GNAC Women's Basketball Report: Week 10

( FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 20 - 26 )

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Amber Wilson, Anna Maria (Jr., G - New York, N.Y.) Wilson averaged 28.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 blocks to help the AMCATS go 1-1 last week, which included a GNAC win against Lasell. After registering 25 points and seven boards in a loss to Suffolk, she went off for 31 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks against the Lasers, marking the 10th time this season she topped 20+ points and third time with 30+ points. She shot 51.2% overall (21-41 FG, 4-13 3PT, 10-14 FT) for the week, including a 13-of-24 performance in the Lasell victory.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Pam Gonzalez, Regis (Mass.) (Fr., G - Revere, Mass.) Gonzalez averaged 11.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists en route to her fifth GNAC Rookie of the Week honor this season. She kept Regis close with in a 60-56 setback against RIC before helping the Pride past GNAC preseason favorite Emmanuel, shooting 40.9% (9-22) overall for the week. On Wednesday against the Anchorwomen, she notched a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while committing just one turnover. On Saturday against the powerhouse Saints, she tied her career-high with 15 rebounds to go along with five assists. Despite scoring just seven points on eight shots, she hit a layup with two minutes left in the fourth to bring the Pride within one, and then converted another layup on the next possession to put her team ahead for good.

WEEK 10 HONOR ROLL

Rah-Rah Thompson, Albertus Magnus (Sr., C - Bridgeport, Conn.) - Thompson averaged a double-double for the Falcons in a 1-1 week, logging 17.5 points and 15.5 rebounds over the two games. The 6-foot forward also tallied eight assists with zero turnovers, while playing a full 40 minutes in both contests. Thompson began the week with 14 points, 14 rebounds and four assists on 4-of-9 shooting from the field in a 75-55 victory over Lasell on Tuesday. She then poured in 21 points, 17 boards and four more assists in a hard-fought GNAC setback against Saint Joseph's (Me.) on Saturday. 

Lexie Hamilton, Colby-Sawyer (Sr, g - Sunapee, N.H.) - Hamilton averaged 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 3.0 steals in a 2-0 week for the Chargers. She also shot 50% (13-26) overall and 50% (5-10) from beyond the arc. The senior guard began the week with seven points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals in a 69-54 GNAC road win at Rivier. In the final game of the week, a 72-46 GNAC win over JWU, Hamilton poured in 25 points to go with four boards, five assists and a couple of steals. Hamilton scored 17 of her points in the first quarter against JWU to give the Chargers an early cushion. 

Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Sr, G - Cambridge, Mass.) - Ramirez-Tejeda registered two more double-doubles in a 1-1 week for Emmanuel, scoring 20 points to go with 11 rebounds vs. Norwich before an 18 point, 11 rebound outing against Regis. She added three steals and three assists over the two games for EC.

Amanda Ortiz, Lasell (Sr., G - Newton, Mass.) - Ortiz averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.7 steals in a 1-2 week for the Lasers. She tallied 15 points and 16 rebounds in a loss to Albertus Magnus; she put up 22 points and nine boards in a loss at Anna Maria; and finished her week with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals in a non-conference win over CCNY.

Taylor Iorfino, Regis (Mass.) (Sr., F - Monroe, Conn.) - Iorfino averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 50% (15-30) in a 1-1 week, which included a GNAC upset over conference-leading Emmanuel. In the knockoff of the Saints at home, she led the Pride with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting  and converted a traditional three-point play with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to bring Regois within two as it eventually rallied for the victory.  On Wednesday at RIC, she played a career-high 39 minutes, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one blocked shot as Regis nearly defeated one of the top teams in the region, falling 60-56. 

Deanna De La Cruz, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Jr., F - Winsted, Conn.) - De La Cruz was dominant in a 79-52 win over Rivier on Saturday, giving the Blue Jays their first GNAC win of the season. She had her second double-double of the season and third of her career, scoring a season high 12 points, and grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds, the most rebounds in one game under current head coach, Wendy Davis. She also had five big-time blocks. De La Cruz averaged seven points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots per game on the week. The Blue Jays went 1-1.

Cassandra Stapelfeld, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Junior, Guard - Brookline, N.H.) - Stapelfeld netted 20 points with seven rebounds and two assists in an impressive 70-62 victory at Albertus Magnus on Saturday. The junior guard entered the game five points shy of the 1,000-point plateau and hit the milestone on the button when she netted a pair of free throws at the 2:53 mark of the first quarter. Stapelfeld, who tallied 795 points combined during her freshman and sophomore seasons, transferred to Saint Joseph's from Simmons following the 2019 campaign. With 20 points versus Albertus, she has scored 220 points for the Monks and totaled 1,015 points across 67 career contests.

Jenni-Rose DiCecco, Suffolk (Jr., G - Falmouth, Mass.) - DiCecco averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals in a 1-1 week, including a 21-point (8-13 FG, 4-7 3PT), nine-assist performance in a win over Anna Maria.