Tuesday, April 16, 2024
by Thomas Lal

PORTLAND, Ore. –  After leading Montana State Billings and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference as the GNAC Player of the Year, Kola Bad Bear has been named to the 2023-24 College Sports Communicators Division II Women’s Basketball Academic All-America First Team.

Bad Bear found plenty of success on the court as she led the Yellowjackets to their second regular season title in program history. The senior transfer from Division I Montana State posted 16.2 points per game while starting all 35 contests, including a trip to the NCAA West Region Final in Azusa, Calif. Bad Bear was also a key player for MSUB’s conference-leading defense that allowed just 58.9 points per game on average. On the season, the Billings local averaged 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

Bad Bear backed up her play on the court with a similarly impressive performance in the classroom, earning a 4.00 GPA as a community health major. She is one of just two players named to the first team with a 4.00 GPA and is one of six named to the team to earn the mark overall. Bad Bear is the first player from Montana State Billings to be named to the CSC Academic All-America First Team and is the third player from the conference to earn the honor overall. She is the third Yellowjacket to be named an Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators after Tiana Hanson (2017, second team) and Alira Carpenter (2009, third team) previously earned the recognition.

Bad Bear’s latest honor joins a formidable list of accomplishments from the 2023-24 campaign that also includes GNAC Newcomer of the Year, First Team Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-West Region honors and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association First Team All-American recognition.