GNAC Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week Report #14
Player Of The Week
Laura Johnson, Lasell (Sr.)
The DIII leading rebounder as of Saturday, Feb. 14, Senior Laura Johnson continued her dominance in the paint, averaging 13.5 points and 21.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week for Lasell. She put up 12 and 17 in a 81-50 victory over Elms before collecting 15 points and 26 rebounds in a 73-53 victory over Albertus Magnus to notch her GNAC-leading 19th double-double, which makes her fourth in the nation currently.
Rookie Of The Week
Ariellys Velez, Albertus Magnus (Fr.)
Freshman guard Ariellys Velez averaged 21.5 points per game and four rebounds in a 1-1 week for the Falcons. She scored 28 points in win over Mitchell, shooting 13-for-22 from the field before netting 15 and grabbing four rebounds against Lasell.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Elyza Mitchell, Colby-Sawyer - Mitchell led the Chargers this week in scoring 30 points across two games for 15 ppg (81.3%). She would also grab 17 rebounds on the week for an average of 8.5 rpg.
Sanaii Diaz, Elms - Diaz averaged 12 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in a 1-1 week for the Blazers, which was highlighted by her 12 rebound, 11 assist, and four steal game in a win over Dean.
Jade Hypolite, Mitchell - Hypolite delivered a strong all-around week for the Mitchell College women's basketball team, averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while playing all 40 minutes in both GNAC contests. She totaled 43 points across the two games, knocking down six three-pointers while shooting an outstanding 93.8 percent from the free throw line (15-of-16). Hypolite opened the week with 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists against Albertus Magnus, then followed with 19 points, six rebounds, and six assists at Emmanuel. In addition to her scoring production, she contributed 13 total rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals.
Camryn Lewis, New England College - In two conference wins this week, Lewis totaled 29 points and 24 rebounds. In the Pilgrims' 59-49 win over Norwich, she scored 14 points and secured 16 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season. The junior also went 6-6 from the free throw line. In a 53-42 win over Rivier, she scored a team-high 15 points and added eight rebounds while shooting 7-11 from the field.
Cassidy Kittredge, Norwich - Kittredge averaged 16.0 points per game to lead Norwich during a 1-1 GNAC week, highlighted by a pivotal 60-58 victory over reigning conference champion University of Saint Joseph (Conn.). The freshman forward totaled 32 points while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from three-point range in the win over Saint Joseph, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line across the two contests. Kittredge opened the week with a game-high 19 points at New England College, converting 5-of-5 free throws and helping Norwich mount a late fourth-quarter push. She followed with 13 points in Saturday’s statement win over Saint Joseph, knocking down two key three-pointers and scoring a critical layup just before the third-quarter buzzer to give the Cadets momentum entering the final frame. Across 65 total minutes, Kittredge added seven rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and posted a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, committing just one turnover all week.
Madi Zancan, Regis - In the team’s sole game this week, Zancan recorded 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds in 28 minutes of action in the Pride’s 76–66 victory over Colby-Sawyer. The senior also added two assists and one block.
Elisabeth Stapelfeld, Saint Joseph's (Maine) - Stapelfeld averaged 21.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 68.2% (15-22) from the floor and 66.7% (6-9) from three-point distance in a pair of conference victories last week. She netted 16 points off a 5-for-7 shooting effort in a win at Rivier on Wednesday and capped the week with 26 points on a 10-for-15 shooting performance from the field, including a 4-for-6 effort from downtown, in a triumph over Colby-Sawyer on Saturday.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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