MAC WBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Peyton Scott, Miami
Guard, So., Lynchburg (Lynchburg-Clay)
Peyton Scott averaged 35.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4.5 steals, shot 61.4 percent (27-of-44) from the floor and was 15-of-16 (93.8 percent) from the free throw line over the past week. Versus Western Michigan she scored a career-high 37 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the RedHawks to a 73-64 win. She followed that up with a 34 point performance in a two-point loss at MAC leading Kent State.
Other Nominees
Cece Hooks, Ohio
Guard, Senior, Dayton, Ohio (Thurgood Marshall)
Cece Hooks averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, six assists and five steals last week. In Ohio's win over Kent State, Hooks did it all, scoring 29 points, a season-high nine assists, and tied a season-high with seven steals
Kadie Hempfling, Bowling Green
Forward, Junior, Ottawa, Ohio (Ottawa-Glandorf)
Bowling Green’s Kadie Hempfling shot over 50 percent from the field and from the arc last week. Hempfling averaged a team-leading 15.5 points per game and hit 11 of her 20 shots from the field (55%). She knocked down 9-of-16 shots from three-point range (56.3%) in BG’s two games, vs. Northern Illinois and Ohio. On Wednesday at NIU, Hempfling made a career-high six three-point field goals and had 18 points at NIU, adding four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Three days later, Hempfling’s well-rounded stat line in BG’s win over Ohio included 13 points, nine boards, four assists and four steals. She is averaging 11.9 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds per game this season
Oshlynn Brown, Ball State
Forward, Senior, Chillicothe, Ohio (Chillicothe)
Brown opened the week scoring a team high 25 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for her 40th double-double of her career. Brown helped lead the Cardinals to a 69-66 victory at Central Michigan Wednesday. Brown continued to dominate both offensively and defensively for the Cardinals against Akron Saturday as she finished the game with 29 points and tied her career high in rebounds with 19. Brown had 21 defensive boards this week. Her aggressive moves to the basket sent her to the line 31 times. The senior forward that gets most of her points from inside the paint nailed one from behind the arc at CMU. For the week, Brown averaged another double-double with 27.0 points and 15.0 rebounds while also dishing out a total of 10 assists. For her career, Brown has 970 rebounds and needs 30 to reach 1,000. She will become only the second player in program history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Jordyn Dawson, Akron
Forward, Senior, Huntington, W.Va.
Akron senior Jordyn Dawson turned in a dominate week for the Zips averaging 25.0 points, 7.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals in a pair of contests. She finished the week shooting 50 percent (18-for-36) from the field, 3-for-5 (.600) from beyond the arc, and a perfect 11-of-11 at the free throw line. Dawson scored a career-high 34 points, including 10 in overtime, to propel the Zips to an 89-84 triumph past Ball State on Saturday, Feb. 6. Dawson's career day lifted the Zips to their first road win over the Cardinals since Feb. 15, 2014, as she scored a game- and career-high 34 points, while pulling down a team-best 10 rebounds, while dishing out a game-high seven assists. She sealed the victory with her shooting touch at the charity stripe where she was a perfect 11-for-11, including 6-of-6 in overtime. Dawson paced the Zips with 14 first-half points, before scoring 10 points in the third quarter to allow Akron to outscore the Cardinals in the period, 21-12, to enter the final stanza leading by one, 58-57. Dawson led the offensive charge for Akron against Buffalo registering a team-high 16-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist and three-steal performance. It was an offensive avalanche for Akron in the opening period as the Zips rained down triples on the offensive end and hit eight of their first 14 shots en route to a 20-4 edge less than seven minutes into the contest. Dawson's passing set up numerous scoring chances as she tallied four assists in the opening 10 minutes.
Nila Blackford, Kent State
Forward, Sophomore, Louisville, Ky. (Dupont Manual)
Nila Blackford helped Kent State remain atop the conference standings by averaging 16.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Blackford registered her fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Golden Flashes past Miami on Saturday. Playing for the first time in 25 days at Ohio on Wednesday, Blackford totaled 9 points, 9 rebounds and a career-best 4 steals.
Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo
Guard, Sophomore, Rochester, NY (Edison Tech)
In Buffalo's lone game of the week, sophomore Dyaisha Fair led the Bulls to a comeback win at Akron on Wednesday, scoring 24 points to go along with three rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Rochester, NY native was named a top 10 finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award and was named to the late season watch list for the Dawn Staley Award last week. Fair has played and started in all 15 games this season, leading the way in scoring with 24.4 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 5.2 assists per contest and a +1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. She is one of three players in the country who are averaging at least 20 points and five assists per game. Fair is currently ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (24.4 ppg) and also ranks in the top 25 in free throws made (86) and attempted (109), assists (78), steals (40), field goals made (118), three point field goals made (44) and final points (366). She has scored in double figures 14 times this season, 13 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.
Molly Davis, Central Michigan
Guard, Sophomore, Midland, Mich. (Dow)
Central Michigan sophomore guard Molly Davis continued a torrid pace this past week as the Chippewas split their games with a loss to Ball State and a victory at Western Michigan. The Midland, Mich., native averaged 22.5 points over the two-game stretch shooting 47.1 (16-of-34) percent from the floor and 62.5 (10-of-16) percent from three-point distance. She also chipped in on the glass averaging 5.5 boards per game while recording a block and three steals. In Wednesday's 69-66 loss to the Cardinals, Davis led the team with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting including a 5-of-10 mark from behind the arc. In Saturday's 74-71 road rivalry win over the Broncos, Davis poured in a team-best 27 points on a 7-of-14 performance from the field and went 5-of-7 on her three-point attempts. Trailing 71-67 with 1:23 left in the game, Davis came through in the clutch as she knocked down a triple to pull the Chippewas to within one. After a go-ahead basket, Davis helped seal the comeback as she converted a pair of free throws with 17 seconds on the clock. On the season, Davis ranks No.6 in the MAC and No.31 in the NCAA averaging 20 points per contest. She is also second in the league with a 50.0 field goal percentage.
Chelby Koker, NIU
Guard, Sophomore, Racine, Wis. (Shoreland Lutheran)
Chelby Koker scored all 15 of her points in the second half of NIU's 79-78 come-from-behind win over Bowling Green Wednesday night. The Huskies rallied from 20 points down in the third quarter to earn their second win over the Falcons this season. Koker added five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block. She has led NIU in scoring in each of the last five games. Koker leads the MAC in free throw percentage at 92.6 percent, which puts her seventh in the country.
Taylor Williams, Western Michigan
Forward, Redshirt Freshman, New Baltimore, Mich. (Dakota)
Over the past week redshirt freshman Taylor Williams averaged a double-double for Western Michigan women’s basketball last week with 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Over the week, Williams also shot 50 percent from the field and averaged 2.0 steals per contest. On the road on Wednesday at Miami, Williams scored 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field to go along with 12 rebounds. Of Williams’ 12 rebounds, four came on the offensive glass. On Saturday at home against in-state rival Central Michigan, Williams produced her second double-double of the week with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Against CMU, Williams was 6-of-10 from the field and has one three-pointer, one assist and two steals.
