Siena's Jackie Benitez & Marist's Hannah Hand Earn LifeStorage MAAC Women's Basketball Weekly Honors
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Jackie Benitez, Siena
So., G, Tobyhanna, PA/Pocono Mountain West
Jackie Benitez led Siena to a 3-0 week in MAAC play. First, she led the Saints with 15 points in taking down the reigning MAAC Champions Iona. Then, she set a new career-high with 34 points against Monmouth. She is the only MAAC player to score 30 or more points twice this season. Benitez followed that up with a 20-point performance against Saint Peter’s. She averaged 23.0 points per game on 22-of-38 (57.9%) shooting from the field and 9-of-17 (52.9%) shooting from three. She shot 16-of-17 (94.1%) from the free-throw line and continues to lead the MAAC in free-throw shooting percentage (86.7%). Benitez grabbed 10 rebounds on the week and had 15 steals, including eight against the Gaels and then six against the Hawks. Her eight steals against Iona tied a MAAC season-high for steals in a game (Rider’s Stella Johnson swiped eight steals vs. Lafayette on November 14, 2016).
Rookie of the Week
Hannah Hand, Marist
Fr., G, Argyle, TX/Liberty Christian School
Hannah Hand continued her good stretch of play during a two-game week for the Red Foxes. In Hand’s first game against Rider, she scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out three assists, and had three steals in 38 minutes of action. In the Red Foxes second game, Hand scored 14 points and fell one rebound short of the double-double in 34 minutes of play. Hand went 3-of-5 from the field, 2-of-2 from three, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw stripe as the Red Foxes defeated Iona, 68-62. For the week, Hand averaged 12.0 points, eight rebounds, and three assists per game while shooting 40.0 percent from the field, 60.0 percent from three, and 100 percent from the free-throw line.