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NEC Player of the Week: Katherine Haines, SHU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Kerstie Phills, WAG
Previous NEC Releases: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason Poll Release | Preseason All-NEC Release


NEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KATHERINE HAINES, SACRED HEART
F, So., 6-2, Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park  
WEEK 8 STATS: 2 games, 14.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, .579 FG pct.
Haines powered the Pioneers to a two-game sweep during NEC Opening Weekend. The sophomore forward reached double figures in both points and rebounds during each of Sacred Heart’s two victories. Going up against two teams which, according to the preseason coaches’ poll, are expected to challenge the Pioneers for the top spot in the NEC standings, Haines averaged 14.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest while shooting 58 percent from the floor. In a rematch of the 2016 NEC Championship Game, the Garden State product opened the league schedule by notching her first career double-double. Haines tallied 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in a 69-59 triumph over defending champion Robert Morris. The 6-foot-2 forward recorded a second double-double two days later. She contributed 14 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and three assists in a 73-63 victory over Saint Francis U. Haines, who missed the entire 2015-16 season due to injury, upped her season scoring average to 9.8 points per contest last week.  
 
 
NEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KERSTIE PHILLS, WAGNER
G/F, Fr., 5-9, Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian
WEEK 8 STATS: 2 games, 16.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, .565 FG pct., .857 FT pct.
Phills continued to fill up the scoring column while averaging a double-double last week. On the way to securing her second consecutive NEC Rookie of the Week award, the freshman small forward averaged 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 56.5 percent from the field.  The 5-foot-9 Phills, who produced double-digit point totals in six of seven games during the month of December, opened NEC play by reaching the 20-point mark for the first time in her career. The North Carolina product played all 40 minutes of her NEC debut, tallying 20 points and 12 rebounds on the road against Central Connecticut. Two days later, she scored 12 points and secured nine caroms during Wagner’s visit to Mount St. Mary’s. Phills enters the New Year ranked second amongst team leaders in both scoring (9.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg).


TWEET SHEET
@CoachWhitMSM
(Jan. 1) Starting today, we all have 365 new chances to improve ourselves. #NoExcuses #NoComplaining

@jmnetter33
(Dec. 31) Great ending to 2017 with a win for @SacredHeartWBB over a talented St Francis team & some AWESOME Pioneer fans to celebrate NYE17 with!

@NECralph
(Dec. 31) dating back to last season’s #NECWBB opener, @jmnetter33’s Pios have won 20 of 23 vs. conference foes.

@CraigCD13
(Dec. 31) Freshman Kayla Agentowicz of Mount has had a really good opening weekend of her conference career, 7pts on Thurs, 15pts today off the bench

@CoachOliverLIU
(Dec. 29) #proudcoach

@FDUKnights
(Dec. 29) FINAL -- FDU’s three at the buzzer is no good. SFU wins 82-79
Markovic with a career high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds #uKnighted

@CCurti_Trib
(Dec. 29) .@SFUathletics WBB wins @NECsports opener over FDU. SFU bench 33 points: 16 for Ace Harrison, 8 for Plum grad Courtney Zezza, 5 for Jill Falvey

@CraigCD13
(Dec. 29) No matter what happens these last 32 seconds, incredible fight by the Knights in the 2nd half #NECWBB

@CoachWard1020
(Dec. 29) Rebounding and three point shooting changed the game in the second half. @SacredHeartWBB with a nice win at home.

@NECHoopsRon
(Dec. 29) Talk about catching fire. @SHUBigRed’s Shelby Hickey attempted 7 3s. Made ??????????????. First #NECWBB player in 9 yrs to go 7-7. #Perfection

@JPGuerette
(Dec. 29) .@SFBK_WBB tops Bryant 63-47. Led 31-11 at the half and 55-27 after 3. Strong first @NECsports game for @SFBK_HeadCoachT’s squad!


AROUND THE ARC
BRYANT has been without the services of its second-leading scorer – Ivory Bailey (12.1 ppg) – since a December 10 game at UMass, but the Bulldogs continue to receive prime production from senior forward Alex Klein. Averaging a team-leading 16.6 points per contest, Klein ran her league-leading double-doubles total to four by tallying 15 points and 10 boards in the Bulldogs’ win over LIU Brooklyn on Dec. 31.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT has 10 players who are averaging at least 10.0 minutes per contest apiece. Andi Lydon, who is one of two Blue Devils to have started all 13 games this season, leads the team in floor time, averaging 31.8 minutes per outing.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON posted a +6.50 per game turnover margin during NEC Opening Weekend. The league-high margin was fueled by 26 steals in two games. For the season, the Knights rank second amongst NEC steals team leaders (9.54 spg).

