Rider’s Johnson and Manhattan’s LaPointe Continue to Claim MAAC Pepsi Zero Women’s Basketball Weekly Awards
Rider’s Johnson and Manhattan’s LaPointe Claim MAAC Pepsi Zero Women’s Basketball Weekly Awards
Player of the Week
Stella Johnson, Rider
Sr., Denville, NJ/Morris Catholic
Senior guard Stella Johnson averaged 28 points, over seven rebounds, nearly four assists and more than two steals per game as Rider went a perfect 3-0 last week. Johnson shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) from the field and 80.8 percent from the charity stripe (21-of-26) as Rider earned victories against Delaware State, Niagara and Iona. In Saturday’s win at Iona, she became Rider’s all-time leading scorer as she currently has 1,730 career points and counting. Stella had 29 points and three steals in a non-conference win at Delaware State. She followed that up with her first double-double of the year (31 points, 12 rebounds) in a come-from-behind win against the Purple Eagles. Johnson scored 18 of her 31 points versus Niagara in the fourth quarter. Rider is in the midst of a six-game winning streak and the Broncs have won nine of their first 11 games for just the second time since joining Division I prior to the 1982-83 season. This marks Johnson’s six MAAC Pepsi Zero Weekly Award of the season.
Rookie of the Week
Emily LaPointe, Manhattan
Fr., Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Academy
LaPointe scored a career-high 25 points against Canisius on Jan. 2, helping the Jaspers to a decisive 68-50 win over the Griffs. She added six rebounds and four steals while drawing six fouls against the Canisius defense. Over the week, LaPointe averaged 16.5 points per game, with 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 3.5 rebounds per contest, while also earning a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio. LaPointe leads all rookies with four MAAC Pepsi Zero Weekly Awards to her name.
About the 2020 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit
maacsports.com/basketball and follow @MAACHoops on Twitter.
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 39th 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.