TicketSmarter WAC Women’s Basketball Players of the Week Announced
DENVER – Utah Valley's Maria Carvalho has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week and Lamar's Akasha Davis was named TicketSmarter WAC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week for November 8-14.
Carvalho, a junior guard from Lisbon, Portugal, matched her career-high with 23 points in a season opening win against Park (Ariz.) and then followed that up with 20 points and 10 rebounds, also adding six steals, in a 71-62 loss to Fresno State on Thursday. On the week, she averaged 21.5 points per game while shooting .500 from the field, adding 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
Davis, a freshman forward from Dallas, opened her career with 12 points at New Mexico and then had a breakout game in the home-opener against Howard Payne, scoring 27 points to go with 13 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. On the week, she was 14-for-16 from the field for an .875 clip and added 8.0 rebounds per game to go with 2.0 steals and 1.0 assists per game.
Other nominees included: Abilene Christian's Tatum Barber averaged 12.0 points per game in a pair of season-opening wins as the 'Cats earns wins over Southwest (N.M.) and UTSA … California Baptist's Caitlyn Harper scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds in a 62-59 win at rival UC Riverside … Chicago State's Aaliyah Collins had six rebounds in a loss at Wichita State and followed that up with 12 points in a loss to UAB … Grand Canyon's Jay McChristine scored 12 points in just 16 minutes, adding eight rebounds, four steals and three assists in a 95-48 win over Arizona Christian … Lamar's Sabrina Dean put up 31 points, including eight three-pointers, in a 107-37 win over Howard Payne on Friday … NM State's Bigue Sarr led NMSU to a 2-0 week, averaging 14.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg in wins over Western New Mexico and UIW … Seattle U's Bree Calhoun set the SU Division-1 record with 15 assists in a 89-32 win over Northwest (Wash.) … Tarleton's Malaya Kendrick averaged 11.5 rebounds per game in a road loss at Arkansas and home win against Champion Christian … UT Rio Grande Valley's Taylor Muff scored double-figures in both games, averaging 13.5 ppg, in road losses at South Florida and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Other freshman nominees included: Abilene Christian's Bella Earle scored the first points of her career as part of a 13-point effort in a 99-43 win over Southwest (N.M.) … Chicago State's Aaliyah Collins averaged 10.0 points per game in the Cougars' first two games of the season … Grand Canyon's Ja'Mya Powell-Smith was 6-for-8 from the field, totaling 14 points in a 95-48 win over Arizona Christian … Seattle U's Taliyah Clark was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, averaging 8.0 points per game in a win against Northwest (Wash.) and loss to UC San Diego … Utah Valley's Ally Blackham hit a trio of three-pointers to finish with nine points in a 71-62 loss to Fresno State.