MAC Women's Basketball Players of the Week Announced
MAC East Co-Player of the Week:
Joanna Smith / Buffalo / Guard
Jr. / Southaven, Miss. / Southaven
Junior Joanna Smith continued to prove she is one of the best players in the conference this past week as she helped UB earn a perfect 3-0 mark and improve to 6-0 overall on the season, their best start to a season since 2000-01. The dynamic scorer averaged 19.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest while leading the Bulls in scoring in all three games. Smith had a career game on Sunday in the Bulls victory over ACC foe Clemson as she finished the game with a career-high 26 points on 10-for-18 from the floor and 4-for-7 from three-point range while also grabbing four rebounds. On Wednesday against Cornell, Smith had a solid night as she finished with 17 points and seven rebounds while leading the Bulls to the 59-41 victory. On Saturday, Smith went for 14 points, five rebounds and a season-high four assists as the Bulls downed UCF, 66-60. She has now scored in double figures in nine of her last 12 games for the Bulls. She leads UB in scoring this season as she is averaging 17.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
MAC East Co-Player of the Week:
Kiyanna Black / Ohio / Guard
Sr. / Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Afrocentric
Senior guard Kiyanna Black led Ohio offensively over the weekend at the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 27-28. In the Bobcats’ 63-56 victory over Big 10 opponent Indiana, Black led the team in scoring with 17 points, going 6-of-17 from the field and 3-of-12 from three-point range. She added three rebounds and one assist in her 24 minutes of action. Black also made both free throws in the victory. Ohio’s win against Indiana was the first victory against a Big 10 opponent since 1994. The following day against Vanderbilt in the tournament championship game, Black scored a season-high 25 points, going 8-of-16 from the field and 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. She added four rebounds and one steal in the Ohio’s 62-59 loss. Black was also 3-of-8 from the free throw line. Overall on the weekend, Ohio went 1-1 with Black scoring 42 points, grabbing seven boards and registering one assist and one steal. Black went 14-of-33 from the field and 9-of-25 from three-point range.
MAC West Player of the Week:
Jill Morrison / Ball State / Guard
Jr. / Winchester, Ind. / Winchester
Morrison helped the Cardinals to a 2-1 record last week after earning wins over Austin Peay and UMass. Ball State nearly knocked off Florida at the Omni Hotels Classic but fell short in the last minutes of play. Morrison started the week with a 14 point performance and played strong defensively with six steals against Austin Peay. She also scored 14 points against Florida before having her best shooting performance of the season Saturday in a win over UMass. Morrison chipped in 20 points on the night against the Minutewomen after going 6-of-9 from the field. She scored 13 of those points in the third quarter. The junior guard has scored in doubles figures in all five of Ball State’s games this season. She knocked down 11 three pointers and dished out 10 assists for the week while averaging 16.0 points per game.
Other Nominees:
Anita Brown / Akron / Guard
Sr. / Warren, Ohio / Warren Harding
Akron senior Anita Brown turned in a solid week for the Zips leading the squad in scoring averaging 23.5 points in two games for Akron. She connected on nearly 45 percent (.447) of her shots from the floor, while registering 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per contest.
In the Zips’ tilt with Northern Colorado, Brown recorded a game-high 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while pulling down a pair of rebounds.
She closed the weekend scoring 22 points on a 41-percent shooting night and snatched four rebounds and distributed three assists.
On the season, Brown is leading the Zips in scoring at 22.0 ppg and is connecting on better than 42 percent (.423) of her shots from the floor, 36.4 percent beyond the arc, while averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
Lauren Tibbs / Bowling Green / Center
Sr. / Taylor Mill, Ky. / Scott
Bowling Green senior center Lauren Tibbs led the Falcons in scoring and rebounding for the second-straight week, as BGSU split a pair of games at the UNCW Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic. Tibbs averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, and shot better than 70 percent from the field in the Falcons’ two games. Tibbs had 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in a narrow 60-56 loss to Davidson. Then, she went 6-of-8 from the field en route to 14 points, and had a double-double with 10 rebounds, vs. Jacksonville. Tibbs also had a pair of assists vs. JU, and scored back-to-back BG baskets in overtime to help the Falcons to a 72-69 win. On the season, Tibbs is averaging 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game, leading the Falcons in all three categories. She also leads the Falcons with a .581 field-goal percentage (25-of-43). The Falcons are 3-2 heading into a Wednesday (Dec. 2) home game vs. Evansville.
