Feb 27, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS: Shipley, Murren draw league praise
By BCU Sports Information
For the second-straight year, Briar Cliff senior Jake Shipley has been named a first team all-conference selection. A year after being named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Shipley led the Chargers and was fifth in the league in scoring with an average of 16.4 ppg. Classmate Taylor Murren also drew league praise, earning a spot on this year's second unit.
Shipley was also third on the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg) and steals (24). He sported the sixth best free-throw percentage in the nation, hitting on 85.8 percent of his attempts. Shipley netted 32 points in a single game against Northwestern. The State Center, Iowa native nailed his 1,000th career point in the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign.
Murren claimed a second-team roster spot after earning first-team accolades a year ago. Murren, a senior from Wahoo, Neb., played a vital role in the Charger starting-five this season. He was second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.4 ppg and he led the team with 82 three-pointers (second in the GPAC) and 34 steals. He was also second on the team with 61 assists. During this year's Holiday Classic, hosted by Morningside, he knocked down a two-game total of 19 three-pointers, including a school record 10 threes and a career-high 34 points in a win over Friends. The Briar Cliff men closed the 2012-13 season with a GPAC Quarterfinal loss to eventual postseason champion Dordt. The Cliff finished the year with an overall record of 19-12. In league play, they were 10-10 and finished seventh.