Adams and Benitez Earn First Women's Basketball Weekly Honors of 2016
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Joy Adams, Iona
Sr., F, 5-11, Orlando, FL/Evans
Over the past two games this latest week, senior Joy Adams manufactured two double-double efforts, averaging 16.5 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. Adams also pitched in 2.5 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game. She shot 48.1% from the field. In Iona's final non-conference of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 29 against East Tennessee State, Adams scored 12 points and boarded 12 rebounds. She shot four-for-ten from the field, and chipped in a steal. Adams was the Gaels leading scorer in their victory over the Jaspers on Saturday, Jan. 2; the senior netted 21 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Adding in three assists and two steals, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year played 35 minutes in the winning league contest.Thus far this season, Adams averaging 13.6 points per game, to go along with a league leading 10.9 rebounds per game. She is shooting 40.1% from the floor, and ranks second on the team with 22 steals.
Rookie of the Week
Jackie Benitez, Siena
Fr., G, 5-10, Tobyhanna, PA/Pocono Mountain West
Benitez averaged a team-high 13.3 points in three road games (one start) in a 2-1 week for the Saints. The freshman made the most of her first collegiate start Monday, posting career-highs of 16 points (also a game-high), four steals (tie) and three blocks at Colgate. On Wednesday, she added eight points and three steals off the bench as the Saints concluded non-conference play with a victory at Fairleigh Dickinson. She capped the week once again tying a career-high for the second time in five days with a game-high 16 points in the Saints’ remarkable comeback win at Niagara Saturday. Benitez scored nine of her points over the final four and a half minutes – highlighted by the game-tying three with 3:11 to go – to spark a game-ending 20-1 run in rallying the Saints from an 11-point deficit with 6:09 to go to pull off an improbable win. Benitez sunk seven threes for the week and averaged 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while also converting all five of her free throw attempts. Benitez leads the MAAC in free throw percentage (.900) and ranks sixth in steals (1.8.) The guard leads all MAAC freshmen in scoring (9.2) and paces the Saints in both three-pointers (18) and blocked shots (nine).