Albany’s Danielle Hutcheson (Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway) and Binghamton’s Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa./Cheltenham) share the Wilson Player of the Week award, while Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) of Hartford and Laura Sario (Espoo, Finland/Etela-Tapiolanlukio) of Binghamton split the Rookie of the Week honors. The accolades were announced on Monday (January 31).
Hutcheson helped the Great Danes record their first two-win week in America East play since February 2004. Hutcheson scored a game-high 15 points to go along with six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal as Albany upset first-place Hartford. The senior center followed that with a game-high 18 points as the Great Danes notched their first win over Boston U. in eight tries. Hutcheson added eight boards, four blocks, one assist and one steal. She moved into third on the school’s all-time scoring charts and now has 1,217 career points. Hutcheson also took over sole possession of third place on the school’s block charts with 108.
Laws scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds on Wednesday as the Bearcats upset conference-leading Vermont 69-64. It was the first time ever that the Bearcats had beaten the Catamounts. She then followed up with a 19-point, eight rebound performance on Saturday as the Bearcats defeated Northeastern 75-53. In the past six games, the Bearcats have gone 5-1 and Laws has averaged 14.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg during that span. She has also turned in a pair of double-doubles.
Freshman forward Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) averaged 14.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg as the Hawks split with Albany and Vermont last week. Hood scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the 79-66 win at Vermont on Saturday to keep the Hawks atop the America East standings. She also added nine points and four rebounds in Wednesday’s loss at Albany. The freshman shot 61 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free throw line last week. Hood ranks fourth on the team in scoring (8.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.6 rpg).
Sario continued her impressive season with 15 points, eight rebounds, a career-high five assists, one block and one steal against Northeastern on Saturday. Earlier in the week, she chipped in eight points, five rebounds and one assist in the Bearcats’ first ever win against Vermont. Sario has reached double figures in seven of the Bearcats’ last eight games.