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Great Northeast Athletic Conference

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 5

USJ's Jordan Powell averaged a double-double on the week while playing just 21.0 minutes per contest, averaging 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.

GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 5
December 13, 2021

FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 6 - 12

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jordan Powell, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Sr., G/F - Middletown, Conn.) - Powell helped power nationally-ranked No. 5 USJ to a 2-0 GNAC week as the Blue Jays ran their win streak to eight straight to start the 2021-22 season. Powell averaged a double-double on the week while playing just 21.0 minutes per contest, averaging 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting it at a 59.1% (13-22) clip over the two-game span. The 6-6 Middletown product opened the week on Thursday against Elms with 12 points and nine rebounds in just 17 minutes en route to an 86-60 victory before turning in a 15-point, 13-rebound performance at home on Saturday in a 91-68 triumph over Anna Maria. Powell continues to lead the league in field-goal percentage at 72.1%, which is also the fifth-best mark in NCAA Division III. 

CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.) (So, G - Middletown, Conn.) - Pope averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting a steallar 62.5% overall (15-24 FG, 3-7 3PT, 9-13 FT) in a 1-1 week for Emmanuel. He scored a game-high 24 points (8-15 FG) in a narrow 87-83 loss to MIT to go with five rebounds, six assists and three steals, and followed up with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the Saints' GNAC victory over Colby-Sawyer.
 

CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Russell Rau, Regis (Mass.) (Fy., F - Fitchburg, Mass.) - Rau continues to provide consistency for the Pride after averaging 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a 2-0 week, while shooting an impressive 55.6% from the floor (5-of-9 in both games). On Wednesday night against Saint Joseph's of Maine, he scored a team-high 17 pointswith six rebounds and two blocked shots as the Pride defeated the Monks for the first time in program history. On Saturday, he notched his first career double-double (13 PTS, 11 REB) to go with five assists in Regis' victory over Lesley. In the second half against the Lynx, he registered 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists to help the Pride close out the visitors. Rau has now scored in double figures in five consecutive games. 

HONOR ROLL

Justice Washington, Albertus Magnus (Jr., C/F - Hamden, Conn.) - Averaging just 20.5 minutes per contest, Washington averaged 12.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks while shooting an impressive 66.7% (12-18) from the field to help lead the Falcons to a pair of GNAC victories last week. He kicked off the stretch by tallying 10 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high five blocks in 22 minutes as the Falcons handled Anna Maria, 102-76. The junior then posted a 15-point, 11-rebound effort in a 97-78 win over Rivier in just 19 minutes of action. Washington ended the week recording back-to-back double-doubles to increase his season total to four. 
 
Ralph Grasso, Jr., Anna Maria (Sr., G - Marlborough, Mass.) - Grasso averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, while shooting 48% overall from the floor (12-25 FG). After a 19-point effort in a loss at Albertus, he had 10 points and six boards at No. 5 nationally-ranked USJ.
 
Scott Lampron, Colby-Sawyer (Jr, G - Concord, N.H.) - Lampron stole the show last Thursday against New England College, scoring a career-high 31 points on 71.4 % shooting (10-14), including 5-of-8 from behind the arc, to go with six rebounds and three steals. He followed up this performance with a 10-point, six-board effort at Emmanuel to average 20.5 points on 53.8% shooting (14-26 FG, 7-16 3PT, 6-8 FT) in the 1-1 week.
 
Josh Zangerle, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Fy., G - Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) - In two games over the past week, Zangerle averaged 20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 51.6% from the field (16-31) and 35.7% from three (5-14). Zangerle had 19 points in a non-conference tilt against Conn. College before leading the Wildcats with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 75-60 GNAC win over Norwich. 
 
Jalen Olivero, Norwich (So., G - Holyoke, Mass.) - Olivero averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest in a 1-1 week for the Cadets.
 
Miles Gillette, Rivier (Sr., F - Washington, DC) - Gillette averaged 28.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in a 1-1 week for the Raiders, shooting 56.3% from the floor (18-32), 45.5% from three-point land (5-11), and 78.9% from the FT line (15-19). In just 26 minutes of action in a blowout victory at Lesley, the senior had 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting to go with 12 rebounds (four offensive) before posting 27 points (8-15 FG) and 14 boards in a 97-78 GNAC loss one the road at Albertus Magnus.
 
Nicholas Curtis, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Senior, G - Windham, Maine) - Curtis averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 assists in a 1-1 conference week for the Monks. The senior guard scored 21 points in a 79-73 loss at Regis on Wednesday and dropped 27 points to help propel St. Joe's to a come-from-behind 78-72 triumph at Elms on Saturday. In the win over the Blazers, Curtis netted 23 points and was 7-for-10 from three-point distance in the second half alone.
 
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
4 Kevin Nunez, LAS Gabe Armstead, ANNA (2)
5 Jordan Powell, USJ D. Pope, EMM / R. Rau, REG

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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