Player of the Week
Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island
Senior | F | Troy, NY
Alarcon led Staten Island to a pair of conference wins this week behind averages of 15.0 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. In Wednesday’s 60-58 win over Mercy, the CSI senior registered 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals before dropping her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 57-44 win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday.
Defensive Player of the Week
Nkiru Awaka, Queens
Sophomore | F | Hyde Park, NY
Awaka averaged 14.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game and posted two double-doubles over three games played in Queens’ 1-2 week. The Queens sophomore forward began the week with season-best 23 points on a scorching 75.0 percent (9-of-12 FG) shooting clip to go with 10 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals in the 62-41 victory over Georgian Court (five defensive) on Monday afternoon. Against D’Youville on Friday evening, Awaka recorded seven points, eight rebounds (five defensive), five blocks, and one steal before concluding the weekend with her fourth double-double of the year with 13 points (6-of-8 FG) to go with 17 rebounds (eight defensive) and two steals against Daemen on Sunday afternoon.
Rookie of the Week
Grace Lesko, Mercy
Sophomore | F | Northampton, PA
Lesko averaged a team-high 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on 50.0 percent shooting with 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The sophomore opened the week with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and one block against Staten Island on Wednesday. The forward ended the week with a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds on 11-of-20 shooting with two blocks and two assists in the 80-66 win over District of Columbia on Saturday.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Angelina Barrera, Mercy
Junior | F | Gloucester City, NJ
Barrera averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game on 50.0 percent shooting as Mercy went 1-1 on the week. The junior opened the week with seven points, four rebounds and one block against Staten Island on Wednesday. The forward ended the week with a season-high-tying 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the win over UDC on Saturday.
Danielle DiCintio, Daemen
Graduate Student | G | Somers, NY
DiCintio led the Wildcats offensively on their 2-0 weekend with 31 points (15.5 points per game) while shooting 11-of-23 from the field and 8-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Daemen graduate student guard added 11 rebounds (5.5 rebounds per game), eight assists, and two steals. DiCintio led the ‘Cats with 20 points off of six triples and a lay-up in Daemen's 20-point win over Queens on Sunday.
Syrita Faraj, St. Thomas Aquinas
Senior | G/F | Troy, NY
Playing one of two Spartans’ contests last week, Faraj recorded her third straight double-double and eighth of the season with a game-high 30 points and a game-high 18 rebounds (15 defensive) in STAC’s 78-65 loss to UDC on Wednesday. The senior guard/forward also tallied three assists and a steal in 40 minutes of action against the Firebirds. Faraj shot 48.0 percent (10-of-21) from the field, 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from beyond the arc, and 75.0 percent (6-of-8) from the charity stripe.
Anna Jankovic, D’Youville
Senior | G/F | Averill Park, NY
Jankovic averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game in two games for D'Youville this weekend. The DYU senior guard/forward recorded her fifth double-double of the season on Sunday against Molloy, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. In Friday's win over Queens, she scored a team-high 13 points, grabbed six rebounds, and recorded two steals.
Laci Johnson, District of Columbia
Senior | G | Herndon, VA
Johnson averaged 26.0 points per game, shooting 41.7 percent from the field in a 1-1 week for the Firebirds. In the win over STAC, Johnson scored a season-high 27 points while pulling two rebounds and dishing out two assists. In the loss to Mercy, she scored a team-high 25 points with three rebounds and two steals.
Cecilia Lapertosa, Daemen
Junior | F | Whitesboro NY
Lapertosa totaled 22 rebounds (11.0 rebounds per game) and 27 points (13.5 points per game) in Daemen's 2-0 weekend with wins over Molloy and Queens. The junior forward notched her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 16 rebounds (seven defensive) against Molloy on Friday night. She finished with six assists, four steals and two blocks on the weekend.
Rosa Rizzitelli, Molloy
Junior | G | Derby, CT
Rizzitelli put together three 10-plus point performances in a 2-1 week for the Lions. The junior kicked off the week collected a double-double, netting a career-high 22 points and securing 11 rebounds in Molloy's overtime win over Caldwell. In Molloy’s ECC victory over D'Youville, Rizzitelli totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, and a game-high three steals. On the week, Rosa averaged 15 points and seven rebounds while adding five steals.
ECC Women's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island
Nov. 18 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island (2x) and Georgia Haverlock, Roberts Wesleyan
Nov. 25 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island (3x)
Dec. 2 - Samantha Muller, Molloy
Dec. 9 - Cecilia Lapertosa, Daemen
Dec. 16 - Danielle DiCintio, Daemen
Dec. 23 - Ashley Chio, Queens
Jan. 6 - Syrita Faraj, St. Thomas Aquinas
Jan. 13 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island (4x)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island
Nov. 18 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island (2x)
Nov. 25 - Jenalyse Alarcon, Staten Island (3x)
Dec. 2 - Sajol Thornhill, Queens
Dec. 9 - Cecilia Lapertosa, Daemen
Dec. 16 - Claire Pikett, Daemen
Dec. 23 - Nkiru Awaka, Queens
Jan. 6 - Angelina Barrera, Mercy
Jan. 13 - Nkiru Awaka, Queens (2x)
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11 - Allie Hall, D'Youville
Nov. 18 - Samantha Ruhlman, D'Youville
Nov. 25 - Aliviya Vallone Russell, D'Youville
Dec. 2 - Ashley Chio, Queens
Dec. 9 - Grace Lesko, Mercy
Dec. 16 - Ashley Chio, Queens (2x)
Dec. 23 - Ashley Chio, Queens (3x)
Jan. 6 - Grace Lesko, Mercy (2x)
Jan. 13 - Grace Lesko, Mercy (3x)
Previously in the Polls
WBCA TOP 25 COACHES POLL
Preseason: Daemen (RV)
Week 1 (11/19): --
Week 2 (11/26): --
Week 3 (12/3): --
Week 4 (12/10): --
Week 5 (12/17): --
Week 6 (12/31): --
Week 7 (1/7): --
Week 8 (1/14): --
D2CSC TOP 25 MEDIA POLL
Preseason (11/5): Daemen (RV)
Week 1 (11/12): --
Week 2 (11/19): --
Week 3 (11/26): --
Week 4 (12/3): --
Week 5 (12/10): --
Week 6 (12/17): --
Week 7 (1/7): --
Week 8 (1/14): --
D2CSC TOP 10 EAST REGION MEDIA POLL
Preseason (11/4): Daemen (4), Mercy (5)
Week 2 (11/11): Mercy (5), Daemen (9), Molloy (RV)
Week 3 (11/18): Mercy (7), Molloy (RV)
Week 3 (11/25): Daemen (10), Mercy (RV), Molloy (RV)
Week 4 (12/2): Daemen (10), Molloy (RV), Mercy (RV)
Week 5 (12/9): Daemen (10)
Week 6 (12:16): Daemen (9)
Week 7 (1/6): Daemen (10), Mercy (RV)
Week 8 (1/13): Daemen (8)
NCAA EAST REGION POLL
ECC PRESEASON POLL
1. Mercy - 76 points (5 first-place votes)
2. Daemen - 71 points (3 first-place votes)
3. District of Columbia - 60 points (1 first-place vote)
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 52 points
5. Staten Island - 43 points
6. Molloy - 30 points
7. Queens - 29 points
8. D'Youville - 27 points
9. Roberts Wesleyan - 17 points