MAC Women's Basketball Players of the Week Announced
MAC East Player of the Week:
Anita Brown / Akron / Guard
Sr. / Warren, Ohio / Warren Harding
Senior Anita Brown turned in a strong week averaging team-high marks in scoring (26.0), while also posting 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists in a pair of games for the Zips.
Brown finished one rebound shy of registering her team-leading fifth double-double with a 29-point, nine-rebound performance to lift Akron to an 81-71 victory over Toledo on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
She followed pouring in a game-high 23 points in an 81-60 setback at Central Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 23 en rout to recording her team-leading 13th 20-point scoring effort of the season.
On the season, Brown is averaging team-high marks in scoring (21.9) and rebounding (7.8), while rating second on the squad in assists (2.3) and steals (1.3).
MAC West Player of the Week:
Janay Morton / Eastern Michigan / Guard
Jr. / Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo
Junior Janay Morton regained her shooting touch as she led the Eagle attack with an average of 23.0 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals a contest in two games against Ball State and Toledo. Having not hit for more than four three-pointers this season in a game, Morton had back-to-back nights with five treys to key EMU’s outside assault. She also swiped six balls from Toledo as the Eagles compiled 25 points of UT miscues, as she currently ranks 32nd nationally in steals. For the week she finished with 35.5 minutes of work and a shooting percentage of 62.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Other Nominees:
Sydney Lambert / Bowling Green / Guard
Fr. / Cincinnati, Ohio / McAuley
Bowling Green freshman guard Sydney Lambert led the Falcons to a pair of wins last week. Lambert averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game, leading the Falcons in scoring, steals and blocks, as the Falcons downed Northern Illinois and Kent State by double digits. In addition to her individual numbers, Lambert spearheaded a BGSU defense that allowed the opponents to shoot just 26.6% from the field and average just 46.0 points per game last week. Lambert had a career-high five steals in the 58-43 win at Northern Illinois, including four steals in the second quarter alone as BG outscored NIU by a 21-3 count. In the Kent State game, Lambert had a career-high 20 points, tying a Stroh Center record by making six three-point field goals, in BG’s 71-49 win. She also had four rebounds and tied for game honors with four assists. On the season, Lambert is averaging 10.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. She leads the Falcons in steals and ranks second in points and assists. Lambert also leads BG with 35 three-pointers made, and she is shooting 45.5% (35-of-77) from long distance. In MAC games, she is averaging 11.3 ppg and is shooting an even 50% (20-of-40) from three-point range. The Falcons are 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the MAC.
Stephanie Reid / Buffalo / Guard
So. / Melbourne, VIC, Australia / The Peninsula School
Sophomore point guard Stephanie Reid had a great week for the Bulls as she averaged a career-best 21.0 points, 3.5 steals, 2.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per contest over the two-game week. Reid had her career-best game on Wednesday at home against Western Michigan as she finished with 25 points, a career-high five steals and three assists. Reid was unstoppable offensively as she went 9-for-15 from the floor while also going 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. On Saturday, Reid had to take over some of the scoring as the Bulls had an off game offensively. Reid finished with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals while notching a career-high seven free throws, going 7-for-7. Reid continues to improve offensively as over the last five games, Reid is averaging 16.6 points, 5.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals. Reid currently ranks fourth in the MAC in assists (4.3 APG).
Lexie Baldwin / Ohio / Forward
Sr. / Hattiesburg, Miss. / Hattiesburg
Ohio women’s basketball senior Lexie Baldwin led the Bobcats offensively and defensively during this past week, leading Ohio to a 2-0 weekend and give the Bobcats its 10th-straight win.
On Jan. 20 at Kent State, Baldwin led the scoring and three-point parade for the Bobcats, trying her career-high of 19 points in the 93-54 win at Kent State. Baldwin went 6-of-14 (.428) from the field, 5-of-11 (.454) from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line. Baldwin grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists. In that game Baldwin set a career high in threes made (five) and threes attempted (11). Baldwin’s five three pointers contributed to the Bobcats setting the record for three pointers made in a MAC game at 17.
