DENVER – UT Rio Grande Valley’s Sara Bershers has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week with Grand Canyon’s Ja’Mya Powell-Smith earning TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week.
Bershers averaged 23 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game as UTRGV finished the regular season. She started the week with a career high 30-point effort in the Vaqueros home finale against Lamar on Thursday. The sophomore also grabbed eight rebounds, had six blocks and four assists in the contest. Bershers followed that with 16-point, 10-rebound double-double at Stephen F. Austin as UTRGV handed the Ladyjacks their first conference loss of the season and ended a 37-game home winning streak for Stephen F. Austin. She also registered three steals and a pair of assists in the upset.
Powell-Smith scored in double figures in both of Grand Canyon’s wins as the Lopes secured the league’s No. 2 seed for the conference tournament next week. She started the week with an 18-point effort in 28 minutes against Utah Valley on Thursday. Two days later she registered 10 points in 16 minutes in Grand Canyon’s win at Dixie State. She shot 52.9 percent from the field in the two games.
Other nominees included: Josie Williams pieced together her 21st and 22nd double-doubles of the season as Utah Valley split their games against Grand Canyon and NM State … Ane Olaeta averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 assists, including a double-double against Lamar, in two wins last week for California Baptist … Courtney Murphy scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in Seattle U’s three-point road win at Chicago State to close the regular season … Tiarra Brown helped Grand Canyon to a pair of wins by tallying 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game … Angel Hasting helped Lamar to a two wins in three games last week by averaging 13.3 points per game … Jamie Bonnarens scored in double figures in each of Abilene Christian’s three games; highlighted by a season high 26 against Tarleton … Emily Isaacson scored 22 and 14 points respectively as Dixie State closed the campaign against Abilene Christian and Grand Canyon … Tarleton’s Lucy Benson averaged 13.5 points on 10-of-20 (.500) shooting, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 steals in two games this week; scored a career high 17 against Sam Houston on Thursday … Chicago State’s Quentarra Mitchell closed out the Cougars final two games of the season by averaging 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds last week
Other freshman nominees included: Abby Conlee scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Utah Valley knocked off NM State in the regular season finale … Averi Papa posted a 15-point, 10-point double-double in Dixie State’ s Thursday win against Abilene Christian; averaged 11 points and seven rebounds in the Trailblazers two games … Bella Earle came off the bench to average 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in Abilene Christian’s three games … Nicole Avila-Ambrosi averaged 13 points per game and grabbed five total steals for California Baptist … Aaliyah Collins finished her season with a 17-point and 15-point effort as Chicago State hosted California Baptist and Seattle U respectively … Mason Jones came off the bench in Tarleton’s 20-point win against Sam Houston on Thursday