I get ahead when we have days off or when I know a big week is coming up with travel and games,” she said. “I really take advantage of off days because I can get a lot done during the time we usually have practice.”
She also noted the coaching staff’s commitment to the team’s success in the classroom and how it played a major role in their decisions to attend UMBC during the recruiting process. Kurowski graduated seventh in her high school class at Hicksville.
“I did not want to be challenged only in basketball but also in school,” Kurowski said. “Academics has always been a top priority, and when I was looking to come here, the coaches told me how academics was really important and that doing well is expected, so it helped my decision.”