The following game at Northern Illinois, Baldwin led the team in scoring once again, scoring 16 in the 72-47 win in DeKalb. In that game Baldwin shot 7-of-15 (.466) from the field and 2-of-6 (.333) from three-point range. She also recorded 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. She also dished out one assist, two steals and two blocks in the win.
Overall on the week, Baldwin scored 35 total points (17.5 per game), 19 assists (9.5 per game), four assists (2.00 per game), five steals (2.50 per game) and two blocks (1.00 per game) leading Ohio to a 15-3 overall record and a 7-0 MAC record, the best start in program history.
Nathalie Fontaine / Ball State / Guard
Sr. / Stockholm, Sweden
Fontaine’s hot shooting hand was too much for the Cardinals opponents last week in Mid-American Conference action. The senior guard had one of her best shooting performances of her career after shooting .740 (17-23) from the floor helping Ball State defeat Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan to stay in sole possession of the MAC West Division. Against Eastern Michigan, Fontaine led all scorers with 27 points while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists. With her performance against the Eagles, Fontaine became the second highest scorer in women’s basketball history only trailing former Cardinal Tamara Bowie for the top spot. She scored 13 points in the third period and quietly amassed 21 points off of 8-of-9 shooting going into the final quarter. On Saturday, Fontaine chipped in 15 points in the Cardinals win over Western Michigan off of 7-of-9 (.777) shooting. She helped the Cardinals to its best conference shooting performance of the season after going 50.0 holding the Broncos to a 33.3 percent. For the week, Fontaine averaged 21.0 points which included shooting 74 percent from the field and only missing one free throw (.889). She now has 1,885 points for her career at Ball State after this week’s competitions and helped the Cardinals remain undefeated at home with a 9-0 ledger.
Reyna Frost / Central Michigan / Forward
Fr. / Reese, Mich. / Reese
Central Michigan picked up a pair of wins this week over Miami (Oh) and Akron to improve to 5-2 in conference play. Reyna Frost continued her dominate performance on the glass averaging 15.0 rebounds in two games. The freshman recorded her fourth-straight game with double-digit rebounds and second double-double of the season in CMU’s 81-60 win over Akron. Frost pulled down a career high 20 rebounds, added 18 points and dished out three assists in Saturday’s victory. During conference play the Reese, Mich. native is ranked second in rebounding (11.0) behind teammate Tinara Moore, and is the only freshman within the top 20 rebounders. Frost’s 20 board performance is tied for the most pulled down in a single game during conference games.
Mikayla Voigt / Northern Illinois / Guard
Fr. / Slinger, Wis. / Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Mikayla Voigt led the Huskies in the scoring last week, averaging 10.0 points per game in the Huskies contest versus Bowling Green and Mid-American Conference leader Ohio.
The freshman tied her career-high for the fifth-time this season against the Falcons with 15 points, going 5-of-9 from the field that included a perfect 3-of-3 clip from behind the three-point line. Voigt was also 2-of-2 from the free throw line in the game. Voigt scored five points versus the Bobcats, pulling down two rebounds as well.
Jessica Jessing / Western Michigan / Forward
Sr. / Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview
Jessing, the senior, had a career game in the Broncos big win at Buffalo. She poured in a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting including a tremendous 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. She helped WMU to their highest offensive output in 79 games (92 points) and a 92-78 on the road. She also led both teams with eight rebounds and two blocks in the win over Buffalo. She tied a career-high with four made 3-pointers, which also tied a game-high.
Against Ball State, she was the lone member of the Broncos to score in double-figures against the tough Cardinal defense. She led the team with 11 points, four made field goals and two 3-point field goals made.
Jessing has made a big impact in the MAC this season, leading the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.515), in the top-5 in field goal percentage and No. 11 in rebounding.
