GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 4

( FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 28 - DEC. 4)

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Alec Kinder, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Gr., F - West Haven, Conn.) - Kinder helped power the nationally-ranked No. 3 Blue Jays to another unblemished week, averaging 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game off the bench over a pair of contests. He connected on 75.0% (12-16) of his field-goal attempts for the week, matching his career-high with a game-high 15 points (7-10 FG) to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks in a 77-57 non-conference victory on the road over Tufts out of the NESCAC on Tuesday night. The 6-6 graduate student followed up that performance with a 12-point (5-6 FG), nine-rebound, and two-block outing in the Blue Jays' GNAC-opening 90-63 triumph on the road on Saturday at Anna Maria.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Zaire Baines, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Fr, G - Queens, N.Y.) - Baines powered Emmanuel to a 2-0 week with wins over MIT and Albertus Magnus averaging 19.5 points while shooting at a 61.9% clip from the field. The guard poured in a team-high 15 points in the Saints 84-67 road win over the Engineers before scoring a career-high 24 points in EC's GNAC opener against the Falcons, going 7-for-11 from the floor in Emmanuel's 83-79 road W, their first over AMC since 2007. Baines added five rebounds, five steals and five assists over the two wins, averaging 25.0 minutes of court time.

GNAC HONOR ROLL

Terry Dawkins, Albertus Magnus (Gr., F - Bronx, NY) - Dawkins averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 60.0% (12-20) from the floor and 90% (9-10) from the free throw line in two games last week. The grad student kicked off the week with a 12-point, six-rebound performance in the non-conference loss to Keene State. Four days later, Dawkins recorded 21 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the GNAC loss to Emmanuel (Mass.). 

Scott Lampron, Colby-Sawyer (Sr, G - Concord, N.H.) - Lampron led the Chargers to a 2-1 week averaging 18.7 points and 4.0 rebounds on 52.8% shooting from the floor and 57.1% from three. Scott started the week with a 31-point, nine rebound performance in a big victory against inner-state rival New England College. Lampron followed it up with a 17-point game against NESCAC school Amherst. 

Malik Spearman, Dean (Jr, C - St. Paul, Minn.) - Spearman led the Bulldogs to an 87-79 road win at Rivier in a GNAC opener on Saturday. He notched a double-double of 21 points and a game best10 rebounds. Spearman added two steals, two blocks and a steal. 

Donovan Lewis Jr., Norwich (Sr, F - Savannah, Ga.) - Lewis Jr. averaged 18.0 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 54.3% (19-35) from the field in a 2-1 week for the Cadets (6-2), who won their sixth straight on Saturday with a 66-56 win over New England College. After scoring 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting in just 27 minutes during Tuesday's 94-69 road win at NVU-Lyndon, Lewis Jr. registered a 17-point, 13-rebound performance against 2023 incoming GNAC member NEC in the opener of the 2022 Ed Hockenbury Classic in Northfield, Vt. The senior closed out the week by earning Hockebury All-Tournament honors following 17 points, 11 boards and four assists in an 81-62 setback versus Bridgewater State, shooting 69.6% (16-23) from the FT line overall during the two-day event. 

Jalen Olivero, Norwich (Fr, G - Holyoke, Mass.) - Olivero was critical to Norwich's 2-1 stretch this past week, which was tipped off by the junior's career-best 26-point performance on 11-22 shooting at NVU-Lyndon to go with five steals. Olivero followed that up in the opening game of the 2022 Ed Hockenbury Classic with 19 points, including a 9-10 mark from the line, to lead Norwich off the bench to a win over New England College. Olivero was responsible for seven points in an 11-0 run to close the game to give the Cadets both the lead and the victory. The junior closed out the week with a 15-point showcase against Bridgewater State in the title game, knocking down three treys. For the week, Olivero averaged 20.0 points on a 44.0% clip from the floor and 86.7% from the stripe, while also maintaining marks of 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 1.7 assists.

Russell Rau, Regis (Mass.) (So., F - Fitchburg, Mass.) - Rau averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks across two victories last week to improve the team's record to 5-2. On Tuesday night, he scored 10 points, plus he led the team with nine rebounds and tied the school record for most blocks in a single game with six rejections as Regis pulled away to defeat Lesley, 92-65. On Saturday, he once again led the Pride in scoring and rebounding with 16 points and eight rebounds, plus a team-high four assists in a 72-70 victory over Elms. Rau is second in the GNAC in rebounding at 9.7 boards per game and eighth in scoring with 16.0 points per contest, reaching double figures in points in all but one game for the Pride so far this season.

John Paul Frazier, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Fr., G - York, Maine) - Frazier netted 16 points while shooting 63.6% (7-11) from the floor in an 84-54 victory over Colby-Sawyer on Saturday. With the Monks trailing 33-32 at halftime, Frazier spearheaded an impressive second half with 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the closing 20 minutes, which saw the hosts outscore the Chargers by a 52-21 margin.