Player and Defensive Player of the Week
Nkiru Awaka, Queens
Junior | F | Hyde Park, N.Y.
Awaka posted three double-doubles last week, averaging 17.0 points per game and 14.0 rebounds per game to go with 3.0 steals per game and 2.3 blocks per game. The Queens junior forward opened the week with 18 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, and one block against Adelphi on Tuesday to close the season-opening road trip. During the Knights’ Thanksgiving Invitational, Awaka posted 11 points, a season-high 15 rebounds, six steals, and three blocks to lead the Knights to a 54-49 victory over Franklin Pierce on Saturday. In a tight contest against Saint Anselm, Awaka recorded a season-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting (56.3 percent), 13 rebounds, three blocks, and one steal, including 18 second-half points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and one block, as Queens narrowly missed an upset.
For the week, Awaka totaled 51 points on 49.0 percent shooting from the field (20-of-41) and 73.0 percent shooting from the stripe (11-of-15) and 42 rebounds with nine steals and seven blocks in 87 minutes, averaging 29.0 minutes per game.
Rookie of the Week
Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Molloy
Freshman | C | Bronx, N.Y.
Ugbogbo dropped 14 points, 18 rebounds (12 defensive), four assists, and four blocks in 34 minutes in Molloy’s 69-51 win over Franklin Pierce, career-highs in all categories. Earlier in the week, the Molloy freshman posted eight points and seven rebounds against Pace and five points and nine rebounds against Saint Anselm.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Ne'vaeh Buntley, Daemen
Sophomore | F | Rochester, N.Y.
Buntley posted a career-high 27 points in Daemen's 66-61 win over No. 24 Holy Family on Sunday. She shot 55 percent (11-of-20) from the field with three three-pointers and added three rebounds, an assist, and a block.
Bailey Chapman, St. Thomas Aquinas
Redshirt Sophomore | G | Sparta, N.J.
Chapman averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game in two contests last week for STAC. The redshirt sophomore guard tallied 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and swiped two steals in 33 minutes in a road loss to East Stroudsburg before recording eight points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes in a home setback to Caldwell. She also shot 54.0 percent (7-for-13) from the field, 50.0 percent (3-of-6) from beyond the arc and a perfect 100.0 percent (8-of-8) from the foul line in that time frame.
Shonyae Edmonds, Staten Island
Junior | F | Albany, N.Y.
Edmonds led the Dolphins in scoring last week with 17.5 points per game. The CSI junior forward poured in 22 points with six rebounds and four steals against Southern Connecticut State and had 13 points with nine rebounds and two steals against Bentley.
Cecelia Lapertosa, Daemen
Senior | F | Whitesboro, N.Y.
Lapertosa posted 15 points in the Wildcats' 66-61 win over No. 24 Holy Family on Sunday. She also logged two blocks, two steals, and grabbed five rebounds. Lapertosa helped hold the Tigers to 35.0 percent shooting and their second-lowest point total this season.
Grace Lesko, Mercy
Junior | F | Northampton, Pa.
Lesko had a game-high 20 points, going 8-of-8 from the foul line with four rebounds and three steals as Assumption on Sunday.
Colleen McCullagh, Molloy
Senior | F | New Hyde Park, N.Y.
McCullagh has continued to pace the Lions' scoring, topping 20-points in her last four consecutive contests and averaging 22.6 points per game this week. The senior, who played in all but four minutes over the course of three games, shot over 46.0 percent from the field, sinking double-digit field goals in two contests. McCullagh began the week with 25 points (10-of-17 FG), six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal at Pace. Against Saint Anselm, the forward added 23 points and four rebounds before closing the week with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in a win over Franklin Pierce.
Alyssa Neumann, D’Youville
Freshman | F | Silverdale, Wash.
Neumann scored a career-high 20 points to lead the Saints to victory over Mansfield and added eight rebounds and two blocks.
Molly O’Toole, D’Youville
Freshman | G | Rochester, N.Y.
O’Toole racked up a career-best 19 points in the Saints’ win over Mansfield, shooting 70.0 percent (7-of-10 FG) and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from beyond the arc. The D’Youville freshman also led the team with nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
ECC Women's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Grace Lesko, Mercy
Nov. 24 - Cecelia Lapertosa, Daemen
Dec. 1 - Nkiru Awaka, Queens
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Aiyana Ellis, District of Columbia and Claire Pikett, Daemen
Nov. 24 - Cecelia Lapertosa, Daemen
Dec. 1 - Nkiru Awaka, Queens
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Molloy
Nov. 24 - Jada Mushat, Roberts Wesleyan
Dec. 1 - Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Molloy (2x)
1. Daemen - 81 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Mercy - 72 points
3. Staten Island - 51 points
4. D'Youville - 49 points
5. St. Thomas Aquinas - 41 points
6. District of Columbia - 37 points
7. Molloy - 36 points
8. Queens - 21 points
9. Roberts Wesleyan - 17 points