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Great Northeast Athletic Conference

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 2

Dean's Mark Blair averaged a double-double (18 PTS, 12 REB) in a 2-1 week for the Bulldogs.

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 2
November 22, 2021

( FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 15 - 21 )

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mark Blair, Dean College (Jr, G - Rosedale, N.Y.) - Blair averaged 18.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 55.6% (25-45) from the floor, adding to his season total of double-doubles to give him five straight to open the season. To begin the week, Blair posted a game-best 26 points to go with 10 boards in an 81-65 win over Lesley. The junior then posted a 15-point, 15-rebound effort in a tough 94-90 loss to Mitchell. Blair ended the week with 14 points on 6-8 shooting and 10 boards in just 22 minutes of action in a 66-64 victory at Fitchburg State. 
 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.) (So, G - Middletown, Conn.) - Pope led all scorers in both Emmanuel games this week, averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The guard played a key role in the Saints 72-67 GNAC victory over Regis, scoring 23 points and grabbing a game-high nine boards while shooting 60% from downtown (3-5) over 27 minutes of action. He followed it up with a career-high 26 point outing to lead all scorers vs. Emerson and overall on the week shot 60.7% from the field, 50.0% from behind the arc and 84.6% from the charity stripe.
 

HONOR ROLL

Justice Washington, Albertus Magnus (Jr., C/F - Hamden, Conn.) - In just 20 minutes of action, Washington led the Falcons to a season-opening 71-69 victory over Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday, pouring in a team-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds. The junior center also hit the game-winning shot, sinking a layup with two seconds remaining to break a 69-69 tie. Washington went 6-for-8 from the floor to go along with a steal and a block. 
 
Kennedy Minix-Rogers, Anna Maria (Sr., G - Smyrna, Ga.) - Minix-Rogers averaged 16.0 points, 9.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in a 1-1 week for the AMCATS, all while shooting 54.2% (13-24) from the floor. After registering a 14-point, 10-assist double in a narrow 99-96 loss to Middlebury out of the NESCAC, the senior team captain starred in Anna Maria's 98-85 win over Bridgewater in the Cave Classic, with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Just four games into the season, Minix-Rogers leads the GNAC in assists per game (9.3).
 
Zack Caraballo, Colby-Sawyer (Jr, G - Salem, N.H.) - Caraballo averaged 13.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 58.8% (10-17) in a two-game week for the Chargers. 
 
Justin Bullock, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., G - Spring Valley, N.Y.) - In two games over the past week, Bullock averaged 23.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 45.5% (15-22) overall and an impressive 9-of-17 from three. Against Elms in JWU's regular season opener, Bullock scored 34 points on 10/19 shooting, connecting on seven three pointers to lead the Wildcats to a 75-59 victory. He added 12 points in a game against Colby on Saturday, totaling bringing his average to 23 points per game. 
 
Donovan Lewis Jr., Norwich (Sr., F - Savannah, Ga.) - In a 2-1 week, Lewis averaged 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 65.6% (21-32) from the field. 
 
Owen Liss, Norwich (Fr., F - West Suffield, Conn.) - In three games, Liss averaged 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while coming off the bench. In the Cadets first loss of the season, Liss knocked down 7-of-8 from the field for a total of 17 points. Liss made 72 percent of his shots and pulled down 22 rebounds on the week.
 
Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Sr., G - Hartford, Conn.) - Martin helped power No. 9 USJ to a pair of huge victories last week, defeating 2017 National Champion Babson on the road Wednesday followed by a triumph at home over No. 11 Tufts on Saturday. Martin averaged 16.0 points on 50.0% (11-22 FG, 9-12 FT) shooting from the field to go along with 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds. The 5-10 spark plug from Hartford opened the week with 20 points (8-14 FG), four assists, and six rebounds on Wednesday against the Beavers before finishing the week with 12 points (3-8 FG), eight assists, and a rebound versus the Jumbos. The D3hoops.com preseason All-America honorable mention guard is currently averaging 13.5 points and 6.5 assists on the season as the Blue Jays remain undefeated and are off to their best start in program history at 4-0.
 
Russell Rau, Regis (Mass.) (Fy., F - Fitchburg, Mass.) - Rau earned the first two starts of his career and made the most of them in an 0-2 week, averaging 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds on 69.6% (16-23) shooting. In the GNAC opener at Emmanuel on Wednesday night, he played 37 minutes, leading the Pride with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field, featuring a perfect 9-for-9 two-point field goal shooting. He nearly notched a double-double as he pulled down nine rebounds to go along with two assists and three steals. On Saturday against Rhode Island College, Rau shot 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the FT line as he finished with 18 points and five boards. Rau had entered the week with just four total points through the first three games of the season. 
 
GNAC WEEKLY ARCHIVE
WEEK PLAYER

ROOKIE
1 Miles Gillette, RIV Gabe Armstead, ANM
2 Mark Blair, DEAN Donte Pope, EMM

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

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