Siena’s Burns and Canisius’ Patterson-Ricks Named Pepsi Zero MAAC Student-Athletes of the Week
Elijah Burns
Siena College
Men’s Basketball
Just the second graduate transfer in the history of the program, Elijah Burns has emerged as an immediate contributor to the Saints in non-conference play this season. The Troy, NY native is averaging 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds through seven contest, and currently ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (53.8), split for ninth in offensive rebounds (2.0), tied for 10th in boards and 12th in scoring. Burns has put forth double-figure scoring in five of seven games and went for 10 rebounds in the team's most recent game at Cal Poly. The Notre Dame transfer's 22 points in the Saints' triple-overtime thriller at Yale on Nov. 20 is tied for the most by a Siena player this season. Burns holds a 3.23 cumulative GPA and is enrolled in Siena's brand-new MBA program to pursue his graduate degree in strategic management. Burns is very involved in the local community, partnering with the Boys & Girls Village of Troy among other local organizations.
D'Jhai Patterson-Ricks
Canisius College
Women’s Basketball
Senior guard D’Jhai Patterson-Ricks has been the Golden Griffins offensive leader to start the 2019-20 campaign. The Fayetteville, NY, native has reached double-digit scoring numbers in each of Canisius’ first six games, highlighted by five-straight contests with 15 or more points. On the season, Patterson-Ricks is averaging 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. She ranks third in the MAAC in scoring and three-pointers made while also ranking second in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in free-throw percentage
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.