CAA Women's Basketball

CAA Women's Basketball Report | Jan. 30, 2023

CAA Women's Basketball Report | Jan. 30, 2023

Catch up on the CAA Women's Basketball weekly news, notes and awards.

Feb 1, 2023 by FloHoops Staff
CAA Women's Basketball Report | Jan. 30, 2023

Catch up on the CAA Women's Basketball weekly news, notes and awards.

WEEKLY HONORS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

Gigi Gonzalez, Stony Brook

Senior | Guard | Miramar, Florida / Nova

Gonzalez led Stony Brook to a 2-0 week, averaging 21 points per game on 69.5% (16-for-23) shooting, adding 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and two steals per contest. 

On Thursday, Gonzalez was nearly perfect from the floor, shooting 9-of-10 for 22 points, plus six assists, three rebounds and two steals in an 80-76 victory over Charleston. 

The senior guard concluded the weekend with her second consecutive 20-point performance, scoring 20 points, plus seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, as Stony Brook ended Towson’s six-game winning streak. 

Gonzalez has five games this season with 20 or more points and has at least five assists nine times.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK 

Raven Preston, Elon 

Freshman | Guard | Greensboro, North Carolina / Southeast Guilford

Preston averaged 13 points per game and six rebounds per contest, as Elon split a pair of games over the weekend. 

The freshman guard led the Phoenix to its first CAA victory this season with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including the game-winning 3-pointer against Delaware. She added six rebounds, two assists and a block in the 63-60 win. 

On Sunday, Preston added nine points, six rebounds and three assists, despite a setback at Drexel. 

Preston has reached double figures in seven of her first 10 CAA contests and 12 times this season.  

CONFERENCE NOTES

AGGIES MAINTAIN LEAD IN #CAAHOOPS: North Carolina A&T sits atop the CAA standings, while Drexel and Stony Brook trail the Aggies by just one game at the midway point in the conference schedule. 

The Aggies improved to 8-1 following a win in their lone game last week. N.C. A&T is 9-1 in its past 10 games, including three wins in a row after its only setback in CAA play thus far. 

Drexel and Stony Brook entered the week in a three-way tie for second place and completed 2-0 weekends to remain tied. Both teams are 7-2 in league play, with six of their seven wins coming by double digits. 

The Seawolves knocked off Towson (6-3) last week, dropping the Tigers from the second-place tie. 

One team will emerge as the front-runner to challenge for the top spot, as Drexel visits Stony Brook on Sunday. 

HENDRIXSON NAMED TO NANCY LIEBERMAN AWARD WATCH LIST: Drexel guard Maura Hendrixson was named one of the top-10 candidates for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award, announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. 

Now in its 24th year, the award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.

WASHINTON SURPASSES 2K MILESTONE, CLIMBS SCORING LISTS: On Friday night, Drexel graduate guard Keishana Washington became the ninth player in CAA women's basketball history to surpass 2,000 career points. 

Washington is second on Drexel's all-time scoring list with 2,013 career points. 

Among players with 2,000 career points, she is the eighth Canadian to accomplish the feat and the 12th active player in NCAA Division I.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A COACH: Three CAA student-athletes - Delaware's Demitre Burdick and Jewel Smalls, along with Hofstra's Rosi Nicholson - were announced in the class for the 20th “So You Want To Be A Coach” program. 

Each student-athlete will participate in the two-day workshop (March 30-31) during the 2023 WBCA Convention in Dallas. 

CAA IN THE COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25: Three CAA teams were recognized in the latest edition of the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. 

Drexel remained at No. 22, while North Carolina A&T cracked the ranking for the first time this season at No. 25. 

Additionally, Stony Brook received votes for the 10th time in 11 weeks. 

At least two conference teams have been recognized in the poll each week this season.  

NOTHING BUT NET: Six CAA teams ranked inside the top 200 in the latest NCAA NET rankings. 

Drexel continues to lead the way, ranking 118, followed by Northeastern at 145. Towson remained at 151, ahead of Delaware at 159 and Stony Brook at 163, its best ranking this season. North Carolina A&T rounded out the six in the top 200 at 199. 

TEAM NOTES

Charleston

• Charleston dropped back-to-back contests by a combined nine points. 

