IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa student-athletes Keegan Murray (basketball) and Anthe Nijziel (field hockey) were named November’s Student-Athletes of the Month. The University of Iowa Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) made the announcement Tuesday.
Murray, a sophomore, led the country in scoring during the month of November, averaging 24.6 points per game while leading the Hawkeyes to a perfect 7-0 record, marking the best start for Iowa since the 2013-14 season. The Cedar Rapids native became one of three Big Ten players since the 2002-03 season with six-consecutive 20-point games to start a season, and just the second major-conference player in the past 15 years to post 24-plus points in each of their first five games (Michael Beasley; Kansas State, 2007-08). Murray was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 22. His 27-point, 21-rebound performance against N.C. Central is something that had not been done by a Hawkeye in over four decades. Murray was the first Iowa player since Bruce King in 1977 to post 25-plus points and grab 20-plus rebounds in a game, and the first to notch 20 or more rebounds in a game since Greg Brunner in 2006.
Nijziel, a native of Eindhoven, Netherlands, earned a plethora of postseason honors after leading Iowa to the NCAA Elite Eight for the 19th time in program history. The defender was a first-team NFHCA All-West Region honoree and was named the NFHCA West Region Player of the Year, becoming the fourth Hawkeye to earn the honor. The Iowa senior was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection as well as the Big Ten Co-Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year recipient for the second-consecutive season. Nijziel became just the third player in conference history to earn multiple Player of the Year honors.
Outside of field hockey, Nijziel has spent her time volunteering with the I-Club, Habitat for Humanity and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).