GNAC Players of the Week: February 8

By Melissa Maitland

GNAC Sports Information Specialist

Thomas Belton (Men’s Volleyball, Mount Ida), Alyssa Musket (Women’s Swimming, Simmons), Lamonte Thomas (Men’s Basketball, Johnson & Wales), and Lauren Zaniboni (Women’s Basketball, Emerson) have been named Great Northeast Athletic Conference Players of the Week.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Men's Volleyball – Thomas Belton, Mount Ida, Jr., Springfield, Mass.
Weekly Totals
Kills (41), Assists (1), Digs (33), Blocks (12), Aces (6)

Belton led the Mustangs to an undefeated week, combining for 41 kills and only 8 errors through 3 games. Mount Ida defeated Emerson, 3-2, on Feb. 2 and Albertus Magnus, 3-2, on Feb. 6. This is the first time this season that Belton has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. The Mustangs are currently in 4th place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 2-3 and an overall record of 3-5. Mount Ida next faces off against Regis on Feb. 12.

Women’s Swimming – Alyssa Musket, Simmons, Fr., Lincoln, R.I.

Musket won the 50-yard butterfly with a season best time of 28:06 at the Sharks meet against Plymouth State on Feb. 6. Although Simmons lost the close meet, 151-142, Musket extended her undefeated streak in the 50-yard freestyle this season by finishing in 1st place (25:59). The freshman also swam on the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:47.33), which out touched Plymouth State by only .13 seconds. Musket also anchored the 200-yard medley relay team that finished in 3rd place (2:09.42). Simmons next prepares for the New England Swimming and Diving Championships, which begin on Feb. 19.

Men's Basketball – Lamonte Thomas, Johnson & Wales, So., Providence, R.I.
Weekly Totals
Points (73/24.33 per game), Rebounds (20/6.67 per game), Assists (12/4.00 per game)

Thomas helped lead Johnson & Wales to a perfect 3-0 week, defeating GNAC opponents Mount Ida, 78-59, on Feb. 1, Rivier, 90-60, on Feb. 4, and Lasell, 77-59, on Feb. 6. Thomas tallied 25 points and added 7 assists and 3 steals in the teams win over Rivier. Thomas is currently ranked 1st in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 22.6 points per game. He is also ranked 1st in minutes played (35.4 pg), 5th in free throw percentage (.783), 6th in 3-point field goals made (2.4 pg), 8th in assists (3.2 pg) and steals (1.5 pg), 9th in assist-turnover ratio (0.8 ratio), and 11th in defensive rebounding (4.5 pg) and 3-point field goal percentage (.366). This is the 2nd time this season that Thomas has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. He was previously honored on Dec. 7. The Wildcats are currently tied for 5th place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 7-8 and an overall record of 10-12. Johnson & Wales returns to the parquet when the team plays Norwich on Feb. 13.

Women's Basketball – Lauren Zaniboni, Emerson, Jr., San Diego, C.A.
Weekly Totals
Points (46/23.00 per game), Rebounds (26/13.00 per game) Assists (4/2.00 per game)

In a 1-1 week for the Lions, Zaniboni averaged a double double with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Emerson defeated Simmons, 62-58, on Feb. 3 before losing in overtime to Albertus Magnus, 83-80, on Feb. 6. In the teams loss against Albertus Magnus, Zaniboni had 28 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal. Zaniboni totaled 4 blocks and 2 steals for the week. Zaniboni is currently ranked 3rd in the GNAC in defensive rebounding (6.6 pg) and field goal percentage (.500), 4th in scoring (14.1 ppg) and blocked shots (1.6 pg), 6th in rebounding (9.3 rpg), and 13th in offensive rebounding (2.8 pg). This is the 1st time this season that Zaniboni has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. Emerson is currently tied for 1st place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 7-2 and an overall record of 12-10. The Lions next game is against Suffolk on Feb. 13.