The Cougars suffered an 80-76 setback against Stony Brook on Thursday, before a 76-71 defeat at North Carolina A&T on Sunday. 

The past three setbacks for Charleston have come by six or fewer points. 

• Jaila Roberts recorded back-to-back 20-point efforts. The junior guard tallied a season-high 23 points with five rebounds on Thursday and matched the scoring total, adding seven rebounds on Sunday. 

Roberts has eight games with 10 or more points this season, including four in a row, and she has 20 or more on four occasions.  

• Jada Logan contributed a pair of 20-point performances, scoring 22 in both contests. 

She has at least 20 points in four of the past five games and eight times this season. Logan has reached double figures in 17 of her 19 games this year, including seven in a row. 

• Anika McGarity and Adaora Onwumelu also reached double figures for the Cougars over the weekend. 

McGarity added 15 points against Stony Brook, marking her 12th game with 10 or more this season. Onwumelu matched her career-high with 10 against N.C. A&T. 

Delaware

• Delaware split a pair of games over the weekend, falling to Elon at the buzzer on Friday, 63-60, before bouncing back with a 74-72 victory over William & Mary. 

The Blue Hens' past three games have been decided by three points or less. 

• Klarke Sconiers paced Delaware with 14.5 points per game on 60% (12-of-20) shooting from the floor. 

She reached double figures in both contests, scoring 11 points against Elon and 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting at William & Mary. 

Sconiers has scored 10 or more points in seven of the past eight games and 13 times this season.  

• Jewel Smalls recorded back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts with a team-high 12 on Friday, followed by 11 on Sunday. 

Smalls hit three trifectas in both games, marking her ninth straight game with at least two made 3-pointers. The fifth-year guard is third in the CAA in 3s per game (2.84). 

She has scored in double figures in nine games this season. 

• Tara Cousins was the third Blue Hen in double figures in both games, tallying 10 points in each. It marked her sixth and seventh games this season with at least 10 points.

She added four rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals per game.

Drexel

• Drexel went 2-0 over the weekend, snapping a brief two-game skid. 

The Dragons topped Hofstra 69-57 on Friday, before defeating Elon on Sunday, 61-49. 

Six of Drexel's seven wins in CAA play have come by double digits.

• Keishana Washington averaged 20 points per game and led Drexel in scoring in both games. 

The graduate guard surpassed 2,000 career points, becoming the second Dragon, and ninth player in CAA history, to accomplish the feat. 

In addition, Washington set a Drexel program record for consecutive games in double figures. She has achieved the feat in 54 straight contests.

• Chloe Hodges contributed 11.5 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Dragons. 

On Sunday, she was 6-of-6 from the floor, setting career highs with 15 points and eight rebounds. 

Hodges has reached double figures in three of the past four games and is shooting 79.2% (19-of-24) during that stretch. 

• Maura Hendrixson tallied 7.5 assists per game, including 11 on Friday for her sixth game this season with 10 or more. Nationally, she trails only the NCAA leader Nika Mühl of UConn, who has accomplished the feat nine times. 

Hendrixson leads the conference in assists (146) and assists per game (7.7) this season.

Elon

• Elon split a pair of games, defeating Delaware at the buzzer, 63-60, before a setback at Drexel (61-49). 

The victory snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Phoenix and was its first at Delaware since 2017.

• Raven Preston averaged 13 points and six rebounds per game for Elon. 

The freshman guard scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including the game-winning 3-pointer against Delaware. Preston finished in double figures for the seventh time in 10 CAA games and the 12th time this season. 

• Evonna McGill reached double figures in both contests, averaging 13.5 points per game on 65% (13-of-20) shooting. 

After 13 points and five rebounds on Friday, she recorded 14 points and six boards on Sunday. 

McGill has reached double figures in three straight games and 10 times this season.

• In the victory, Ajia James tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double this season. It marks her first double-digit rebounding effort and her fifth in the scoring column this year. 

James recorded seven double-doubles as a freshman at Saint Peter's, but this was her first with the Phoenix.

Hampton

• Hampton went 1-1 over the weekend, falling at Monmouth 69-56 on Friday, before defeating Hofstra 74-55 on Sunday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lady Pirates. 

• Nylah Young contributed 16 points per game, with 6.5 rebounds and four steals per contest. 

