GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND Athletics)– Three Fighting Hawks have earned All-League honors, as announced by the Summit League on Tuesday afternoon. Fatima Ibrahim was named Defensive Player of the Year and secured a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Jocelyn Schiller was honored as Freshman of the Year and earned a place on the All-Freshman Team. Kiera Pemberton was named to the All-Summit League Second Team.
Fatima Ibrahim became the first player in program history to receive the Defensive Player of the Year award, marking her first All-League recognition. The sophomore dominated as the Summit League’s undisputed block leader, recording 40 blocks in conference play for an average of 2.5 per game. She finished with a 24-block margin over the second-ranked player. Her career-high nine blocks against NDSU were the most by a Division I player at the time. Additionally, Ibrahim tallied three games with four blocks, including match ups against Oral Roberts and St. Thomas. She recorded three double-doubles, with her first coming against South Dakota.
On the season, Ibrahim collected 112 rebounds, ranking seventh in the league and second among nonstarters. Her 40 offensive rebounds ranked fourth overall and were the most by a nonstarter. She earned her first career start at Oral Roberts and started again against Denver, where she won her first jump ball. In the paint, she drew seven offensive fouls. Over 29 games, she led the team in rebounds nine times and recorded seven games with three or more blocks.
“Fatima has grown so much in this last year and shown how much of an impact she can have on our team,” said Head Coach Mallory Bernhard. “Defensively she has certainly created the reputation of a shot blocker, but she has a greater impact than just the blocked shots. I am so excited to see Fatima get this recognition from the rest of the league.”
Jocelyn Schiller was named Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team following a standout debut season, marking her first All-League accolade. Schiller is the first to earn Freshman of the Year since 2014. She started all 29 games, making an immediate impact in her collegiate debut with 12 points, five rebounds, and a team-high three assists. Since then, she has led the Hawks in assists, totaling 80 on the season, including 43 in conference play. Averaging 2.6 assists per game, she ranks as the Summit League’s highest-rated rookie in that category, leading the team in assists 19 times.
Schiller scored 260 points in conference play, making her the league’s highest-scoring freshman and ranking 11th overall. She was named the Summit League’s January Rookie of the Month. Over 16 conference games, she recorded double-digit scoring in each, including a 21-point performance against No. 2 Oral Roberts and a 20-point effort against No. 3 NDSU. Her four 20-point games were the most by a freshman in the league. Schiller led the Hawks in scoring in six games and was the league’s highest-ranked freshman and fourth overall in free throw percentage (.833), going 90-of-108 from the line. She shot a perfect 8-of-8 against NDSU and posted a career-best 15-of-17 performance against Kansas City.
Defensively, Schiller recorded 64 defensive rebounds, ranking 15th in the league and second among Summit League freshmen. She also tallied 20 steals (1.25 SPG), ranking 13th in the conference, and led the team in steals in seven games. She drew seven offensive fouls and logged 577 minutes in conference play, the most by a freshman and fourth overall in the league.
“Jocie has come in and made such an immediate impact on our team,” said Bernhard. “There are moments that are easy to forget she is just a first-year college player making some of the biggest plays for us night in and night out. As exciting as this is for Jocie, I believe the best is still yet to come.”
Sophomore Kiera Pemberton earned her first All-League honor with a selection to the All-Summit League Second Team. A consistent force for the Hawks, she started all 29 games and led the team in scoring in 13 contests. She totaled 275 points (17.2 PPG) in conference play and was one of eight Summit League players to record a 30-point game, posting a career-high 34 points against Oral Roberts. Pemberton notched six 20-point games against conference opponents, including 26 against Omaha, and finished with double-digit scoring in 23 games. She ranked eighth in the league in scoring and was the highest-scoring sophomore.
Pemberton’s .490 field goal percentage ranked sixth in the conference, making her one of only two underclassmen in the top 10. She recorded seven double-doubles, four of which came in conference play, the third-most in the league. She also posted four games with 10 or more rebounds, tied for fourth-most in the Summit League. Pemberton finished the season with 126 rebounds (7.8 RPG), ranking third in the conference, while her 112 defensive rebounds (7.0 DRPG) placed her second. She led the team in rebounding 13 times.
Defensively, Pemberton tallied 20 steals (1.25 SPG), tied for 13th in the league, and was one of three underclassmen in the top 15. She also recorded 12 blocked shots, ranking eighth and making her one of only three sophomores in the top eight. She played 572 minutes (35.8 MPG), the fifth-highest total in the league, and converted eight three-point plays.
“I’m very proud of Kiera and the growth she has shown in expanding her game over the last year,” said Bernhard. “She has worked incredibly hard to raise the level of her game and has been able to demonstrate that throughout this entire season. I am so proud of Kiera not only for her play on the court but the leader she is growing into. She has absolutely earned this, and I am glad others see it as well.”
The No. 5 Fighting Hawks are set to face No. 4 St. Thomas on Friday, March 7, at 12 p.m. in the first round of the Summit League Tournament.
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