Penn State Behrend's Engel and Richardson Earn All-AMCC Honors

Penn State Behrend's Engel and Richardson Earn All-AMCC Honors

Penn State Behrend senior Natalie Engel (McDonald, PA/Fort Cherry) and junior Rachel Richardson (Moon Township, PA/Moon Area) have been named to the AMCC all-conference team for their efforts this season.  This is the first time for both Engel and Richardson to be honored.  Engel was named to the second team while Richardson was an honorable mention selection.

Engel had a great year for the Behrend Lions as she led the team averaging 14.0 ppg.  Engel started off the season with a season high 25 point performance in a win over Cazenovia in the Behrend Tip-Off Tournament.  Engel would knock down 40 three-pointers this season which would move her to eighth all time in the Behrend record books.  Engel also received academic honors in her senior season.  Engel was named to the ESPN The Magazine All-District Academic First-Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  Engel is a biology major carrying a 3.95 GPA and has been named academic all-conference the past three years.  Over her four year career Engel has tallied 757 points, 135 steals, 202 assists, and a solid 75.7% free-throw percentage to put her eighth all time for Behrend.

Richardson would join Engel on the all-conference team as an honorable mention selection for the blue and white.  The junior would average 12.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg throughout the 2008-09 season.  Richardson found herself in the top 30 in the nation in steals per game at 3.4.  Along with Engel Richardson led the team down the stretch averaging 15.6 ppg in the last five games.  Richardson shot 34.9% from behind the arc, 75.6% from the line and 35.7% from the floor.  Richardson's 85 steals on the year would led the team and was second in the AMCC. She would also find herself in the fifth spot in the AMCC in three-point field goal percentage shooting 34.9%.

The Behrend Lions finished the season with a 13-12 overall mark and finished fourth in the AMCC at 11-7.  The blue and white would fall 69-60 in the first round of the AMCC tournament to Medaille College.  The Behrend Lions were strong in the Junker Center as they carried a 9-4 record at home