February 29, 2008

Loudonville, N.Y. - Siena basketball standouts Liga Alpe-Luka of the women's team and Tay Fisher of the men's team have today been named the Leo Dufort Student-Athletes of the Month for the month of February. The pair has led their respective teams to great success on the court this season, while also excelling in the classroom.

A native of Liepaja, Lativa, Alpe-Luka has served as a senior captain this year at the guard position for the women's basketball squad. She led the team with 115 assists this season, while also ranking second in the MAAC with a phenomenal 1.95:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

As a student, Alpe-Luka has maintained a 3.45 GPA as an Economics major. She was named a MAAC All-Academic Team selection in each of her final two seasons at Siena.

Fisher, a native of Kingston, N.Y. captained the Saints during one of the most memorable seasons in program history. The second most prolific three point shooter in program history, Fisher poured in six treys a piece in Siena's MAAC Championship win over Rider and NCAA Tournament upset of Vanderbilt.

Fisher also excelled both in the classroom and in the community where he left an indelible mark on the Capital Region. He tallied a 2.79 GPA, earning his degree in psychology.

The Leo Dufort Student-Athlete of the Month Award is presented nine times annually (September-May) throughout the academic year. The award recognizes exemplary achievements in both academics and athletics. The late Leo Dufort received a B.S. in marketing and management from Siena in August of 1977. His entire academic career was completed on a part-time basis beginning in the spring of 1961, as a married adult while at the same time raising five children. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack while cross country skiing in February of 1993. His wife Jeanine wanted to do something to immortalize his memory. The original plaque was donated to athletics and the department began the Leo Dufort Student-Athlete of the Month Award to help carry out his legacy. Dufort graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1954, was a Navy Veteran (USS Bennington) who worked for JL Hammett Co. at the time of his death.