Quinnipiac Sweeps Final Weekly Women's Basketball Awards
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Maria Napolitano, Quinnipiac
Sr., G, 5-9, Cincinnati, OH/Saint Ursula Academy
Maria Napolitano led the Bobcats in scoring in all three games of an undefeated 3-0 week on the way to capturing the 2015-16 MAAC Regular Season Championship. For the week, Napolitano averaged 16.7 PPG in just 24.3 MPG while shooting 54.8 percent (17-31 FG) overall and 62.5 percent (10-16 3FG) from long range as well as 75 percent (6-8 FT) at the free throw line. She prolonged her career-long double digit scoring streak to six straight games while her 50 points scored in three games this week for the Bobcats is the highest-scoring three-game streak of her four-year career. Napolitano started her week with 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 3FG) and three steals in 20 minutes as the Bobcats defeated Manhattan 81-63 on Tuesday. Her hot shooting continued on Friday night as she pumped in 20 points for her fourth career game with 20+ points as she shot 5-of-12 overall and 5-of-7 from the three-point line in a dominating 83-58 victory over Fairfield. The five made three-pointers for Napolitano set a new season-high and also tied a career-high while she pitched in on the defensive end holding the Stags’ Kristen Schatzlein to just 3-of-11 from the floor to go along with seven turnovers. Finally, in the biggest game of the year where the winner was to be crowned MAAC Regular Season Champion, Napolitano was the best all-around player on the floor as she scored a game-high 16 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3FG) while completely shutting down Iona’s Marina Lizarazu in holding her to 1-of-7 shooting in the second half.
Rookie of the Week
Paula Strautmane, Quinnipiac
Fr., F, 6-0, Mucenieki, Latvia/TTN Riga
Paula Strautmane continued to excel on both ends of the floor for the Bobcats as she helped lead the team to yet another undefeated week and the MAAC Regular Season Championship with Sunday’s win over Iona. For the week, Strautmane’s production was incredible in a short span of minutes as she averaged 10.3 PPG in just 18.7 MPG while shooting 65 percent (13-20 FG) and 40 percent (2-5 3FG) from three. She added 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while playing in less than half of the total 120 minutes across the three games last week. She didn’t shoot under 50 percent in any of the three games while she posted her second career double-double in the Bobcats’ biggest game of the year on Sunday at Iona. Strautmane started her week with 11 points (5-7 FG), two blocks and two steals in 19 minutes in an 81-63 win at Manhattan. She followed with an incredible eight points (3-6 FG) and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes as the Bobcats defeated Fairfield 83-58 on Friday. She capped her week with an outstanding 12 points (5-7 FG), 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in just 24 minutes in a matchup against Joy Adams and Iona. After sitting out all but seven minutes in a scoreless first half, Strautmane scored 11 points in the third quarter alone as she helped lead the Bobcats in a 22-8 third quarter domination after trailing at the half to walk away 69-53 winners and earn the Regular Season title.