WASHINGTON -- After setting the Saint Joseph's single game scoring record on Sunday, the Atlantic 10 Conference has named Saint Joseph's junior forward Laura Ziegler as its Under Armour Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Massachusetts freshman Yahmani McKayle was named the Under Armour Rookie of the Week for the second time this year. The awards were announced Monday and are for games played on February 3 -9.
Ziegler averaged 35 points, 8.5 rebounds, three assists for a 2-0 week for the Hawks. The Herlev, Denmark native posted a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double against Saint Louis before scoring a program record 43 points on 16-27 from the field and added seven rebounds in a win over Loyola Chicago. The junior's 43 points was the fourth time that a Hawk scored at least 40 points in the game, but the most ever scored by a SJU player. The 43 point mark also proved to be the second-most points scored by an Atlantic 10 player and the most since 1987 and tied for the 6th for most points in a single game in the country this season. Now a two-time Player of the Week, Ziegler set career-highs with 17 field goals and 26 field goal attempts, while her 65.4 percent shooting from the field was tied for 14th in program history among players who scored 30+ points in a game. This is Ziegler's second Player of the Week award, also winning on November 25.
McKayle averaged 17.5 points per game, three rebounds per game, four assists per game and 2.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for the Minutewomen. The Queens, N.Y. natuve scored 21 points with five assists, four revounds, one steal on 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-8 from three in the win over St. Bonaventure. The freshman then added 14 points, three assists and four steals this weekend against Davidson. This is McKayle's second Rookie of the Week award, also winning on December 9.
HONOR ROLL
Davidson's
Charlise Dunn helped lead Davidson to an undefeated 2-0 week with wins over Loyola Chicago (68-51) and UMass (56-38), averaging12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.5 apg, 3.0 spg and 1.5 bpg with a game-high 15 points against the Minutewomen making four 3's and grabbing six rebounds and four steals ... Wildcats rookie
Kyra Bruyndoncx started in both games averaging 9.5 ppg while shooting an efficient .438 from the floor and .625 from beyond the arc ... Duquesne's
Megan McConnell paced the Dukes last week, averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field ... Fordham's
Irene Murua led the Rams in made field goals (7-of-9), 3pts (4-of-4) and shot 5-of-7 from the free throw line while adding 5 rebounds, 3 assists and led with 23 points against GW and had 10 rebounds against George Mason ... La Salle's
Jolene Armendariz averaged 17.5 points per game for the Explorers against Richmond and Saint Louis, connecting on 12-22 shots from long range ... Richmond's
Maggie Doogan delivered a dominant performance this week, averaging 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over two games and posting back-to-back double-doubles, shooting an efficient 64.3% from the field, ranking second in the conference, and led all players in defensive rebounds with 11 per game to lead the Spiders to two dominant wins ... Bonnies rookie
Hannah Richardson averaged 12.0 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc.