MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Micaela Kelly, Central Michigan
Guard, Senior, Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King)
Central Michigan senior guard Micaela Kelly turned in a pair of dominant outings this past week as the Chippewas gathered a pair of victories over Miami (OH) and Kent State. The Detroit native averaged 36 points over the two-game stretch while shooting 63.3 percent (24-of-38) from the floor and 60 percent (9-of-15) from three-point distance. She also finished the week with an 83.3 percent (15-of-18) mark from the charity stripe while averaging 5.5 boards and 4.5 assists per contest. In Wednesday's 81-78 road victory over the RedHawks, Kelly poured in a season-high 37 points shooting 13-of-22 from the field and 4-of-9 from behind the arc to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. In Saturday's 84-71 home win over the Golden Flashes, she notched a team-high 35 points on an 11-of-16 shooting performance which included a 5-of-6 mark from long range. On the season, Kelly ranks No.3 in MAC and No.8 in the NCAA averaging 23.7 points per game.
Other Nominees
Cece Hooks, Ohio
Guard, Senior, Dayton, Ohio (Thurgood Marshall)
Cece Hooks was phenomenal in a week where she became Ohio's second 2,000 point scorer. In Ohio's blowout win over Ball State, Hooks had 22 points in 28 minutes on the floor. Hooks then added 29 points on 11-of-26 shooting in OU's victory over WMU. Hooks averaged 25.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, six assists and 2.5 steals per game over Ohio's two wins.
Nila Blackford, Kent State
Forward, Sophomore, Louisville, Ky. (Dupont Manual)
Nila Blackford stepped up in a rare three-game week during the MAC season for Kent State with averages of 17.0 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. Blackford posted a double-double in all three contests and led the Golden Flashes to a +13.0 rebounding margin. She started the busy week with 15 points and 13 rebounds in an overtime victory over Toledo on Monday. Blackford, who led all players with 23 points and 13 rebounds, scored clutch baskets in the closing minutes of regulation and overtime during a memorable first-place showtime with Bowling Green on Wednesday. Her three-point field goal tied the game with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter and sent the game to overtime with a putback in the line with 8.8 seconds showing on the clock. Down a point as the extra session neared a close, Blackford scored on a strong post move across the lane for a 79-78 lead with 10.7 seconds to play. The Flashes traveled to Central Michigan on Saturday, and Blackford finished with 13 points and a game-high 12 boards.
Oshlynn Brown, Ball State
Forward, Senior, Chillicothe, Ohio (Chillicothe)
Senior forward Oshlynn Brown became only the second player in Ball State women’s basketball history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She pulled down her 1,000th rebound Saturday at Miami with a defensive board in the third quarter at the 6:48 mark to reach the milestone. She finished the day with 28 points and 10 rebounds for her 43rd double-double of her career. Brown started the three-game Mid-American Conference week out strong for Ball State tallying 28 points and 15 rebounds last Monday against Northern Illinois while also reaching doubles figures against Ohio Wednesday. After this week’s competition, Brown now has 1,002 career rebounds and 1,358 points for her career. For the week, Brown averaged 22.0 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting over 60 percent from the field and the free throw line.
Nyla Hampton , Bowling Green
Guard, Freshman, Huber Heights, Ohio (Wayne)
Bowling Green’s Nyla Hampton tied for the team scoring lead as the Falcons won their lone game of the week. BGSU went on the road and defeated then first-place Kent State, 80-79 in overtime, to move into first place themselves. Hampton had 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal, and she also had a blocked shot, which came at the overtime buzzer after BG had taken the lead with just 2.0 seconds to go.
Quinesha Lockett, Toledo
Guard, Sophomore, Omaha, Neb. (Benson)
Sophomore Quinesha Lockett had an excellent week for the Rockets, averaging 26.0 points per game across three contests last week. Lockett also averaged 4.7 rebounds per game and 4.7 assists per game. She recorded at least 20 points in all three games and shot at least 50% from the field in all three games as well. At Kent State on Monday she tallied her second 30-point game of the season, pouring in 31 points (on 12-24 shooting to go with five assists. Against Buffalo on Wednesday, Lockett registered 21 points and three steals, shooting 57.1% from the floor (8-14). In the Rockets' win at Akron on Saturday, the sophomore led the way with 26 points and seven rebounds, shooting 57.9% (11-19) including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Taylor Williams, Western Michigan
Forward, Redshirt Freshman, New Baltimore, Mich. (Dakota)
It was a historic week for redshirt freshman Taylor Williams who led the Broncos to a 1-1 record on the week while averaging 20.0 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. Williams on the week shot 51.4 percent from field and had 2.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per contest. On Wednesday against Akron, Williams tied a school record with 21 rebounds, to go along with a career-high 30 points. The 21 rebounds tied a school record set back in 1995 while Williams became the 3rd player in the NCAA this season to have a 30-point, 20-rebound performance. Williams’ 21 rebounds against Akron was the 4th most in a single-game in Mid-American Conference history. Williams scored a career-high 30 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field, the 14 made field goals was tied for the 3rd most in a single-game in school history. Williams followed up that performance with another double-double at Ohio with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Williams was 5-of-14 from the field against the Bobcats while having three blocks and one steal in 29 minutes.
Chelby Koker, NIU
Guard, Sophomore, Racine, Wis. (Shoreland Lutheran)
Chelby Koker averaged 27 points, four rebounds, three steals and 3.5 assists per game this week as NIU defeated Ball State and Buffalo to extend the MAC's longest winning streak to five games. Last Monday, Koker scored a career-high 34 points in the Huskies' 78-74 win at Ball State. She also tied a career-high with six steals. Koker was 12-for-19 from the field with six threes and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She led NIU with 20 points in Saturday's 81-75 win over Buffalo. Over the last five games, Koker is averaging 22.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 92.3 percent from the foul line and 45.8 percent from the field.
Peyton Scott, Miami
Guard, Sophomore, Lynchburg, Ohio
Peyton Scott averaged 35.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game over the past week. She also shot 53.7% from the floor and 53.8% from behind the arc in contests versus Central Michigan and Ball State. Scott matched a Millett Hall record with 39 points against BSU last Saturday. The sophomore added six rebounds and four assists versus the Cardinals. Prior to that, she had 31 points and seven rebounds against the Chippewas.
Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo
Guard, Sophomore, Rochester, NY (Edison Tech)
Buffalo sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair did it all for the Bulls this week averaging 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game while shooting 89% from the charity stripe. Fair scored 18 of her 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Bulls to a road win over Toledo on Wednesday before scoring a team high 18 points to go with five rebounds, six assists and six steals. The Rochester, NY native is currently ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (24.3 ppg) and also ranks in the top 25 in free throws made (102) and attempted (127), assists (90), steals (48), field goals made (118), three point field goals made (47) and final points (413). She has scored in double figures 16 times this season, 14 times with 20 or more points, three times with 30+ points and is one of 11 players in all of Division I to have a recorded a triple-double."
