PSAC Women's Basketball Athletes of the Week/Weekly Report - 2
Lock Haven, Pa. - Millersville's Mashira Newman and Edinboro's Kiara Brown both led their teams to wins in the first two PSAC games of the season and for their efforts are this week's PSAC East and West Athletes of the Week, respectively.
Bloomsburg's Marla Simmons and Gannon's Candice Hendricks led their respective teams to a combined 5-1 mark over the last week en route to winning Freshmen of the Week honors.
PSAC East Athlete of the Week
Mashira Newman, Millersville
Junior, Guard
North Hills, Pa./Upper Dublin
Newman helped lead the Marauders to a pair of wins over Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock last weekend by averaging 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 3.0 blocks and 3.5 steals per game. She also shot 48.1 percent from the floor (13-for-27), including 4-of-8 from three-point range, and made 5-of-8 free throws (62.5 percent). Against the Lakers, Newman led all scorers in the game with 19 points and added eight assists, three steals and two blocks. In the win over The Rock, Newman recorded her fourth career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, even flirting with a triple-double in the first half with nine points, nine boards and five assists. She also had a game-high four blocks and four steals and finished with six assists.
PSAC East Freshman of the Week
Marla Simmons, Blomsburg
Freshman, Forward
Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest
Simmons helped Bloomsburg to a 2-1 record last week by averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds for the week. She shot 71.4 percent from the floor (5-of-7), made 14-of-15 free throws (93.3 percent) and drained her only three-point attempt. She also added a total of three steals and an assist and turned the ball over just once in 43 minutes of play. Her best game of the week came in Bloomsburg's loss to defending PSAC champion Edinboro when she scored 15 points, including a 10-of-10 performance from the charity stripe. She also scored seven points in just four minutes in a win over USP.
PSAC West Athlete of the Week
Kiara Brown, Edinboro
Junior, Guard
Ambridge, Pa./Ambridge
Brown helped the defending PSAC champion Fighting Scots start their defense of the title with a pair of wins in the first two conference games of the season as she averaged 19.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.5 steals in wins over Mansfield and defending PSAC East champion Bloomsburg. Brown shot 47 percent from the field (14-for-30), including an impressive 39 percent from beyond the arc (7-for-18) while also making 4-of-5 free throws. She also added three total assists and a blocked shot while only committing three turnovers in 42 minutes of play. In the win over Mansfield, Brown posted 26 points, five steals and four boards while also connecting on four three-pointers.
PSAC West Freshman of the Week
Candice Hendricks, Gannon
Freshman, Forward
Randallstown, Md./McDonogh
Hendricks led her team in scoring in the opening week of the season as she averaged 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists to help Gannon to a 2-0 start to the PSAC schedule and a 3-0 start to the season last week. She shot an impressive 68.2 percent from the field (15-for-22) while also hitting on 2-of-4 shots from three-point range and on 8-of-14 free throws. Hendricks also added a total of four blocks, four steals and committed just three turnovers in 70 minutes of action. In her collegiate debut, Hendricks put up 19 points (on 9-of-10 shooting) and four rebounds against Penn State-Greater Allegheny. She then chipped in nine points, six rebounds and two assists in Saturday's win over East Stroudsburg and then put up 12 points, four rebounds and three steals while making all six free throw attempts in Sunday's win over Gannon.
Team Notes
Bloomsburg
Bloomsburg's Dana Wieller needs just 17 points to reach 1,000 for her career...Two Huskies are chasing the school's all-time record for made three-pointers. Kelsey Gallagher has 187, while Wieller has 177 to date. The school record is 207 held by Michele Albanese...Gallagher needs just five more points to move into fourth place all-time at BU in career points. She stands at 1,371.
California
The Vulcans opened the year with a split at their season-opening tournament before splitting the first weekend of PSAC Crossover play … Senior forward Amy Johns, a preseason All-PSAC West selection, leads the team in scoring at 17.8 points/game and senior guard Danielle Luckett is averaging 10.5 points/game … On Saturday at Shippensburg, Cal U made only 4-of-22 attempts from beyond the arc before shooting 9-of-19 from long range the next day at Cheyney … Junior guard Megan Kermond made a career-high five three-pointers against the Wolves, marking the highest total since Stephanie Michael hit five treys in Feb. 2010 … After leading the PSAC in rebounding margin last year, the Vulcans are being out-rebounded by an average of 10 rebounds through the first four games.
