Vermont Clinches Home #AEPlayoffs Game; Week #15 Awards Announced
BOSTON – Vermont extended its win streak to 11 games with a pair of victories and became the first #AEHoops team to clinch a home quarterfinal game in the 2020 Hercules Tires America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs. The top eight teams in the standings will earn #AEPlayoffs berths with the top four teams earning home quarterfinal games.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, Vermont (11-1) sits atop the standings, followed by Stony Brook (8-3), UAlbany (7-4), Hartford (7-5), UMBC (5-6), UMass Lowell (5-7), New Hampshire (4-7), Maine (3-9) and Binghamton (2-10).
The Catamounts and Seawolves will face off on Thursday in a game that will air on ESPNU. Stony Brook dealt UVM its lone league loss way back on Jan. 8, 81-77.
Check out the full #AEHoops men’s update for league standings, scores, notes and more: #AEHoops Men's Basketball Update
All season long, #AEHoops home games will air on ESPN+. View the full schedule
Here are the week #15 men’s basketball awards:
Player of the Week
Malik Ellison, Hartford – Sr., Forward, Voorhees, N.J.
- Averaged 20.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two games last week.
- Shot 58 percent from the field (18-of-31).
- Had 18 points and 19 rebounds in a win over UAlbany on Wednesday and 23 points and seven boards vs. UMass Lowell on Saturday.
- This is Ellison’s first career #AEHoops Player of the Week honor.
Rookie of the Week
Connor Withers, UMass Lowell – Fr., Forward, Manassas, Va.
- Averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a 2-0 week for UMass Lowell.
- Shot 54 percent (13-of-24) from the field and 60 percent from deep (6-of-10).
- Had 17 points and seven boards in a win over Maine on Wednesday and followed up with a career-high 20 points to go with six boards and three assists in a win at Hartford on Saturday.
- This is Withers’ second #AEHoops Rookie of the Week honor of the season (1/20).
Weekly Award Winners
Nov. 11 – Player of the Week: Christian Lutete, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: P.J. Hunter, Hartford
Nov. 18 – Player of the Week: Anthony Lamb, Vermont; Rookie of the Week: George Tinsley, Binghamton
Nov. 25 – Player of the Week: Sam Sessoms, Binghamton; Rookie of the Week: Brenton Mills, Binghamton
Dec. 2 – Player of the Week: Obadiah Noel, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: George Tinsley, Binghamton
Dec. 9 – Player of the Week: Elijah Olaniyi, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week: Moses Flowers, Hartford
Dec. 16 – Player of the Week: Ahmad Clark, UAlbany; Rookie of the Week: Trey Hutcheson, UAlbany
Dec. 23 – Player of the Week: Nick Guadarrama, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Miroslav Stafl, Hartford
Dec. 30 – Player of the Week: Elijah Olaniyi, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week: Miroslav Stafl, Hartford
Jan. 6 – Player of the Week: Obadiah Noel, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Moses Flowers, Hartford
Jan. 13 – Player of the Week: Elijah Olaniyi, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week: Brenton Mills, Binghamton
Jan. 20 – Player of the Week: Sergio El Darwich, Maine; Rookie of the Week: Connor Withers, UMass Lowell
Jan. 27 – Player of the Week: Cameron Healy, UAlbany; Rookie of the Week: George Tinsley, Binghamton
Feb. 3 – Player of the Week: Anthony Lamb, Vermont; Rookie of the Week: Moses Flowers, Hartford
Feb. 10 – Player of the Week: Chris Lester, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Trey Hutcheson, UAlbany
Feb. 17 – Player of the Week: Malik Ellison, Rookie of the Week: Connor Withers, UMass Lowell
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