Young had 16 points and four steals in each game, adding seven rebounds on Sunday and six on Friday. 

She has at least 15 points in three straight games and has reached double figures 11 times this season, including five in league play.

• Jermany Mapp added 16 points per game on 60% (15-of-25) shooting from the field. 

The sophomore guard had a team-high 18 points in the victory, after 14 in the setback. 

Mapp has reached double figures in three of the past four games and six times this season. 

• Camryn Hill was the third player to reach double figures over the weekend, scoring 16 points on Friday. 

She shot 50% (7-14) from the floor, doing her work in 25 minutes off the bench. 

Hill averaged 11.5 points per game for the weekend and has reached double figures 10 times this season. 

Hofstra

• Hofstra dropped back-to-back conference games, falling at Drexel (69-57) on Friday, before a setback at home against Hampton on Sunday (74-55).

• On Sunday, Brandy Thomas recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double this season. 

It was her third 20-point effort this season and 13th game in double figures. 

Additionally, Thomas leads the CAA with nine double-digit rebounding performances and is tied for the league lead in double-doubles. 

• Sorelle Ineza reached double figures in back-to-back games, averaging 11 points per contest. 

She tallied 12 points, six rebounds and one steal on Friday, followed by 10 points, six rebounds and three steals on Sunday. 

The senior guard has reached double figures in nine games this season.

• Rosi Nicholson and Alarice Gooden also reached double figures over the weekend, adding 10 and 11, respectively off the bench against Drexel. 

It was the eighth game with at least 10 points for Nicholson this season and the third such performance for Gooden. 

Monmouth

• Monmouth went 1-1 over the weekend, defeating Hampton 69-56 on Friday, before a 75-70 setback at Northeastern on Sunday. 

The Hawks and Huskies split the season series, with the home team winning by five in both matchups. 

• Ariana Vanderhoop averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game for the Hawks. 

In the victory, Vanderhoop tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double this season, while adding 15 points and six rebounds on Sunday. 

She has reached double figures in six straight games and 10 times this season. 

• Lucy Thomas was in double figures both games, contributing 13.5 points per game on 69.2% (9-of-13) shooting, with 5.5 rebounds per contest off the bench for Monmouth. 

Thomas recorded 15 points and five boards on Sunday, after 12 and six in the victory. 

She has at least 10 points and five rebounds in three straight games and reached double figures eight times this year.

• On Sunday, Kaci Donovan recorded a career-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. It was her second 20+ point performance of the season, and marks the sixth time she has scored in double figures.

North Carolina A&T

• North Carolina A&T defeated Charleston 76-71 to improve to 8-1 in league play during its lone game of the week. 

Tied at the end of three quarters, the Aggies outscored the Cougars 19-14 in the final frame, including a 10-0 run over the final 2:31 to emerge victorious. 

• Jordyn Dorsey paced N.C. A&T, matching her career-high with 21 points. 

The sophomore guard was 7-of-10 from the floor with four rebounds, four assists and one steal. It marks the second time she has scored 21 points this season. 

Dorsey has reached double figures in three of the past four games and 11 times on the year. 

• Jazmin Harris added 14 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double this season, which is tied for the league lead. She leads the CAA in rebounding (8.6 per game) after her eighth game with 10 or more this year. 

The graduate center has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and has a team-best 17 double-digit scoring efforts this season. 

• D'Mya Tucker contributed a season-best 18 points for her seventh consecutive game in double figures. She was 8-of-14 from the floor, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal. 

Tucker has 10 or more points in nine of the past 10 games and 13 times this season. 

UNCW

• UNCW dropped a 62-48 decision to William & Mary on the road Friday night. 

The Seahawks were unable to overcome a slow start and were outscored in each of the first three quarters. They were held to under 10 points in the first and third quarters. 

• Jayde Gamble scored a game-high 16 points to lead UNCW. She went 7-of-11 from the floor with three rebounds, three steals and two assists. 

Gamble has reached double figures in three straight games and has shot over 50%, with at least six made field goals in each game during that span. 

The sophomore guard has 10 or more points in 12 games this season, including seven in CAA play. 

• Carrie Gross was the second Seahawk with 10 or more points, adding 12, plus four rebounds in the effort. Gross has reached double figures in 13 games this season, including five of the past six.