Jordan Korinek / Kent State / Forward
So. / Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Afrocentric
Korinek reached career-highs in both games this week, with 22 in a close battle with Minnesota and 28 in a win over Malone on Saturday afternoon. She led the team in scoring both nights while also leading the team in rebounds with a total of 15 through the two games. Korinek was near perfect at the free-throw line, making 8 out of 9 shots Tuesday and making all 3 attempts on Saturday. She also connected from three-point range on her only shot from beyond the arc. Korinek currently leads the team by averaging 17.4 points per game.
Molly McDonagh / Miami / Forward
So. / Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South
McDonagh did a little bit of everything on both sides of the floor in Miami’s two games this past week. She tied her career-high in both games, scoring 10 points. McDonagh had her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against EKU on Tuesday. She also had an assist and two steals in 34 minutes action. In the win over Morehead State on Sunday, McDonagh scored 10 with eight rebounds, a career-high five assists and three steals in 31 minutes of action.
Presley Hudson / Central Michigan / Guard
Fr. / Wayland, Mich. / Wayland Union
For the fifth-straight game Central Michigan’s Presley Hudson scored in double-figures as the freshman put up a combined 31 points in a pair of games last week for the Chippewas. In CMU’s 68-59 win over Loyola 12 of her 15 points came from beyond on the arc and she also added five steals and two assists. For the third time this season Hudson led the Chippewas in scoring (16), and assists (4), while also pulling down four boards against UIC. Over the two games she shot 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. Hudson leads Central Michigan in scoring averaging (19.2), 3-point field goal percentage (.436), free throws (.833) and steals (15).
Janay Morton / Eastern Michigan / Guard
Jr. / Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo
Eastern Michigan University junior Janay Morton helped pace the Eagles in an upset bid at No. 12/11 Kentucky, Nov. 25. Morton led the way with 21 points and a career-best nine rebounds was also distributing a team-best five assists. EMU was tied with UK at 39-all in the third quarter before the nationally-ranked Wildcats pulled away.
Ally Lehman / Northern Illinois / Guard
Jr. / Nineveh, Ind. / Indian Creek
In three games this week, Ally Lehman led the Huskies with 14.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists as NIU posted a 2-1 record. She scored in double-figures in both games of the SMU Thanksgiving Classic to earn All-Tournament honors. She scored a season-high 18-points against Kansas, going 7-of-13 from the field (.538) with seven rebounds and two assists, surpassing the 200 career assists mark. In the finale against Cal State Fullerton, she registered her second double-double of the season as she finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Lehman was a career-high 5-for-7 (.714) behind the three-point line in the game and 7-for-11 (.636) during the week of play beyond the arc.
Ana Capotosto / Toledo / Forward
Sr. / Saugatuck, Mich. / Saugatuck
Senior Ana Capotosto contributed a season- and team-high 15 points, seven caroms and one rejection in a season-best 34 minutes at St. Bonaventure on Sunday. Capotosto shot an efficient 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the field against the Bonnies, including 60.0 percent (3-of-5) from three-point range.
One of four Rockets to start all five games this season, Capotosto is averaging a team-tying best 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.6 steals in 26.6 minutes. She has scored in double figures in three-straight contests.
Teagan Reeves / Western Michigan / Forward
So. / Three Rivers, Mich. / Three Rivers
Reeves was a force on both offense and defense in the Broncos largest win of the season over IPFW. She led the team in points (14), blocks (4) and steals (2) and also grabbed seven rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. She had a very efficient day going 6-for-9 from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 at the free-throw line. She was a major factor in the points in the paint battle, which WMU won 42-20.
