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GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 25 • 12 BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com L iza Clemons has earned recog- nition following her comeback from injuries that marred her first two seasons at Purdue. The junior forward was named the recipient of the ninth-annual Methodist Sports Medicine Thomas A. Brady Comeback Scholarship Award, honoring a female player in Indiana who has distinguished herself by overcoming adversity or injury and returned to excel in their respective sport. Clemons averaged only 5.4 minutes per game her first two seasons, averaging 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds as she dealt with an injured shoulder and an illness. But in her junior year, Clemons has increased her contribution to 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, starting 27-of-29 outings this sea- son and playing 27.4 minutes per game. Her 53.8 field goal percent- age is ranked fourth in the Big Ten and is among the top 50 nationally. Clemons' has also had to over- come her fiance being killed in his hometown of Fort Wayne before the season. The Boilers are wearing blue shoelaces in his honor. "The resilience that Liza has shown in her life is nothing short of amazing," said Coach Sharon Versyp said in a release. "For her to have gone through some of the things she has, both on and off the court, and to come through and put togeth- er a season like this, is a tribute to the kind of person she is. I'm proud to be her coach and we're thrilled to see her honored." Past Purdue women's bas- ketball winners of the award are former teammate Drey Mingo and Jodi Howell, while oth- er Boilermakers honored include men's basketball standout Robbie Hummel and Purdue football play- er Jaycen Taylor. Clemons and other Methodist Sports Medicine award winners will be honored on April 24 in Indianap- olis at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Boilers Up For Team award The adversity Purdue has faced this season has the Boilermakers in position to be honored, after it was named a finalist for the Russell Ath- letic "Together We R" Team Award. The Boilermakers are one of four teams on the ballot, joined by Colorado Christian University, the Univer- sity of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina. In its third year, the "Together We R" Team Award honors programs that have strived to succeed in the face of adversity, overcoming extraor- dinary circumstances such as an unfore- seen team crisis or unfortunate situa- tions that caused extra stress. The team must exem- plify strong commit- ment to core values of togetherness, courage, unparal- leled work ethic and heart, and must per- sonify the "Together We R" belief that teams are stronger than individuals. The Boilermak- ers fit the criteria fol- lowing a series of tragic events this season. Clemons' fiancé, Johnny Lee Braster, Jr., was murdered, and 15-year-old fan Riley Smith died of a rare disease in January. Tom Reiter, a Purdue sports administrator who worked closely with women's bas- ketball, died of cancer, as well. Also, captain KK Houser tore her ACL in early February, but watched her teammates rally to win the last six regular-season games. "I couldn't be more proud of my team," said Versyp in a release. "These ladies have showed such amazing resilience and support for each other, and they've done it through actions, not just words." Fans can sup- port the Boilermak- ers in their nomina- tion by "liking" their video on YouTube, accessed here. HoUser recovering aFTer sUrgery The ACL surgery on Houser's left knee March 10 was a suc- cess, according to Versyp. The Purdue coach says the sur- gery went "exceptionally" well. "They thought her knee looked great, considering the ACL, so that's a good thing," Versyp said. The senior was injured on Feb. 2, during Purdue's loss at Michigan State. Houser played in the Boiler- makers' senior day win over Nebras- ka about a month later, grabbing two rebounds in four minutes. She has plans to play professionally, so she'll start rehabilitation in an effort for a quick return. "She's trying to come back by September, definitely by January, there's no question," Versyp said. "She came back very quickly before Tom Campbell Liza Clemons was honored with a come- back award after having a breakout season this year. w o m e n ' s ba s k e t ba l l : n e w s a n d n ot e s Double vertime clemons honored for comeback AP Top 25 (March 17) 1. Connecticut (36) 2. Notre Dame 3. Tennessee 4. Louisville 5. Baylor 6. Stanford 7. West Virginia 8. South Carolina 9. Duke 10. Kentucky 11. Maryland 12. North Carolina 13. Nebraska 14. Penn State 15. Texas A&M 16. North Carolina State 17. PURDUE 18. Gonzaga 19. Iowa 20. Michigan State 21. Oklahoma State 22. Middle Tennessee 23. DePaul 24. California 25. USC USA Today Top 25 (March 10) 1. Connecticut (31) 2. Notre Dame (1) 3. Tennessee 4. Louisville 5. Stanford 6. Baylor 7. West Virginia 8. South Carolina 9. Maryland 10. Duke 11. Kentucky 12. Nebraska 13. North Carolina 14. Texas A&M 15. Penn State 16. Gonzaga 17. North Carolina State 18. Oklahoma State 19. PURDUE 20. Middle Tennessee 21. California 22. DePaul 23. Iowa State 24. Michigan State 25. Iowa