PSAC Women's Basketball Athletes of the Week - 4 (Dec. 7)
PSAC Women's Basketball Weekly Release - Dec. 7 (pdf)
Bloomsburg sweeps this week's PSAC East Player and Freshman of the Week awards as Kelsey Gallagher is the player and Alyssa Flanagan is the freshman after both helped lead the Huskies to a pair of wins last week. Brooque Williams of California is the PSAC West Player of the Week for the second straight week after notching a double-double in Cal's win over Kutztown. IUP's Jill Perdue is this week's PSAC West Freshman of the Week.
PSAC Players of the Week - Dec. 7
PSAC East Player of the Week
Kelsey Gallagher, Bloomsburg
G, So., East Stroudsburg, Pa./ES South
Gallagher helped lead Bloomsburg to a 2-0 week with wins over Wilmington and Concordia by averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals for the week. She just missed a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds in an 85-62 win over Wilmington in which she also added five assists, five steals and two blocks. In a 75-50 win over Concordia, she took only three shots from the floor, all threes, but hit all three, scoring nine points and also dishing out five assists and collecting three rebounds in 25 minutes of play. For the week, she shot an impressive 11-for-17 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line, and had three blocked shots.
PSAC East Freshman of the Week
Alyssa Flanagan, Bloomsburg
G, Fr., Freeland, Pa./Hazleton
Flanagan averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists to help lead Bloomsburg to a pair of wins last week against Wilmington and Concordia. For the week, she made 7-of-8 shots from the floor (87.5 percent), including 4-of-5 from three-point range, and also made 3-of-4 from the free throw line while also averaging 1.5 steals. In the win over Wilmington, Flanagan scored six points and dished out six assists to go along with three boards. She then scored a team-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals in the win over Concordia.
PSAC West Player of the Week
Brooque Williams, California
G, Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry
Williams earns the PSAC West Athlete of the Week award for the second straight week after posting her fourth straight double-double to help lead California to a 80-76 win in a PSAC crossover game against Kutztown, one of the top teams in the PSAC East, in the Vulcans’ only game last week. Williams scored 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting and also hauled in 11 rebounds and dished out three assists. She also made 3-of-4 free throws.
PSAC West Freshman of the Week
Jill Perdue, IUP
F, Fr., Abindgon, Va./Oak Hill Academy
Perdue averaged 7.0 points and 7.0 rebounds to help IUP to a 2-0 week last week with wins over Lake Erie and District of Columbia. For the week, she also made all six of her free throw attempts. She began the week by being held to just two points in a 72-61 win over Lake Erie but also contributed seven rebounds and a blocked shot in the victory. She then tied for the team lead with 12 points while also adding seven rebounds and two assists in a 62-55 win over UDC. She made all six of her free throw attempts in that game, and also hit a key jumper with 1:24 remaining after UDC had cut a 10-point IUP lead to just four.
PSAC Team Notes
Bloomsburg Huskies
The Huskies are now 4-1 on the season after going 2-0 this week against Wilmington and Concordia…In BU's 85-62 win over Wilmington, So. G Kelsey Gallagher scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, barely missing the second double-double of her career…She also added five assists, five steals and two blocks and shot 8-of-14 from the floor in 37 minutes…Fr. G Dana Wieller scored 20 points, going 5-of-12 from three-point range and Fr. G Kayla Oxenrider added 13 points…Fr. G Alyssa Flanagan led the Huskies to a 75-50 win over Concordia on Wednesday…The rookie point guard scored 15 points with eight rebounds and eight assists in just 27 minutes…Wieller added 14 points for the Huskies, connecting on 4-of-7 from beyond the arc while Fr. F Christine Sereta scored a season-high 14 points with four rebounds, three blocks and two steals…The 4-1 start by the Huskies is their best five-game start to open a season since the 2002-03 season.
California Vulcans
Cal U is off to 5-1 start under first-year head coach Mark Swasey…Three of the Vulcans' five wins have been by single digits, including an 80-76 win at Kutztown last week…Sr. G Brooque Williams has registered a double-doubles in the last four games…Jr. F Kayla Smith has posted a double-double in five of six games this year, including a 22-point, 12-rebound (seven offensive) performance against Kutztown last week…The Vulcans tied a season-high on Wednesday with seven three-pointers, including three by Sr. point guard Crystal Andrews…Cal U committed a season-low 14 turnovers and was called for only 13 fouls against the Golden Bears.
Cheyney Wolves
A 2-1 week propelled the Lady Wolves over the .500 mark for the first time this season...After falling to Caldwell (63-56) to start the week, Cheyney came back to defeat Georgian Court (67-57) and Newport News Apprentice School (67-32)....Against Caldwell Angel Henderson netted a career high 18 points...In the victory over Georgian Court Stephanie Orji tallied a season high 20 points...The Lady Wolves forced 31 turnovers...Against Newport News all nine players on the Cheyney roster scored as the Lady Wolves pressure defense turned up the pressure producing 35 turnovers and limited Newport News to 17% (4-23) shoot from the floor in the second half...Cheyney is at the University of the Sciences on Wednesday night before traveling to Lakewood, New Jersey for a rematch with Georgian Court.