LIU BROOKLYN forced plenty of turnovers and defended the three-point shot well during its first two conference contests. The Blackbirds came up with a league-high 23.0 takeaways per contest while limiting opponents to an 8-for-39 clip from downtown during NEC Opening Weekend.

MOUNT ST. MARY’S snapped a six-game slide by posting a 66-47 triumph over Wagner on New Year ’s Eve. Playing their first home game in more than three weeks, nine different Mountaineers scored at least one point.

ROBERT MORRIS accounted for a shooting enigma of sorts last week. Converting at a .479 rate from downtown, the Colonials sank a league-high 23 three-pointers, but struggled at the free throw line. RMU made 14 of 24 attempts from the charity stripe for a conference-low .583 percentage.

SACRED HEART used efficient shooting and fierce rebounding to pick up two NEC victories. The Pioneers shot a league-high 43.7 percent from the floor while posting a conference-best +7.5 per game rebounding margin last week.

SAINT FRANCIS U has made habits out of theft and rejection. The Red Flash are first amongst NEC team leaders in both steals (9.85 spg) and blocked shots (6.85 bpg).

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN put its signature defense on display as the conference schedule opened. Holding two league opponents to 54.0 points per contest, John Thurston’s Terriers posted a NEC-best .295 field goal percentage defense.

WAGNER watched a trio of freshmen score in double figures during its setback to Mount St. Mary’s on December 31. NEC Rookie of the Week Kerstie Phills (12) and Kellie Crouch (12) tied for team-high scoring honors. Guard Corinn Baggs reached double digits for the first time, scoring 10 points and pulling down six boards.


FINE LINES (WEEK 8)
The following players earned “NEC Prime Performer status” after accounting for some fine statistical lines...

SHANOVIA DOVE (LIU BROOKLYN)
Leading LIU during a 1-1 #NECWBB Opening Weekend, the senior guard averaged 20 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest.

KATHERINE HAINES (SACRED HEART)
Powering the Pios to two #NECWBB wins, the sophomore shot 58 percent from the floor while averaging 14.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

OLIVIA LEVEY (ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN)
The senior post player opened the #NECWBB schedule by logging back-to-back 17-point games while averaging 8.5 rebounds per outing.

HANNAH KIMMEL (SACRED HEART)
The reigning NEC Player of the Year averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest over the first two conference games of her senior season.

KERSTIE PHILLS (WAGNER)
The freshman averaged a double-double last week and has hit double figures in scoring during six of her last seven appearances.

ALEXIS CARTER (MOUNT ST. MARY’S)
The veteran forward led Mount in both scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (10.5 rpg) vs. #NECWBB foes last week.

KIANA PATTERSON (CENTRAL CONNECTICUT)
Averaging 17.0 points per #NECWBB victory, the sophomore guard is a key reason why the Blue Devils are off to a 2-0 start in conference play.


FAST STARTS FOR NUTMEG STATE CONTINGENT
One of the two won’t be unbeaten for long.

Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut were the lone two teams to come away from NEC Opening Weekend with 2-0 records and the two intrastate rivals are set to face one another in a head-to-head matchup on Saturday, January 7.

SHU’s 2-0 start comes after the Pioneers earned the top spot in the preseason coaches’ poll. Sacred Heart, which has won 20 of its last 23 games against NEC teams, opened the 2016-17 conference slate by defeating the other two programs that received first-place votes in the aforementioned poll.

First, the Pioneers bottled up Robert Morris to the tune of 32.8 percent shooting, posting a 69-59 win in what was a rematch of the 2016 NEC Championship Game.

After knocking off the defending champions, Sacred Heart turned aside the NEC’s top scoring team. The Pioneers became only the third team this season to hold Saint Francis U under 70 points, topping the Red Flash by a 73-63 margin in Fairfield.

Meanwhile, Central Connecticut, which was tabbed for a seventh-place finish, slammed the brakes on an eight-game slide by winning back-to-back conference contests thanks to contributions from underclasswomen.

Rookie Cebria Outlow poured in a team-high 18 points and pulled down 17 caroms in a 66-53 home win over Wagner. Two days later, sophomore Kiana Patterson led all scorers with 20 points in the Blue Devils’ victory over St. Francis Brooklyn. CCSU shot 40 percent from three-point range and 89.5 percent from the free throw line in the 61-53 road win.

The upcoming clash between Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut, which will be carried live by NEC Front Row, will feature the league’s top-two leaders in terms of limiting giveaways. SHU (14.5/g) and CCSU (16.3/g) commit the fewest turnovers in the NEC.