Cheyney
After playing three games in three days the Lady Wolves are taking the week off. Cheyney will next take to the hardwood on Monday, November 28 when they travel to Division I Coppin State. The last time the Lady Wolves started a season dropping their first four games was 2007-08. That year Cheyney finished 11-16 overall and 7-5 in conference play falling to West Chester in the PSAC quarterfinals. Cheyney has struggled shooting the ball through their first four games. The Lady Wolves have converted 27% of their attempts. Newcomer Aerie DeJesus is leading the way averaging 8.8 points per contest. Cheyney seems to be holding their own on the boards. The Wolves are out-rebounding their opponents. Nadirah Brown is the Wolves leading rebounder averaging 7.8 per game.
Clarion
Senior forward Courtney Healy blocked 5 shots Saturday at East Stroudsburg, the fifth time in her career she has blocked at least five. That ranks third in school history behind Carlita Jones (8 times) and Sara Pratt (7 times) ... Healy has 99 career blocks and needs one more to become the fifth player in school history with 100 in a career ... Sophomore forward Ann Deibert had a career-high 6 assists in the win at East Stroudsburg Sunday. Her previous career best was 4 done twice last year ... Sophomore guard Emma Fickel saw he streak of 17 straight multipe 3-point games end Saturday when she hit just one trey. But she immediatly went back to her old ways with two Sunday.
East Stroudsburg
ESU opened the season with two setbacks in PSAC play, 77-59 vs. Gannon on Saturday and 63-47 vs. Clarion on Sunday ... Warriors trailed Gannon by just 5 (33-28) at halftime before a 10-0 run to open the 2nd half ... ESU returned all 5 starters in its 2nd season under head coach Maureen Smith, with 2 back in the starting lineup this season in So. G Andrea Veres (5-time PSAC East Freshman of the Week) and Sr. G Cyara Woodridge ... R-Fr. G Steph Cabald (Vendenheim, France), Fr. F Jessica Martin (Conestoga Valley HS) and Jr. F Fayola Moise (transfer from Tusculum, Tenn.) are new additions to the starting five ... Veres scored 18 vs. Gannon and Woodridge averaged 17.5 ... Martin had 8 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in her debut ... newcomers played 57% of team's minutes, led by Moise (33.0 mpg, 9.0 rpg) and Martin (30.0) in the frontcourt ... Warriors host Concordia (NY) and Georgian Court in 47th Annual Pocono Classic on Saturday and Sunday.
Edinboro
Edinboro (2-0, 2-0 PSAC) started its 2011-12 season with a pair of victories against PSAC East teams at Mansfield and Bloomsburg. Edinboro forced Mansfield into 35 turnovers and caused 25 more turnovers against Bloomsburg the next day … Against Mansfield, Edinboro put four players into double-figures, led by junior Kiara Brown’s 26 … The Fighting Scots never trailed against Bloomsburg, the preseason PSAC East favorite. It was again a balanced scoring attack as five Edinboro players were in double-figures, led by Renee Brown’s 21 and Micki Cerchiaro’s 20 points … In total, Edinboro collected 71 points off turnovers during the weekend.
Gannon
The Gannon women's basketball team opened the season with three decisive wins, two coming in conference play against East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. Five Lady Knights averaged double-digits in scoring for the week while three averaged 4.5 rebounds or more per game. Gannon posted a scoring margin of 50 while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 40.4 percent from behind the three-point line. The Lady Knights scored as many points against the Golden Bears as opponents have scored in three games against Gannon (90). Gannon averaged an impressive 40 rebounds and 28.5 assists during the first three games of the season. Gannon will now have a 12-day break before continuing action against PSAC East schools in Millersville and West Chester on December 3 and 4.
IUP
IUP got wins over Cheyney and Shippensburg in PSAC crossover action this past weekend, improving to 3-0 on the season…IUP outscored its PSAC East rivals 161-98 over the weekend, beating Cheyney 83-25 and following that up with a 78-73 win at Shippensburg…The Crimson Hawks shot 55.0 percent (55-of-100) from the field in the two games, going 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) from three-point range…Fr. F Ashley Stoner had a game-high 19 points, going 5-of-7 from the field and 9-of-10 from the line, with seven rebounds in just 19 minutes of play…After building an 11-point second half lead at Shippensburg, IUP gave up a 14-0 run to the Raiders to fall down by three points with 14 minutes left…The Crimson Hawks then mounted a comeback and held off a late Ship rally for the five-point win…Sr. G Vianca Tejada came off the bench to score 19 points in 22 minutes for IUP.
