GNAC Men's Basketball Report: Week 11

( FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 23 - 29 )

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Russell Rau, Regis (Mass.) (So., F - Fitchburg, Mass.) - Rau averaged 26.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and shot 50.0% (17-34 FG, 5-12 3PT, 13-13 FT) from the floor in a 2-0 week for the Pride, who won the pair of contests by a combined five points. On Thursday, Rau was 11-of-16 plus four threes for 31 points with eight boards in a 67-65 road win over Norwich. On Saturday, he helped the Pride come back from 16 down in a 74-71 home divisional win versus JWU, double-doubling with 21 points and 14 rebounds. He committeed just three turnovers on the week, and in his last 10 games has gone 35-for-37 (94.6%) from the FT line to move into second place in the GNAC in FT percentage (.860) for the season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Antonio Bonilla, Albertus Magnus (Jr., G - Tenafly, N.J.) - The first-year player averaged 28.0 points on 52.6% (20-38 FG) shooting in a 2-0 week for the Falcons, including an impressive 16-of-29 (55.2%) from three-point range. After registering 20 points in an 87-68 win at Elms on 7-of 16 shooting, including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc, Bonilla went off for 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting including a program-record 10 threes (16 attempts) in a convincing 95-75 victory over Saint Josephs of Maine.

GNAC HONOR ROLL

Omar Boone, Colby-Sawyer (Sr, F - Colorado City, Texas) - Boone led the Chargers against the #1 ranked USJ on Saturday scoring 19 points (8-13 FG, 1-2 3-FG, 2-4 FT) to go with four rebounds and a pair of assists. He generated early attacking momentum for Colby-Sawyer after tallying 13-points under the opening 10 minutes of the game. Boone continued to push the offensive towards the end of the second half adding six more points and an assist. 

Donte Pope, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Jr, G - Middletown, Conn.) - EC improved to 11-0 in GNAC play with another 2-0 week, as Pope averaged 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 59.3% (16-27) for the Saints. He had 23 points and 10 boards in just 22 minutes of action against Rivier (8-11 FG, 2-4 3T, 5-7 FT) before registering 12 points, eight caroms and four assists versus Anna Maria. 

Mark Blair, Dean (Sr, F) - Blair averaged 15.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in a 2-0 week for the Bulldogs. The senior opened the week with a 5-for-7 shooting performance for 12 points to go with eight boards and four assists in a 75-60 win over Anna Maria. Blair ended the week with his fourth double-double of the season, going off for 19 points, 18 rebounds (12 offensive) and seven assists to lead the Bulldogs to a 74-65 GNAC win over Lasell. 

Aireus Raspberry, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., G - Cranston, R.I.) - The senior had a sensational week for the Wildcats (1-1), averaging 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 53.7% (22-41) from the floor, 60.0% from three (9-15), and a perfect 4-of-4 from the FT line. He shot 11-of-18, including 6-of-8 from deep, for 28 points with seven boards and eight assists in a 90-66 non-conference win over Eastern Nazarene. He capped the week with 29 points, nine rebounds and six helpers in a 74-71 road setback against Regis. 

EJ Day, Lasell (Senior, G - Norwalk, Conn.) - Day averaged 27.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 43.2/50/80 in a two-game week for the Laders. After scoring 23 points in 24 minutes against No. 1 nationally-ranked USJ, the senior poured in 32 points (11-25 FG, 4-7 3PT, 6-8 FT) in a road setback against Dean.

Donovan Lewis Jr., Norwich (Gr, F - Savannah, Ga.) - Lewis Jr. posted back-to-back double-digit efforts against Regis and Rivier, first going 6-8 from the field while swatting away two shots in a 14-point performance against the Pride. The graduate student followed that up with 16 points in a huge win over the Raiders, while also bringing down seven caroms and snagging a pair of steals. On the week, Lewis Jr. averaged 15.0 points on 52.0% shooting to go with 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks.

Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Sr., G - Hartford, Conn.) - Martin averaged 21.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in the latest unbeaten week for the undefeated and No. 1 ranked Blue Jays, shooting 63.0% (17-27) from the floor and 9-10 from the FT line. After registering 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 FT) with three rebounds in a 73-66 win at Lasell, a game which saw USJ trail by as many as 10 in the second half, Martin had a game-high 23 points (9-14 FG, 5-5 FT), three boards and two steals in a 94-80 road victory against Colby-Sawyer. USJ has its second big GNAC matchup with Conn. rival Albertus Magnus on Tuesday before hosting Elms on Thursday. 

Griffin Foley, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (GR, G - Portland, Maine) - In the Monks' lone game of the week, a 85-75 road setback to Albertus, Foley had 15 points, 10 assists and three steals in 36 minutes of action.

GNAC WEEKLY ARCHIVE

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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