Clarion Golden Eagles
Clarion dropped its first road game of the season at Urbana Saturday. It marked the fourth straight year the Golden Eagles have lost their road opener. Clarion last won a road opener during the 2005-2006 season when it beat Bloomsburg…Sr. guard Bethany Koch had her fourth straight game of 15 or more points when she had 16 at Urbana. Koch has now scored 15 or more in seven of her last nine regular-season games dating back to last season. Koch, who is averaging a double-double this year (18.8 points, 10.3 rebounds) now has 524 career points and 327 career rebounds.
East Stroudsburg Warriors
ESU notched its first win of the year, 70-35 vs. Salem International, on Saturday in the Pocono Classic...Earlier in the week, the Warriors fell to USP in OT (64-62) and lost to Shippensburg (77-67) in a non-conference game between PSAC East schools...Sr. F DeAnna Rayam and Sr. G Mel Villano were named to the all-tournament team...Rayam (14.8 ppg) has scored at least 13 points in all five games this year and is 34-40 (85.0) at the foul line...She tied Stacy Perryman (1993-96) for 4th in ESU history with 82 career 3-pointers...Rayam and Villano both scored 17 points vs. Shippensburg...So. F Jennifer Scherer had a career-high 13 points vs. Salem International...ESU is at Salem International for a tournament next weekend.
Edinboro Fighting Scots
Edinboro was off this week but will return to action this weekend at the Susan G. Komen "Shoot for the Cure" Classic at Indiana (Pa.)...The 3-1 Fighting Scots will play West Liberty on Saturday and Washington Adventist on Sunday with both tip-offs at 5:30 pm...Edinboro's pressure defense has been particularly effective all year as they force an average of 30.5 turnovers per game...The Scots have forced no fewer than 20 turnovers in a game this season...Leading the defensive effort is junior Micki Cerchiaro with 15 steals, junior Shawayna Morel with 11, and senior Samantha Reimer with 10. In addition to steals, the Scots have also been particularly effective with their interior defense...Edinboro has 27 blocks on the season (6.9 per game) led by junior Keclie Helmer's nine...Three other Scots have five blocks including Cerchiaro, So.Renee' Brown and Fr. Samantha Blazetic. Their defensive intensity has led to some easy baskets as the Scots average 90.2 ppg.
Gannon Golden Knights
Gannon was idle last week...The Lady Knights are ranked ninth in the December 1 USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll...It represents the fourth top-10 ranking in school history and the first since the 2001-02 season...The Lady Knights have been ranked higher only twice in school history, being tabbed fifth on January 30, 2002 and eighth on February 5, 2002...Head coach Cleve Wright was named NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Coach of the Month by Women's Division II Bulletin...He is the first-ever Gannon women's basketball coach to earn the honor...Gannon is off to a 9-0 start for the first time in school history...The Lady Knights have won 19 consecutive regular-season games dating back to last season...The program's last regular-season loss was a 65-52 setback at Indiana (Pa.) on January 24, 2009.
IUP Crimson Hawks
IUP has won three in a row after victories over Lake Erie and District of Columbia last week…Eryn Withers scored a game-high 21 points versus Lake Erie, two shy of her career high, including 12-of-14 from the free throw line…Fr. Jill Perdue scored a season-best 12 points versus District of Columbia to tie Lacey Claar for the team lead, helping the Crimson Hawks defeat the Firebirds for the second time in 12 days…Claar had five 3-pointers in the two games and has 99 in her career, one shy of becoming the sixth player in school history to reach 100…IUP hosts the 5th Annual Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure Classic this weekend, an event that raises awareness and money for breast cancer research…IUP has raised over $36,000 for the Komen Pittsburgh affiliate over the past four years.
Kutztown Golden Bears
Two players set career high scoring performances this week: Brittany Greaves against Chestnut Hill and Ashley Wood against USP. Both players scored 12 points...Both of Kutztown's defeats were to teams ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 at the time of the game: Holy Family (No. 25) and California (No. 10)...Rachel Wisemiller scored a season-high 17 points in the setback against Cal...Kristen Murray and Chauntelle Schroeder each made their first five shots against Cal...Murray scored in double figures in KU's first five games...The game against Washington Adventist concludes a four-game home stand...In its last two games against Cal and USP, the Golden Bears had four players score in double figures...Vivian Melvin has handed out seven or more assists three times this season...Kutztown has not trailed in the second half in any of its four victories.