Kutztown
The Golden Bears, who are now 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the PSAC, used significant efforts from their bench as they scored 39 points in its 90-57 loss to Gannon. Junior guard Ashley Wood finished with 16 points, recording her third game of the season with double figures in scoring … In its first win of the season, KU had three players reach double figures in scoring over the Golden Eagles.Kutztown was led by junior Ashley Wood who scored a game-high 19 points. Wood shot 7-for-12 from the field and hit three 3-pointers. Wood also added two steals and assists in the victory. Wood returns to the 2011-12 season as one the most experienced Golden Bears on the court and plans to keep leading her team as the season progresses … Junior Steph Zewe played a huge role in Kutztown's offense and defense. Zewe recorded her fourth career double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds … Sophomore Andrea Sisson recorded 13 points and was 6-for-11 from the field. She also added three assists.Kutztown's bench outscored Clarion's 26-5 and KU scored 16 points off turnovers.
Lock Haven
Peaches Nesmith had a big week for the Lock Haven University women’s basketball team as she led the team to a 1-1 record. Nesmith started out the week by scoring 14 points and adding four assists in a tough loss at Bloomsburg. She bounced back the next night to score 22 points on 8-12 field goals in a win over Mansfield. Nesmith finished the week averaging 18 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Mansfield
The Mansfield women opened their 2011-12 season by dropping a pair of PSAC crossover games to Lock Haven and defending PSAC Champions Edinboro at home this past weekend … senior guard, Mallory Moore, led the way for the Mounties with 15 points against Edinboro and had a game-high 24 points against Lock Haven … Moore continues to climb the Mansfield record books, her 1,097 career points ranks 9th in all-time scoring and is 13 points away from eclipsing Lynelle Mosely for 8th all-time … Moore currently ranks 7th in all-time steals (190) and rebounds (625).
Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst lost two road conference games over the weekend, falling at Millersville (62-48) and West Chester (67-57)...the Lakers were led by Lindsay Stamp in both games, as the freshman scored 18 points in each contest...Hurst led at Millersville, 24-22, at halftime, as senior Megan Hoffman hit three three-pointers in the first 20 minutes...Hoffman ended up with 14 points and five rebounds...against West Chester, the Lakers trailed by just at the half and then tied the game early in the second frame...Stamp hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to three in the final six minutes, but Hurst came no closer...Stamp finished with 18 points, including 4-9 shooting from long range...she also grabbed four steals...Mercyhurst hosts Kutztown in its home opener on December 3.
Millersville
Head coach Mary Fleig, in her 22nd year at Millersville, improved her season opener record to 18-4, 15-1 at home, with Saturday’s win. Millersville is now 4-1 all-time versus Mercyhurst with a three-game streak. Redshirt Junior Aurielle extended her consecutive games in double figures (18), with a rebound (42) with back-to-back double-doubles to start the season (her 20th and 21st career double-doubles). Mashira Newman extended her consecutive games scoring (53), starts/game played (30/62), in double figures (13), with an assist (41), with a rebound (60), with a steal (54). She also collected her fourth career double-double on Sunday. Newman also had a career-high four blocks against Slippery Rock on Sunday. Senior Sophia Waters leads the team with a made three-pointer in nine consecutive games.
Shippensburg
Shippensburg is 3-1 to start the season, including a 59-57 win over Cal...the victory over the Vulcans was SU's first since Feb. 19, 2007 and snapped SU’s seven-game losing streak in the series...Monae Baker is averaging a double-double through four games with 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest...Caitlin Bamberger is averaging 12.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game...Shawna Wert is averaging 14.3 points per game and is 26-of-28 from the free-throw line.
Slippery Rock
Slippery Rock is off to a 1-3 start this season after posting a win over Ursuline and losses on the road at Findlay, West Chester and Millersville ... Preseason All-PSAC selection Danielle Smith is leading the team with averages of 14.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game ... Newcomer Jasmine Cooper is also averaging double-double figures with 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game ... Sherita Stanley is scoring 9.3 ppg, while Erinne Cunningham is adding 8.8 ppg ... The Rock is scoring 61.2 ppg and allowing the opposition 73.0 ppg ... SRU is awaiting the return of key players Shannon Lee and Emilee Vitez from injury and transfer D’Asia Chambers, who becomes eligible Dec. 19.
West Chester
West Chester opened its season with three wins last week ... Ambreelinne Ortman averaged 15.0 ppg over the first week of the season ... she posted a career-high 20 points in WCU's opener at PhilaU ... WCU took 83 shots against PhilaU, marking the most in a single game since taking 88 last year in a 97-95 loss to Glenville St. ... it also marked just the third time since the 2007-08 season that WCU attempted more than 80 shots in a game.