BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo women's basketball standout Catherine Jacob (Pittsburgh, PA/Penn Hills HS) has earned District I GTE Academic All-American status for the second straight year. Jacob was also voted to the District I team -which includes all Divison I schools in New England and New York -during her sophomore season at UB.

Jacob, a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, has a 3.78 grade point average in the classroom, and was a key component of the women's basketball team that finished the 1997-98 season 18-10. Jacob is now eligible for selection to the national GTE Academic All-America Team to be announced March 19.

Jacob started all 28 games for the Bulls - and has now started 85 straight games in her career -and finished as the team's leader in assists, minutes played, three-point field goals and was second in scoring. Jacob averaged a career-best 11.4 points per game and led the team in scoring on 10 occasions. She also led the team with 118 assists (4.2 per game), 53 three-point field goals and also averaged 3.1 rebounds per game. She was named to the Mid-Continent Conference second team for her play this season and was also a Mid-Continent Conference All-Newcomer selection as a freshman after the 1995-96 season.

Jacob scored a career-high 23 points in UB's last game of the year, a 76-75 loss to Valparaiso in the Mid-Continent Conference semifinals. Jacob also made a career-high five three-point field goals in that game and added four assists and four rebounds.

Entering her senior season, Jacob needs just 154 points to become the school's ninth 1,000-point scorer in school history. In addition, she also ranks third all-time in free throw percentage for a career (76.2) and should become the school's all-time assists leader next year as well. Jacob currently has 447 assists just 15 off the school record held by Brenna Doty (1993-97).

Jacob also ranks third all-time in three-point field goals made in a career with 106 and third all-time in three-point field goal percentage. Her 53 three-point field goals this season is the fifth-highest total in school history for a season and her 96 free throws made this season is eighth all-time.

Jacob was a tri-captain this season and has been a Dean's List member each semester at UB. She is also a member of the Mechanical Engineering National Honor Society and last summer was selected to participate in the NCAA Leadership Council at Walt Disney World in Florida.

She is the daughter of Bill and Barbara Jacob of Penn Hills, PA.