Marist's Hand, St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) O'Donnell Snare Weekly Honors
MBWA Players of the Week (2-10 to 2-16) 2019-20 / Week 9
FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hand, O'Donnell Earn Weekly Honors
NEW YORK (Feb. 18, 2020) ---
Rebekah Hand of Marist in Division I and
Kelly O'Donnell of St. Joseph's-Brooklyn in Divisions II-III have been named Women’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
The designations, for games played Feb. 10-16, are unique in that they encompass players from 71 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
A 5-10 senior guard from Argyle, TX, Hand --- who also was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the week --- averaged 23.3 points on 56.8% shooting from the field along with 4.7 assists to help the Red Foxes move into first place in the league with three victories last week.
She began by posting a team-high 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a 63-58 triumph at second-place Rider. Back at home Hand scored 18 points and tied for the team lead with seven assists, all while recording no turnovers, in an 86-72 win over Canisius.
Hand concluded her week by erupting for a career-high matching 32 points on 82.4% shooting (14-of-17) in a 78-55 victory at Siena. Her 14 field goals represented the second-most in a single game by a Red Fox and her 1,885 career points to date now ranks second in program history and No. 12 all-time in the MAAC.
A 5-10 junior guard from Brooklyn, NY, O’Donnell --- who also was named Skyline Conference player of the week --- averaged 32.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 blocks to lead the Bears to a 111-74 victory at Yeshiva and 82-66 homecourt win over St. Joseph’s-Long Island.
She began by pouring in a career-high 40 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including five 3-pointers, against Yeshiva. O’Donnell matched the Maccabees in the first half by scoring 28 of her points before intermission, and overall added 15 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals.
O’Donnell ended her week by producing a team-high 24 points along with 13 rebounds against SJC-Long Island. She is 11th in the nation in scoring with 21.5 points per game and now has 1,440 career points.
Players receiving MBWA Women’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: Qadasha Hoppie, St. John’s; Abbey Hsu, Columbia; Stella Johnson, Rider; Courtney Warley, Manhattan.
Players receiving MBWA Women’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Kaleigh D’Arcy, U.S. Merchant Marine; Mac-Dege Dessources, York; Sarah Edmond, NJCU; Briana Lee, Felician; Joey Meyers, Drew; Sarah Olivero, Kean; Fallyn Stephens, Adelphi; Davida Warren, Old Westbury.
Previous MBWA 2019-20 Women’s Players of the Week: Dec. 10, Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham, Div. I; Lauren Schetter, Pace, Divs. II-III . . . Dec. 17, Stella Johnson, Rider, Div. I; Leonie Edringer, Adelphi, and Anna Zaborowska, Farmingdale, Divs. II-III . . . Dec. 24, Leilani Correa, St. John’s, Div. I; Melissa Sadler, St. Thomas Aquinas, Divs. II-III . . . Jan. 14, Alana Gilmer, Marist, Div. I; Nia Dawson, Baruch, Divs. II-III . . . Jan. 21, Stella Johnson, Rider, Div. I; Morina Bojka, Mount Saint Mary, Divs. II-III . . . Jan. 28, Stella Johnson, Rider, Div. I; Payce Lange, Kean, Divs. II-III . . . Feb. 4, Amari Johnson, Rider, Div. I; Lauren Hunter, U.S. Merchant Marine Acad., Divs. II-III . . . Feb. 11, Juana Camilion, Iona, and Kaela Hilaire, Stony Brook, Div. I; Jenny Walker, NYU, Divs. II-III.