Madison, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior forwards Brendon Manning of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Kennedy) and Ben Meinholz of Oconomowoc (Marquette University) have been selected to the 2018-19 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball First Team in a vote by the league coaches. Manning and Meinholz are two of 11 players named to the team. 

Senior guard Taulvish McCray of Neenah (H.S.) has been voted to the 2018-19 All-WIAC Defensive Team for the second straight season.  A total of five players are named to the team. 

Senior Sam Skoyen of Hastings, Minn. (H.S.) was named to the 2018-19 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team.  

Manning earned his second career all-conference honor after being selected to the 2017-18 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team. He has started all 26 games this season for UWL, tying for the team lead in scoring (13.5) with Meinholz. Manning leads the Eagles in rebounding (8.5) and field goal shooting (61.5%) while ranking second free throw shooting (83.5%) and blocks (13). He is also third in assists (30) and tied for fourth in steals (21). 

Leading UWL with seven double-doubles this season, Manning has scored in double figures in 17 games. He finished with a career-high 30 points against Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on November 11, going 11-of-12 from the field and eight-of-10 at the free throw line. He also had 11 rebounds against the Cardinals. Manning had 28 points at UW-Whitewater on January 26, finishing 10-of-11 from the field and eight-of-nine at the line. 

Finishing with at least 10 rebounds in eight games, Manning had a career-high 15 rebounds against Wartburg College (Iowa) on December 9 while also recording 14 points.  Manning has played in 93 games at UWL with 52 starts while ranking 15th in school history with 493 career rebounds.  

Manning leads the WIAC in field goal shooting (61.5%) while ranking second in rebounding (8.5), seventh in free throw shooting (83.3%), 10th in blocks (0.5) and 11th in scoring (13.5).

A starter in 24 of 25 games this season, Meinholz earned his fourth career All-WIAC selection with this year's honor. He was named to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team and to the 2017-18 All-WIAC First Team. Meinholz is the second player in school history to earn four career all-league honors, joining Ed Uhlenhake who was named to the 1974-75 and 1975-76 honorable mention squads and to the 1976-77 and 1977-78 first teams.

A starter in 24 of 25 games played this season, Meinholz is tied for the team lead in scoring (13.5) with Manning while leading the Eagles in free throw shooting (87.1%), assists (75), blocks (24) and steals (54). 

Scoring in double figures in 18 of 24 games in 2018-19, Meinholz had a season-high 23 points versus UW-Whitewater on January 12 and at UW-Oshkosh on January 19.  He scored a career-high 28 points at Hope College (Mich.) and totaled a career-high 11 rebounds against UW-Stout in 2016-17.  

Recording at least three assists in 11 different games this year, Meinholz finished with a season-high seven assists versus Buena Vista University (Iowa) on December 8. He finished with at least three steals in seven contests, including a season-high five at Ripon College (Wis.) on November 17 and against UW-Stevens Point on January 31. Meinholz had career-high eight steals at UW-Whitewater a year ago. The eight steals tied the single-game school record of Bob Zenz against Winona State University (Minn.) on December 13, 1986 and Willie Arnold versus Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on November 20, 1987.

Playing in 100 career games, including 96 starts, Meinholz is tied for eighth in school history with 1,330 points. He is UWL's career leader in steals (232) while ranking sixth in assists (279) and 14th in rebounds (497).

Meinholz leads the WIAC in steals (2.2) this year while ranking third in blocks (1.0), fifth in assists (3.0), assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and free throw shooting (87.1%) and 12th in scoring (13.5).

McCray has also started all 26 games this year for the Eagles, ranking third on the team in scoring (8.0) and second in assists (64). He has scored in double figures in 10 contests this year, tying his career-high with 20 points at Saint John's University (Minn.) on November 20. McCray scored 20 points versus Lynchburg University (Va.) during the 2017-18 season. He had a career-high six three-point field goals in the game. McCray has at least one three-point field goal in 15 games in 2018-19. 

Recording at least two assists in 19 games this season, McCray tied his career-high with six assists against UW-Stout on January 2.  He became the third player in school history to be selected to the All-WIAC Defensive Team a year ago, which was started in 2012-13. Lucas Morrissey was named to the 2012-13 team while Jared Staege earned the award in 2015-16. McCray has at least one steal in 15 games in 2018-19. He had career-high six against UW-Whitewater last year.

McCray is one of six players in WIAC history to be named to the all-defensive team at least twice in their careers.  He has played in 80 career games, including 52 starts. McCray ranks 12th in the WIAC in assists (2.5) in 2018-19.

Skoyen was named to the 2018-19 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team, chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It includes one member from each school.  Skoyen has played in 24 games this year with seven starts while averaging 3.3 points and 1.4 rebounds. He had a season-high 11 points versus Buena Vista (Iowa) on December 8. Skoyen has played in 73 career games for UWL, including 15 starts.

UWL, 17-9 on the season, earned an at-large bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships on Monday. The Eagles will face the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in the first round of the tournament March 1 at 5:30 p.m. in a game played at Nebraska Wesleyan University. UWL will be making its second appearance in the NCAA III Tournament after falling 79-71 to Calvin College (Mich.) in the first round in 2006. 

UWL finished 10-4 in the WIAC this season. It marked the fourth time (2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2018-19) in the last seven seasons the Eagles have won at least 10 conference games.  UWL fell, 61-51, to UW-Platteville in the WIAC Championship Semifinals on February 21.