WBB EAST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Haliegh Reinoehl, Akron
Forward, Senior, Westfield, Ind. (Westfield HS)
Senior Captain Haliegh Reinoehl turned in her best stretch of the season over the past three victories for the Zips. UA's forward averaged 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 47.9-percent from the floor and 76.9-percent from the free-throw line. Reinoehl scored a then season-best 22 points against North Carolina A&T and fell two rebounds shy of a double-double. On day one of the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic, Reinoehl recorded a career day scoring 26 points, shot 62.5-percent from the floor, knocked down three three-pointers, recorded a season-high four assists, and three rebounds. To close out the Classic and the 2019 non-conference schedule, Reinoehl again led the Zips to a win scoring a team-high 13 points.
WBB WEST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Micaela Kelly, Central Michigan
Guard, Junior, Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King)
Central Michigan junior guard Micaela Kelly remained red hot this past week as the Chippewas defeated in-state rival Oakland, 65-47 for their sixth-straight victory. The Detroit native finished with a team-best 23 points shooting 9-of-11 from the floor and was a perfect 2-of-2 on three-point attempts. She added two rebounds and a pair of steals defensively in the win. On the season, Kelly ranks No.2 in the MAC and No.6 in the NCAA averaging 22.7 points per contest. She ranks No.4 in the league in field goal percentage (.473) and three-point percentage (.417) respectively.
Other Nominees
Jasmin Samz, Ball State
Guard, Graduate Senior, Wausau, Wis. (Wausau)
Samz helped the Cardinals to a 3-0 record at the Lobo Invitational this past week. Ball State was the only undefeated at New Mexico. She helped Ball State take down Loyola Marymount in exciting fashion hitting some key shots that revived the Cardinals who were once down by 18 point at the half. With her help, BSU went on to defeat LMU by a score of 77-72. Samz finished that game with 13 points. On Thursday, the Cardinals won yet another close game against Providence. In true senior fashion, Samz got open and knocked down a 3-point basket to give Ball State a 52-51 lead over Providence with nine seconds remaining. Samz basket ended up being the game-winner for the Cardinals Thursday night in “The Pit”. Samz ended that game also with 13 points while also knocking down three 3-pointers. She also dished out five assists. Samz kept things rolling in the Cardinals final contest against host New Mexico. She knocked down a 3-pointer early on in the first frame to spark the Cardinals offense. Samz hit some key baskets along with way to keep Ball State on top of the Lobos. Samz reached double figures for the third-straight day with 11 points. Ball State would win by 13 (70-57) over New Mexico. For the week, Samz averaged 12.3 points in three games and went 7-of-8 (.875) from the charity stripe.
Caterrion Thompson, Bowling Green
Guard, Senior, Lima, Ohio (Lima Senior)
Bowling Green’s Caterrion Thompson averaged a team-leading 17.0 points per game as the Falcons suffered a pair of narrow road losses to Loyola Chicago and Purdue, two teams with a combined record of 17-3 entering the games. Thompson shot 50 percent from the floor, including a 5-for-12 (41.7%) rate from three-point land. She scored 16 points at Loyola Chicago, going 7-of-11 from the floor against the undefeated Ramblers. Then, at Purdue, Thompson had a team-high 18 points, adding four rebounds and a pair of steals. On the season, she is averaging a team-leading 15.4 points per game, along with 5.0 rebounds per contest. Thompson has scored in double digits in each of the first 11 games of the year, becoming only the fourth Falcon to do so in the last 26 years.
Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo
Guard, Freshman, Rochester, NY (Edison Tech)
Freshman Dyaisha Fair led the Bulls to a big win over Dayton on Tuesday night as she scored a game-high 27 points, while adding five rebounds, two assists and five steals. The Rochester, NY native currently ranks third in the nation in scoring at 23.8 points per game.
Areanna Combs, Eastern Michigan
Guard, Redshirt Junior, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City West)
Redshirt junior Areanna Combs has been electric for the Eagles this season, catapulting the EMU offense in each of the five games she has played. Against Illinois-Chicago, Dec. 18, Combs shot 6-of-11 (.545) from the floor, and added in five boards and two assists. Additionally, she racked up a career-best five steals. The win over UIC gave EMU consecutive wins for the first time this season. Her next game, against Detroit, was even more impressive. The Oklahoma City native was 7-of-13 for the floor, and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Her 22-point performance was her fifth consecutive in double-digits, and gave EMU its third straight win. Combs also racked up a career-best seven assists against Detroit. EMU has won three straight contests and heads into conference play with a 5-6 record.
Savannah Kluesner, Miami
Forward, Senior, St. Charles, Mo. (Lutheran)
Senior forward Savannah Kluesner reached 1,000 career points and recorded two double-doubles this past week as Miami beat Pittsburgh on the road and then won against Evansville at home. Kluesner reached 1,000 in the 72-64 win against Evansville as she tallied her second 20-point game and sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds. She led the game in points and rebounds while leading her team in assists (5) and blocks (3). Kluesner also had a double-double in the 80-71 win at Pittsburgh (16 points and 10 rebounds) as she led the game in rebounds, assists (5) and blocks (4). She currently leads the MAC in blocks (24) and ranks third in the conference with 8.7 rebounds per game.
Courtney Woods, NIU
Forward, Redshirt-Senior, Brisbane, Australia (St. Margaret's)
Courtney Woods became NIU's all-time leader in career three-pointers this week, making six in two games to pass Kylie York for first all-time with 281. Woods broke the record with her last two threes in NIU's 61-48 win over Eastern Illinois on December 19. She finished the game with five threes and a game-high 25 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Twenty of her 25 points came in the second half, as well as four of her three-pointers. On Friday night, Woods scored 11 points against SIU in the championship game of the Compass Challenge. Woods was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 18 points per game and shooting 40 percent from the three-point arc.
Nakiah Black, Toledo
Guard, Junior, Concord, N.C. (Forest Trail Academy)
Junior Nakiah Black averaged a team-high 17.5 points, a squad-best 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two games at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic on Dec. 19-20 in Las Vegas. Black shot 38.5 percent (10-of-26) from the field, including 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from beyond the arc, and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the free throw line in a squad-best 35.0 minutes per contest en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team. One of two Rockets to score in double figures in both neutral-site matchups, the two-time team captain opened with 12 points, a career-high 12 boards and four helpers vs. Troy on Thursday to post her first-collegiate double-double. The following afternoon vs. Pacific, she poured in a season-high 23 points, including a game-winning triple with 1:16 left in regulation. She scored at least 20 points for the second time this year and fifth occasion as a Rocket.
Breanna Mobley, Western Michigan
Forward, Redshirt Senior, Lansing, Mich. / Waverly
Redshirt Senior Breanna Mobley again led the Broncos with her seventh double-double of the season (36th career), tallying a season-high 23 points and a ten rebounds in WMU's win against Denver in the first game of the Puerto Rico Classic. She shot 7-for-7 from the free throw line with one steal and one block. Against Stony Brook the next day, she led the defense with nine rebounds, adding another block, a steal, and one assist.
