Senior Heather Ernest (Temple, Maine/Mt. Blue) of Maine and junior Danielle Hutcheson (Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway) of Albany share this week’s Wilson Player of the Week honor, while Stony Brook’s Jessica Smith (Butler, N.J./Butler) receives her third straight Wilson Rookie of the Week honor.
Ernest averaged 18.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg on the week while leading the Black Bears to a pair of victories which clinched the top seed for the 2004 Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Women’s Basketball Championship and at least a share of the regular season conference crown. The 6-1 forward scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and went 8-of-9 at the line to lead Maine to a 67-64 win over Boston University. She scored 19 of her 26 points in the second half, helping the Black Bears overcome an eight-point halftime deficit. Maine has won 30 straight regular season league games and 14 straight overall.
Hutcheson continued to be the spark of the surging Great Danes of Albany as she tallied averages of 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg. The 6-4 center recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 21 points and a team-high 12 rebounds in UA’s win over Stony Brook. She shot an impressive 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the field on the week. The Great Danes have won two straight and five of their last six.
Smith averaged 15.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg, while shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field. The 6-0 freshman tallied two double-doubles on the week, upping her season total to seven. In an overtime loss to Albany, Smith had 14 points and 11 boards before notching 17 points and 14 rebounds at Binghamton.