SHU swept the season series during the 2015-16 campaign, including a 61-57 overtime triumph when the two teams last met in New Britain on January 18, 2016.


COLONIALS CONVERTING FROM THE FIELD
One of two NEC teams who are converting more than 40 percent of its shot attempts, Robert Morris has also shot it well from downtown.

The Colonials, who have hit 37.2 percent of its three-point attempts, have been the conference’s most-efficient group when it comes to dialing long distance.

Overall, RMU’s .405 team field goal percentage ranks second on the circuit to only Saint Francis U (.410).

Junior forward Megan Smith leads Robert Morris in both overall field goal percentage (.508) and three-point field goal percentage (.543). The Canadian-born Colonial, who has accounted for a league-best 19-of-35 clip from downtown, ranks third overall amongst the NEC’s shooting leaders.

Smith also ranks amongst the top-10 NEC leaders in both scoring (12.8 ppg – 10th) and rebounding (7.1 rpg – 4th).


SIMULTANEOUSLY SINKING AND STIFLING
The Red Flash can sink them about as well as they can defend them.

Saint Francis has developed a reputation for hoisting up, and making, a high volume of three-point shots under the direction of head coach Joe Haigh. As was the case last season, the Red Flash lead the circuit in three-pointers made (148) and attempted (444) and it’s not even close. No other NEC team has taken as many as 300 three-point attempts through 13 games this season and Robert Morris’ 92 triples are the next-highest total on the league leader board.

Only two NCAA Division I programs make three-pointers with more frequency than Saint Francis. The Flash averaged 11.4 triples per contest, sitting behind only Washington (11.5/g) and Sacramento State (11.5/g).

While they have made the most three-pointers in the NEC, their opponents have made the fewest.

Saint Francis, which boasts the conference’s top-ranked three-point field goal percentage defense (.299), have allowed a league-low 72 three-pointers through 13 games.

Last season, SFU sank a league-leading 318 three-pointers, accounting for 10.3 makes per game on average. Defensively, the Flash held opponents to the second-lowest three-point field goal percentage (.296) in the NEC.

No single player in the NEC makes three-pointers more frequently than SFU’s Jessica Kovatch. The sophomore sharp shooter, who paces the NEC in scoring average (21.2 ppg), hits 3.62 triples per contest, the sixth-highest average amongst Division I leaders.

As a rookie, Kovatch sank a conference-high 98 triples in 31 games.



QUOTABLE
JOHN THURSTON (ST. FRANCIS BKLYN), Head Coach
“They (CCSU) were very good. They were faster. I give them a lot of credit. Their point guard (Aleah Epps) controlled the pace and tempo of the game. She made sure the right people shot the ball at the right time. They play with tremendous intelligence and poise – they did all the little fundamental things that will allow you to win on the road.”
- after a 61-53 loss to Central Connecticut dropped the Terriers to 1-1 in NEC play.

“What you saw in the first half was every player playing at their maximum potential, not maximum result, but maximum potential. That means playing at both ends of the floor, rebounding the ball, making plays defensively, good passes, putting the ball in the basket, if we could do that than we could play with any team in the league, and we did that.”
- after the Terriers built a 31-11 advantage by halftime of their NEC opener against Bryant on Dec. 29.


CHARLIE BUSCAGLIA (ROBERT MORRIS), Head Coach
“I thought our accountability, speed, and movement on the floor offensively and defensively was pretty strong. ... We have to close the game out better. We didn’t hit key free throws and take care of the ball at the end. Fortunately, we were able to overcome all that and come away with the win. While I’m happy we won, there are still some things we have to do better.”
- after the Colonials held off Fairleigh Dickinson for a 66-64 road win on Dec. 31, evening their league record at 1-1

“For the first half we stayed in front of the ball pretty well, but we had horrible accountability on the ball in the second half. We didn’t communicate on defense and most of their shots were uncontested.”
- after the Colonials were out-scored by 14 points in the second half of a 69-59 defeat at NEC preseason favorite Sacred Heart on Dec. 29


PETE CINELLA (Fairleigh Dickinson), Head Coach
“Proud of the team for continuing to battle in the fourth quarter. We did such a great job on the glass, especially on the offensive glass and not turning the ball over. You have to give Saint Francis U credit for making free throws down the stretch. They are very talented, probably the most talented team in our league. Unfortunately, we missed some easy shots and did not get a few 50-50 balls.”
- after an 82-79 setback to Saint Francis U in Thursday’s NEC lid-lifter