GNAC Women's Basketball Report: Week 1

( FOR THE OPENING WEEK OF NOV. 8 - 17 )

	CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK Tianna Sugars, Colby-Sawyer (Sr, C - Oxford, Maine) Sugars led the Chargers to a 3-0 week with 21.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. She recorded a double-double in all three games, shot 46.9% (23-49) from the floor and 90.5% (19-21) from the FT line. Sugars began the season with a game-best 24 points to go with 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action in an 85-33 win over Dean. The senior followed with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-45 win over Fitchburg State in the first game of the Colby-Sawyer Tip-Off Tournament. Sugars saved her best for last as she posted game-highs of 28 points and 18 rebounds in a 63-58 win over Saint Lawrence to guide the Chargers to the Tip-Off Tournament championship. She was 10-for-10 from the free throw line and was named Tournament MVP. At the end of the first half, she became the 15th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
	CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Sr, G - Cambridge, Mass.) The D3hoops.com Fourth Team Preseason All-American averaged 22.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, opening the season with a pair of double-doubles in the 36th annual EC Tip-Off Classic. The senior scored 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds in Emmanuel's win over Saint Joseph College (BK) and then added a 19-point, 12-rebound outing in the championship game vs St. John Fisher, earning All-Tournament team accolades for her performance. Overall, she shot 59.4% (19-32, 7-10 FT).
	ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Arianna Motivala, Rivier (Fr, G - Nashua, N.H.) Motivala earned All-Tournament recognition at the Tyler Tip-Off hosted by Smith after averaging 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists as the Raiders opened with a 1-4 showing. She shot 37.3% (19-51 FG, 8-24 3PT, 25-30 FT) and was in double figures in all five contests, including a career-high 21 points on Sunday in a loss to Maine Maritime.

WEEK 1 HONOR ROLL

Katherine Raposo, Albertus Magnus (Jr., G - Warwick, R.I.) - Raposo averaged 19.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 35.7% (15-42) in a pair of loss for the Falcons. She poured in a season-high 24 points (9-20 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-6 FT) to go with a rebound and three steals in a loss at Sage. In Thursday's loss to Farmingdale State, Raposo netted a team-high 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Amber Wilson, Anna Maria (Jr, G - New York, N.Y.) - Wilson averaged 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks as the AMCATS went 1-2 to begin the 2019-20 campaign. Her best performance came against Catholic, where she put together a 28-point, nine-rebound, five-block in a 92-68 season-opening setback. Despite shooting 38.7% from the floor, she was a stellar 23-of-26 (88.5%) from the FT line, getting to the charity stripe an impressive 11 times in two of three contests. 

Maddy Moro, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., C - Catawissa, Pa.) - Moro averaged a double-double in a 2-1 week with 16.6 points and 13.7 rebounds while shooting 55% (22-40). She was named to the Ramapo Roadrunner Tip Off Tournament All-Tournament Team after going off for 22 points and 21 rebounds in a 72-55 win over Bryn Athyn, and prior double-doubled again (17 PTS, 10 REB) in a 73-64 setback to Farmingdale State. Back on Nov. 12 in her JWU debut, she scored 10 points with 10 rebounds in an 88-83 win over Mitchell.

Amanda Ortiz, Lasell (Sr., G - Newton, Mass.) - Ortiz averaged 21.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.3 steals as Lasell opened the season 3-0 for the first time since the 1999-20 season exactly 20 years ago. She shot 53.8% (21-39) from the field and 81.8% (18-22) from the free throw line in the three wins, opening the season with 18 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes as the Lasers earned a season-opening win at Mount Holyoke. She notched 23 points and 15 rebounds (29 min) in a road victory at Elms before closing out the week with 22 points and eight boards in a road win at Northern Vermont-Johnson.

Arie Searcy, Regis (Mass.) (So., F - Santa Rosa, Calif.) - Searcy has established herself as one of the offensive leaders for the Pride so far this season, averaging 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 26.6 minutes across five games. In the season opener at UNE, she finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and four steals. After an 11-point, nine-rebound effort at UMass Dartmouth last Wednesday, she stood out over the weekend, earning All-Tournament Team honors at the Dean Tip-Off Tournament, leading the team with 17 points against Conn. College Saturday, followed by a 14-point, nine-rebound performance in the Pride's first victory of the season against Clark. 

Alexandra Grumblatt, Rivier (So, F) - Grumblatt averaged 9.8 points (35.3%) and 9.6 rebounds in the Raiders' first five games of the 2019-20 campaign, surpassing 10+ rebounds three times with two double-doubles. She had nine points and 15 rebounds back on Nov. 9 in a 73-62 w in over Northern Vermont-Johnson before registering 20 points and 10 boards in a loss to Wentworth on Nov. 12. 

Cheyenne-Mone Smith, St. Joseph (Conn.) (So., G/F - Wethersfield, Conn.) - Smith averaged 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 steals over the first four games (2-2) for the Blue Jays, helping them reach the championship game of the 22nd Annual USJ Tip-Off Tournament this past weekend. Smith, a three-time GNAC Rookie of the Week winner last season, scored in double figures in all four games to start the year shooting 42.3% (22-52) from the floor and 76.5% (13-17) from the free-throw line. She opened the new season with 16 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Nichols at home last Saturday before netting 16 again and pulling down nine boards Wednesday in a win at Bay Path. She followed that up by pushing USJ over Pine Manor on Friday in the USJ Tip-Off Tournament opener after nearly recording a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and eight steals. In the championship game she logged 13 points again and grabbed five rebounds in a setback to NEC. Smith was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Jenni-Rose DiCecco, Suffolk (Jr., G - Falmouth, Mass.) - DiCecco averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals as the Rams opened the season at 1-2. She went for 25 points (7-19 FG, 2-11 3PT, 9-10 FT) with four boards, five assists and five steals in a season-opening 59-50 win voer Keene State.