Lock Haven Bald Eagles
Lock Haven (3-3) is coming off a 74-71 loss to Wilmington (Del.) University, but LHU went 1-1 last week as the Lady Eagles opened the week with a solid 67-56 win over visiting Mansfield...In the win over Mansfield, four different players scored in double-figures for LHU head coach Jennifer Smith's team...Lock Haven's tremendous defensive effort caused 24 Mansfield turnovers and held MU to a 27 percent shooting average...Leading the way for LHU is Kristen Kudrick, who leads the team in points (13/game) and rebounds (6.8/game)...Peaches Nesmith (Philadelphia/Northeast) is chipping in with 8.6 points-per-game...Lock Haven is off until December 19 when its travels to Washington Adventist.
Mansfield Mountaineers
The Mountaineers closed out a five-game season-opening road trip with a 67-56 loss at Lock Haven in their only game of the week…Nine of the 10 active players on the roster have appeared in all five games this season with the 10th player appearing in four games…Grad student Mallory Hafer leads the team in scoring averaging 16.2 points per game and has scored in double figures four times…Mansfield has been hurt by turnovers early averaging 23.4 per game.
Mercyhurst Lakers
Mercyhurst did not play a game last week, but the Lakers travel to play at Mansfield Monday before hosting Wheeling Jesuit on Wednesday…Monday's game will see the Lakers return to the site of several firsts…Head coach Deanna Richard posted her first win at Mercyhurst in her first game, a 67-61 victory at Mansfield Nov. 15, 2007…That game also served as the Mercyhurst debut for current players Amy Achesinski, Kelsey Gordon and Samantha Loadman…Achesinski posted her first of 15 career double-doubles with 17 points and 16 rebounds, which served as her career high in boards until Nov. 28, 2009…Loadman made three three-pointers for nine points in her collegiate debut…Mercyhurst will look to repeat last year's performance against WJU, as they downed the Cardinals 63-58 in comeback fashion behind 23 points from Achesinski Dec. 7, 2008…Coach Richard is 3-2 against PSAC East opponents.
Millersville Marauders
The Marauders took advantage against a pair of struggling teams, staying unbeaten at 6-0 with weekend wins over Chestnut Hill and Lincoln (Pa.)…Dominique Stroman, Aiesha Bellamy, and Aurielle Mosley all scored in double-figures and MU forced 31 turnovers in its 75-60 win over winless Chestnut Hill on Friday…In Saturday's 75-59 win over Lincoln, it was two redshirt freshman leading the way with Mashira Newman registering a team-high 14 points and her second eight-steal game of the season. Aurielle Mosley chipped in with 12 once again for the balanced Marauders…12-of-14 Marauders that saw the court on Friday found the scoresheet, with that number increasing to 13-of-14 in Saturday's game…Millersville's bench is outscoring its opposition's bench 217-84 through the first six games…The Marauders are averaging 31.6 points per game off the pine…MU forced 30+ turnovers in each of its two wins this weekend and has done so in 4-of-6 games to start the season.
Shippensburg Red Raiders
Shippensburg (5-2) has now won five of its first seven games in a season for the third consecutive year…SU defeated East Stroudsburg and Salem International this week from the ESU Pocono Classic…The game against the Warriors saw the Lady Raiders convert 27-of-40 from the charity stripe, marking the most free-throw attempts for Shippensburg in a 63-game span dating back to Feb. 19, 2007…Friday's victory over Salem International is SU's most lopsided win since Nov. 19, 2005 - a span of 115 games, when the Lady Raiders earned a 99-58 victory over Mercy (NY) to wrap up the 2005 Wolf's Bus Lines Classic…Sr. Lauren Beckley moved over the 1,900 point plateau with 44 points in two games…junior Kasey Gardner averaged a double-double this week with 30 points, 22 rebounds and six steals in two games.
Slippery Rock - The Rock
Slippery Rock went 1-1 last week at Morrow Field House...On Monday The Rock fell 56-48 to Urbana...Fr. Bethany Caudill recorded her first double-digit scoring effort in the eight point loss...On Thursday, SRU recorded a 76-56 win over Penn State-Beaver...Fr. Alex Beatty posted a season-high 23 points, shooting 6-8 from 3-point range...Nikki Presto recorded double-figures in each game, 10 and 12 respectively and dished out a season high seven assists against Penn State-Beaver...Laurel Heilman moves within five games of the all-time wins record at SRU...Heilman currently holds a 106-132 overall record with the currently record held by Dr. Anne Griffiths at 111 wins from 1970-1979.
West Chester Golden Rams
West Chester improved to 7-0 on the year with a win over Philadelphia University during the week and then sweeping both games at its very own Carol Eckman Classic...West Chester is off to its best start since 2000-01 when the Rams opened 10-0...The 7-0 start is the second best season opening record for head coach Deirdre Kane in her 23 years...Head coach Deirdre Kane won her 400th career game with WCU's win at PhilaU...Allison Hostetter recorded her second double-double of the season in Friday's win over Lincoln...Sr. Renata Neal posted a season-high 17 points in the PhilaU win.