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Great Northeast Athletic Conference

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 3

Anna Maria's Ralph Grasso Jr. poured in 27 points in just 26 minutes against Clark to earn GNAC Player of the Week honors.

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 3
November 29, 2021

FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 22 - 28

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Ralph Grasso, Jr., Anna Maria (Sr., G - Marlborough, Mass.) - In just 26 minutes of action, Grasso exploded for 27 points against Clark on Tuesday, shooting 10-of-14 from the field, including a perfect 5-of-5 from behind the arc. The senior also pulled down six rebounds with three assists and only two turnovers.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Lucius Brittian, St. Joseph (Conn.) (So., F - Mansfield, Conn.) - The first-year forward Brittian was a powerhouse on Sunday afternoon, helping propel No. 9 USJ to its fifth straight victory to start the season as the Blue Jays defeated crosstown rival and NESCAC opponent Trinity, 79-59, in their lone game of the week. Brittian filled up the stat sheet with a career-high 16 points (5-6 FG, 6-7 FT) to go along with eight rebounds, six assists, and a pair of blocks in 29 minutes of floor time. The Blue Jays are now off to their best start in program history at 5-0 with quality non-conference wins over Babson, Tufts and Trinity on the year.
 

HONOR ROLL

Gabe Armstead, Anna Maria (So., F - Dallas, Ga.) - Armstead finished with a double-double as a dominant force in the paint against Clark on Tuesday, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 boards while shooting 50% (8-16) from the floor.
 
Nick Sampeck, Dean (Sr, G - Blanco, Texas) - The team captain shot 7-of-14 and 6-of-6 from the FT line for 21 points to go along with four boards and five assists in Tuesday's 77-75 victory over Worcester State. 
 
Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.) (So, G - Middletown, Conn.) - The reigning GNAC Rookie of the Week had 19 points (8-13 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-4 FT) with six rebounds and four assists (just one turnover) across 27 minutes in a 78-65 victory over Eastern Nazarene last Tuesday. Pope is shooting 57.6% overall and 46.7% from three while averaging 19.0 points and 6.6 rebounds through his first five career games. 
 
Russell Rau, Regis (Mass.) (Fy., F - Fitchburg, Mass.) - Rau led Regis to a victory at Framingham State on Tuesday night with 15 points (5-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT) and eight rebounds, plus he earned three assists and two steals. It was Rau's third straight game with at least 15 points and the third time in the last four he has pulled down at least eight rebounds. After a slow start, Rau was inserted into the starting lineup at Emmanuel on Nov. 17 and has averaged 18.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 61.8& (21-for-34) from the floor in that span. 
 
Ryan O'Neill, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Sr., G - Litchfield, Conn.) - O'Neill fueled No. 9 USJ to its fifth straight victory to start the 2021-22 season as the Blue Jays defeated cross-town rival and NESCAC opponent Trinity on Sunday, 79-59. O'Neill poured in a team-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down three rebounds in the triumph as the Blue Jays are off to their best start in program history at 5-0.
GNAC WEEKLY ARCHIVE
WEEK PLAYER

ROOKIE
1 Miles Gillette, RIV Gabe Armstead, ANNA
2 Mark Blair, DEAN Donte Pope, EMM
3 Ralph Grasso, Jr., ANNA Lucius Brittian, USJ

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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