University of Rochester senior center Jodie Luther has been selected as a First Team All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She is a native of Gibsonia, PA and an alumnus of Hampton High School.
 
Luther is the first WBCA First Team All-American for Rochester since Erika Smith earned the same honor in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. Luther was selected as an All-East Region player in voting by the WBCA East Region coaches earlier this month.
 
The WBCA selects 40 players, five from each of eight regions, as finalists for consideration for First Team All-Americans. The players who are not selected to the 10-person First Team earned Honorable Mention All-America status.
 
Earlier this week, Luther was named First Team All-East Region by D3hoops.com, the premier small college basketball website. She was a Second Team All-East honoree by D3hoops.com last year. D3hoops.com will name its All-America selections this weekend while the Women's Final Four is being conducted in Holland, Michigan on the campus of Hope College.
 
Since the end of the 2011-12 season, Luther has accumulated four post-season honors. She was named First Team All-University Athletic Association, First Team All-East by the WBCA and D3hoops.com, and now, First Team All-American by the WBCA.
 
She has excelled in the classroom as well. In February, Luther was named First Team Academic All-District in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Luther has a 3.57 cumulative grade point average with a double major of molecular genetics and economics. She interned at the University of Pittsburgh in the Vascular Medicine Institute, then interned last summer in the gastrointestinal division at University College Hospital in London, England. In the fall 2011 semester, she received a Garnish Scholar Award as one of Rochester's top 10 senior student-athletes.
 
Rochester was 19-6 this season and ranked in the nation's top 10 for most of the season by both the WBCA and D3hoops.com. The Yellowjackets started the year on a school-record 17-game winning streak. That run included a 72-70 victory over Washington (MO) University in St. Louis. It was Rochester's first-ever win in St. Louis against the Bears.
 
In 2011-12, Luther led Rochester in scoring at 10.6 ppg., shooting 51.0% from the floor (101-198), 87.0% from the foul line (60-69), and 50% outside the arc (3-6). She was second in rebounding with 127 (5.1 rpg.), handed out 34 assists, made 17 steals, and blocked 14 shots. She scored a career high 32 points at Brandeis on January 13, 2012 in a 77-56 win there, just the third women's victory on that court in the last 11 seasons. On January 27, she scored 15 points in the 72-70 win at Washington University. That total included her 1,000^th career point and made her the 12^th women's player in school history (42 seasons) to top 1,000 points. She finished her career with 1,077 points (eighth all-time) and 531 rebounds (18^th). In UAA games only in 2011-12, she was 11^th in scoring (11.1 ppg.), 13^th in rebounding (5.3 rpg.), fifth in field goal percentage (53.8%), and first in free throw percentage (92.9%).
 
With Luther in the lineup, Rochester was selected for the NCAA Division III playoffs three times (2009, 2010, 2011). The Yellowjackets advanced to the Final Four in her sophomore season (2010), her first year as a starter. Luther played in every game of her college career – 111 in all – and started 83 in a row (sophomore through senior year).