March 4, 2001

St. Louis - Saint Louis University senior Maurice Jeffers (Morrilton, Ark. / Morrilton) received the Billikens' Most Valuable Player award tonight at the annual men's basketball banquet at the Regal Riverfront Hotel in downtown St. Louis.

Jeffers, who is the Billikens' leading scorer and rebounder, also was tabbed as the Billikens' Outstanding Offensive Player and Outstanding Defender. Jeffers finished the regular season ranked 10th in scoring in Conference USA at 15.7 points per game and 14th in the league in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game. He also reached the free thow line more than any C-USA player where he connected on 144 of 183 attempts to finish ninth in C-USA in free throw percentage at .787

"We asked Maurice to take on much more responsibility this year, and he obviously was successful in meeting that challenge," said Billikens head coach Lorenzo Romar. "His intelligence and competitiveness combine with his basketball skills and athleticism to make Maurice one of the best players in Conference USA."

Two of Jeffers' fellow seniors picked up awards as center Chris Heinrich (Quakertown, Pa. / Church Farm) was named Most Inspirational, while forward Matt Baniak (St. Louis, Mo. / DeSmet) was named Most Improved. Heinrich ranks ninth on the Bills' all-time blocked shots list with 67 and is the club's top percentage shooter from the field this season at 54.3 percent. Baniak ranks fourth on the all-time blocks list with 87 and has been one of the Bills' hottest players lately by shooting better than 54 percent from the floor.

The Billikens' youthful backcourt also received plaudits. Sophomore guard Josh Fisher (Mercer Island, Wash. / Mercer Island) received the Sixth Man award. Fisher is second on the club in assists with 87 and leads the Billikens in steals with 42. Sophomore point guard Marque Perry (Chicago, Ill. / Prosser) received the John C. Murphy Memorial Award for Sportsmanship. After recovering from a dislocated ankle last year, Perry is the Billikens' second-leading scorer at 10 ppg and leads the team in assists with 101.

Saint Louis (16-13, 8-8) faces Houston in the first round of the Ohio Casualty Group Conference USA postseason tournament in Louisville's Freedom Hall on Wed., March 8, at 2:30 p.m. (CT).