BOSTON - Impressive individual accomplishments, as well as teams making their presence known on a national stage, highlighted the third week of women's hoops in the America East. Binghamton's Alyssa James set the single-game blocks record in the conference, while two student-athletes went for 30 points (Maine's Sigi Koizar and Vermont's Sydney Smith). Maine went 3-1 in a tough four-game week that featured wins over Missouri State and LSU, Albany fought fourth-ranked Tennessee to the final buzzer, and UNH is off to its best start since 2005-06 in an eventful week.
Here are the week three award winners:
Player of the Week
Sigi Koizar, Maine, Jr., G, Vienna, Austria
- Averaged 19.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in a 3-1 week for the Black Bears.
- Named to the Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team, helping Maine to wins over Missouri Valley favorite, Missouri State, and LSU.
- Scored 21 points on eight-of-13 shooting in a win over Central Connecticut State to start the week.
- Had a team-high 16 points in a loss to Dayton.
- Registered a career-high 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers, as Maine beat Missouri State.
- Finished the weekend with nine points and four rebounds in a win over LSU.
Rookie of the Week
Ogechi Anyagaligbo, Stony Brook, Fr., F, Miami, Fla.
- Averaged 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week for Stony Brook.
- Posted her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Columbia.
- Notched four points and five rebounds in a loss to Ole Miss.
- Hit seven-of -nine from the floor over the two games.
Notes
- Four America East teams are featured in the Mid-Major Top-25 released on Nov. 24, including Albany (13), Maine (RV), Stony Brook (RV) and Hartford (RV).
- Maine recorded its second win in program history over an SEC opponent, beating LSU, 52-41, to finish fifth in the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Black Bears also had a win over Missouri Valley favorite, Missouri State, in the tournament.
- UNH is off to its best start under head coach Maureen Magarity, starting 5-1 for the first time since 2005-06.
- Albany gave No. 4 Tennessee a good fight on the road before falling, 63-55. Shereesha Richards had a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards for the Great Danes.
- Sydney Smith scored a career-high 30 points for UVM while grabbing 11 rebounds in a loss to Quinnnipiac. The 30 points were the most for a Catamount since 2009.
- Binghamton’s Alyssa James broke the America East single-game record with nine blocks vs. Xavier. She also added 15 points and nine rebounds.
- Albany is one of only two teams in the country with two players averaging 20-plus points per game (Imani Tate, 21.2 ppg & Shereesha Richards, 20.2 ppg)
- The 13 field goals by Albany’s Shereesha Richards vs. Rhode Island on Nov. 22 were the most for any player at the Ryan Center in the history of the building.
- UNH senior guard Elizabeth Belanger scored her 1,000th career point as the Wildcats lost a hard-fought contest, 67-60, to Penn on Nov. 22
- Albany is receiving votes in the Coaches’ Poll. The last America East team to be ranked in either the coaches’ or AP poll was Hartford on March 1, 2010 at No. 24 in the AP poll. The Hawks were also ranked in the Coaches’ Poll that same season. Vermont is the only other program to earn a national ranking. The Catamounts were No. 24 in the AP poll in 2010 and also ranked in 1993.
Weekly Award Winners
Nov. 16 - Player of the Week: Deanna Mayza, Hartford; Rookie of the Week: Rebecca Carmody, Binghamton
Nov. 23 - Player of the Week: Imani Tate, Albany; Rookie of the Week: Ogechi Anyagaligbo, Stony Brook
Nov. 30 - Player of the Week: Sigi Koizar, Maine; Rookie of the Week: Ogechi Anyagaligbo, Stony Brook