HAMDEN, CONN. - Quinnipiac University women's basketball senior guard Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, New Jersey) picked up Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Player of the Week honors, as announced by the league's committee on Tuesday, March 10. This is Martin's first career ECAC Player of the Week honor and the Bobcats' second straight as Val Driscoll took home her first career ECAC weekly honor on March 3.
Martin was on her game throughout postseason play, earning MVP honors at the end of the conference tournament after leading the Bobcats to the MAAC Championship over nine-time defending MAAC Champ Marist. Throughout the three-game tournament, Martin led all players in scoring at 19 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent (18-for-44) overall, 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from three and 93.3 percent (14-for-15) at the free throw line. Her 57 points guided the Bobcats and led the way to Quinnipiac second NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
Martin's mindset, which had been as more of a facilitator throughout the regular season, took a sudden shift once postseason play began. The 1,600 career point scorer drove the lane with purpose and let the ball fly from three-point land with confidence as the defense anticipated the drive inside. Her tourney run started with 16 points in 22 minutes as the Bobcats defeated Monmouth in the Quarterfinal round. She finished 3-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the Bobcats' 82-61 victory over the Hawks.
The breakout game of the tournament game on Sunday as she posted 23 points (second-most in a single-game all season) going 8-for-18 overall, 3-for-6 from three and 4-of-4 at the charity stripe. Martin added four rebounds and three assists to complete a sensational all-around effort for the senior as the points were very much needed going up against a Siena squad that limited the Bobcats to their fewest points (64) in a QU victory all season.
The postseason run culminated on Monday as Martin notched a team-leading 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting and 3-for-5 from downtown as the Bobcats defeated Marist, 72-61, to clinch the MAAC Championship. She scored 11 of her 18 points in the first half as she kept Quinnipiac ahead while going up against a gritty Marist squad that led by as many as three points in the opening stanza. Martin's play also steadied a Bobcat offense that had lost Gillian Abshire, Samantha Guastella and Val Driscoll all at points in the first half due to foul trouble.
Quinnipiac, the 2015 MAAC Champions, now await Selection Monday as the Bobcats will find out their seed and opponent at 7:00 PM. The Selection Show will be broadcasted live on ESPN.