Player of the Week
Starrell Hearns, St. Thomas Aquinas
Redshirt Junior | G | Carteret, N.J.
Hearns averaged 26.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game in two contests last week for STAC. The redshirt junior guard tallied 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and swiped three steals in 18 minutes in a 104-74 home win against Molloy before recording 27 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 25 minutes in a 107-72 road victory over Queens. Starrell shot 57.6 percent (19-33) from the field and 50 percent (8-16) from beyond the arc.
Defensive Player of the Week
Jared Weakly, Molloy
Junior | F | Valley Stream, N.Y.
Weakly helped anchor the Molloy defense in a 1-1 week. On Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas, the junior brought down nine defensive rebounds on top of blocking six shots and swiping two steals. In Saturday's victory over Mercy, Weakly set a single-game program record nine blocks while totaling a double-double where he netted 21 points and brought down 13 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the floor (9-of-14). To cap the week, Weakly averaged 14.5 points, 11 rebounds, 7.5 blocks, and two steals per game.
Rookie of the Week
Oliver Spence, District of Columbia
Freshman | G | Slovakia, Europe
Spence turned in an efficient and impactful performance to help lead the Firebirds to an 85–74 victory over Roberts Wesleyan. The freshman scored 16 points on an impressive 7-of-9 shooting from the field, showcasing his efficiency and scoring touch. Spence also contributed five rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and one steal, impacting the game on both ends of the floor
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Zach Philipkoski, Daemen
Junior | G | New Hartford, N.Y.
Zach Philipkoski averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 50% from the field (12-for-24) and 47% from three-point range (8-for-17) during a 1-1 week for Daemen. Philipkoski netted 21 points and grabbed eight boards in a loss last Wednesday at No. 10 Gannon - Daemen's first loss this season, and first in regular season play since Feb. 9, 2024. It marked his ninth 20-point outing of the season. He followed up with 16 points, seven boards and five assists to lead Daemen past crosstown rival D'Youville on Saturday, winning 90-65. Philipkoski continues to be one of the top players in the ECC this season, ranking fifth in scoring (18.0 ppg), sixth in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and seventh in assists (3.4 apg) and first in three-point percentage (.417) among the league leaders.
Justin Glover, Daemen
Senior | G | Buffalo, N.Y.
Justin Glover scored a game-high 18 points, including the 1,000th of his career, while leading Daemen to a 90-65 win over D'Youville on Saturday afternoon. Glover's milestone moment came on a fastbreak layup in the second half, becoming just the 30th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Michael Harrell, District of Columbia
Graduate Student | SG | Laurel, Md.
Harrell led the Firebirds to a 85–74 victory over Roberts Wesleyan, delivering a dominant all-around performance. Harrell finished with a game-high 24 points, shooting an efficient 8-of-12 from the field, while also contributing eight rebounds and five assists. His ability to score at all three levels while facilitating offense and impacting the game on the glass was instrumental in UDC’s offensive rhythm and overall success.
Kohen Rowbatham, Mercy
Sophomore | G | Slidell, La.
Rowbatham averaged a team-high 22.5 points per game with 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in two games for the Mavericks. The guard opened the week with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds, two steals and one assist against Queens on Wednesday. The sophomore ended the week with a team-high 24 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists at Molloy on Saturday.
Chase Timberlake, Molloy
Freshman | G | Baldwin, N.Y.
Timberlake continued to grow this week for Molloy. The freshman totaled a career-high 26 points while shooting 61 percent from the floor (11-of-18 ) and securing nine rebounds on Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas. On Saturday against Mercy, the rookie collected 10 points and eight rebounds in the 81-56 triumph. On the week, Timberlake averaged 18 points, 8.5 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Eric Tynes, Staten Island
Senior | G/F | Springfield, Mass.
The senior led all scorers in the lone game for the Dolphins in the week with 19 points while notching five threes. He shot 54% (7-13) from the field and and 45% (5-11) from behind the arc to lead the charge against the Red Hawks. Additionally, he posted five rebounds for third highest on the team in the day.
Aaron Goldstein, Staten Island
Junior | G | Staten Island, N.Y.
Finished second on the team with 18 points in the win over Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday. He was tied for first on the team with 5 three pointers made and shot 50% (5-10) from behind the arc. Additionally, he filled the stat sheet with five rebounds, five assists (most on the team) and two steals.
Derrick James, St. Thomas Aquinas
Senior | G | Columbus, Ohio
James averaged 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in two contests last week for STAC. The senior guard tallied 16 points, including his 1000th career point, grabbed three rebounds, dished out 13 assists and swiped a steal in 26 minutes in a 104-74 home win against Molloy before recording 13 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals in 26 minutes in a 107-72 road victory over Queens. Derrick shot 52.2 percent (12-23) from the field, 50 percent (3-6) from beyond the arc and 100.0 percent (2-2) from the foul line.
ECC Men's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Nov. 24 - Aaron Goldstein, Staten Island and Zach Philipkoski, Daemen
Dec. 1 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen (2x)
Dec. 8 - Elisha Warren, D'Youville
Dec. 15 - Zach Philipkoski, Daemen (2x)
Dec. 22 - Aaron Goldstein, Staten Island (2x)
Jan. 5 - Justin Hemphill, Daemen
Jan. 12 – Zach Philipkoski, Daemen (3x)
Jan. 19 – Aaron Goldstein, Staten Island (3x)
Jan. 26 - Starrell Hearns, St. Thomas Aquinas
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Ryan Heath, Daemen
Nov. 24 - Benjamin Bill, Daemen
Dec. 1 - Tahj-Malik Campbell, Queens
Dec. 8 - Justin Hemphill, Daemen
Dec. 15 - Justin Hemphill, Daemen (2x)
Dec. 22 - Justin Hemphill, Daemen (3x)
Jan. 5 - Ryan Heath, Daemen (2x)
Jan. 12 - Phil Nwugwo, Daemen
Jan. 19 – Zach Philipkoski, Daemen
Jan. 26 - Jaren Weakly, Molloy
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Henri Mennander, Queens
Nov. 24 - Ky Panda-Massey, St. Thomas Aquinas
Dec. 1 - Henri Mennander, Queens (2x)
Dec. 8 - Lashard Lowry, Jr., D'Youville
Dec. 15 - Sean Reynolds, D'Youville
Dec. 22 - Henri Mennander, Queens (3x)
Jan. 5 – Chase Timberlake, Molloy
Jan. 12 – Chase Timberlake, Molloy (2x)
Jan. 19 – Sean Reynolds, D’Youville (2x)
Jan. 26 - Oliver Spence, District of Columbia
1. Daemen - 81 points (9 first-place votes)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas - 69 points
3. Staten Island - 54 points
4. Queens - 48 points
5. Roberts Wesleyan - 45 points
6. D'Youville - 42 points
7. District of Columbia - 24 points
8. Molloy - 22 points
9. Mercy - 20 points