• Lexi Jackson tallied three blocks in the contest, marking her fourth straight with at least two. Jackson has at least one block in 13 of the past 14 games, including six straight. 

The junior center leads the CAA with 2.11 blocks per game and has 12 games this season with two or more.

Northeastern

• Northeastern played a pair of highly competitive contests, falling to Towson 73-67 on Friday, before a 75-70 win over Monmouth on Sunday. 

The Huskies have played four games decided by six points or less in CAA play. Sunday was their first victory of the sort. 

• Gemima Motema returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 8, leading Northeastern with 17 points per game on 65% (13-of-20) shooting. 

Motema tallied 19 points in the victory, after 15 off the bench on Friday. 

She has 13 games this season with 10 or more points.

• Derin Erdogan added 16 points and 5.5 assists per game over the weekend. 

She scored a game-high 21 points with five assists on Friday, followed by 11 and six on Sunday. 

The junior guard has reached double figures a team-high 16 times this season, including 11 of the past 12 and six in a row. 

• JaMiya Braxton extended her streak of games in double figures to six, recording double-digit scoring totals in both games. 

Braxton had 10 points on Friday, before 14 in the victory. All of her double-figure performances have come in the current six-game span.

Stony Brook 

• Stony Brook went 2-0 over the weekend, defeating Charleston 80-76 on Thursday and Towson 83-66 on Sunday. 

The Seawolves had three players score at least 20 points in each contest, and five players recorded at least one 20-point effort. 

• Gigi Gonzalez had back-to-back 20-point performances, averaging 21 points per game on 69.5% (16-of-23) shooting. 

The senior guard has five games with 20 or more this season and three in the past five games, while reaching double figures 12 times. 

Additionally, Gonzalez had five or more assists in four straight games and nine this year. She is second in the CAA with 4.5 assists per game.

• On Sunday, Shamarla King erupted for a career-high 22 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. It marks her first-career double-double, and she set career-highs with eight field goals made and four 3-pointers made. 

King has at least 10 points in back-to-back games and six times this season. It was also her second game with 10 or more rebounds this year. 

• On Friday, Daishai Almond tallied a season-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor. It was her highest field goal percentage, and most field goal makes this year, marking her best performance in a Stony Brook uniform. 

The Southern Miss grad transfer has reached double figures six times this season.

Towson

• Towson split a pair of games over the weekend, defeating Northeastern 73-67 on Friday, before a setback against Stony Brook (83-66) on Sunday. The defeat snapped a six-game winning streak for the Tigers. 

• Patricia Anumgba reached double figures in both contests, averaging 13.5 points per game. 

In the victory, she reset her career-high for the second time in three games with 14 points. 

She tallied 13 points on Sunday, marking the first time this season she has scored 10 or more in back-to-back games. She has six double-figure efforts this season.

• Kylie Kornegay-Lucas and Quinzia Fulmore each recorded a double-double over the weekend. 

On Friday, Kornegay-Lucas tallied 12 points and matched a career-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double this season. 

On Sunday, Fulmore had 12 points and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double this year. 

• On Friday, Anissa Rivera scored a team-high 16 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor, with four rebounds and three assists. Rivera was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, marking a season-high 3-point makes. 

The senior forward has reached double figures scoring in nine games this season. 

William & Mary

• William & Mary went 1-1 over the weekend, defeating UNCW 62-48, before a 74-72 loss against Delaware. The setback snapped a four-game winning streak for the Tribe. 

• Sydney Wagner paced William & Mary with 23.0 points per game. 

The graduate guard tallied a career-high 33 points, despite the setback against Delaware. She also had a team-high 13 points in the victory. 

She has reached double figures in 17 games this season, including nine in a row. 

Wagner has recorded at least one 30-point effort in three straight seasons, while it was her fifth game with 20 or more this year. 

• In the win, Rebekah Frisby-Smith contributed all over the court, recording 10 points, five rebounds, a season-high five assists and three steals. It was her third straight game in double figures and fourth this season, with all four coming in league play. 

• Riley Casey was the third player to reach double figures for the Tribe, adding 12 points, five assists and three rebounds on Sunday. It marks her 14th game this season with 10 or more points. 

Casey, who leads the CAA in 3-point percentage (.412), has at least one 3-pointer in 18-of-20 games.