NEC Player of the Week: Denia Davis-Stewart, MER
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NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DENIA DAVIS-STEWART, MERRIMACK
Sr., F, 6-1, Dorchester, MA/New Mission
Week 6 Stats: 1 start, 26 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, .545 FG pct.
Davis-Stewart delivered more of the same during Merrimack’s first-ever meeting with a Big Ten member. The senior forward recorded her league-leading sixth double-double in a three-point setback at Illinois. She poured in a game-high 26 points and secured 15 caroms while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor. Davis-Stewart netted 11 fourth-quarter points, including a fast –break layup that gave the Warriors a 60-59 edge with 8:03 remaining. She sank her final bucket with 00:33 left, cutting Illinois’ lead to 72-69. The 6-foot-1 Massachusetts product blocked three shots from the Illini and she remains in second place amongst NCAA Division I leaders in blocks per game (5.11). Davis-Stewart’s 15 rebounds tied for the second most by a NEC athlete this season.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
NEVENA DIMITRIJEVIC, ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
Fr., G, 5-3, Kragujevac, Serbia
Week 6 Stats: 1 start, 16 points, 6 rebounds, .857 FT pct.
Dimitrijevic spearheaded St. Francis Brooklyn’s road win over America East member Albany. The first-year Terrier scored a game-high 16 points in a 49-41 triumph. Playing all 40 minutes, Dimitrijevic secured six caroms and dished out one assist while committing only one turnover. The freshman shot 45.4 percent from two-point range and accounted for a 6-for-7 clip from the free throw line. Her traditional three-point play broke a 30-30 tie with 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter and SFBK led the rest of the way. Dimitrijevic made all four free throws that she attempted during the game’s final minute.
PRIME PERFORMERS (WEEK 6)
The following players earned “NEC Prime Performer status” after accounting for some fine statistical lines...
DENIA DAVIS-STEWART (MERRIMACK)
1 start (at Illinois), 26 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, .545 FG pct.
BRIDGET BIRKHEAD (MOUNT ST. MARY’S)
1 start (at UMES), 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, .615 3FG pct., 8 3FGM [NEC single-game season high]
LAUREN FRANCILLON (FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON)
1 appearance (at NJIT), 17 points in 23 minutes, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, .800 FG pct.
NNEKA EZEIGBO (ROBERT MORRIS)
1 start (at Rhode Island), 20 points [game high], 6 rebounds, 1 steal, .421 FG pct.
TWEET SHEET
@hoptine
(Dec 10) Tonight, @MerrimackWBB takes on Illinois in perhaps their most challenging game of non-conference play. But scheduling tough is par for the course in @NECsports, as the perennial favorites have already demonstrated.
@SkinsHoops86
(Dec 10) Merrimack, a school in their 1st year transitioning to D1 (full member in 2023-2024), is only down 2 headed into the 4th quarter vs. Illinois. ?? #ncaaw
@WCIA3sports
(Dec 11) Illinois trailed in the 4th quarter but a new career high 23 points and 12 rebounds from standout freshman Kennedi Myles helps @IlliniWBB protect home court and beat Merrimack
@hoptine
(Dec 10) Death, taxes, and a Denia Davis-Stewart first-quarter line of 9 points, 4 rebounds, and a block #NECWBB
@RMUWBasketball
(Dec 11) NEWS: @Arte_15 [Artemis Spanouu] will become the 16th different student-athlete from our program to be inducted into the @RMUAthletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 28, 2020.
@Coachgaitley
(Dec 10) OH WHAT A NIGHT...so excited to see Angs first of many wins as coach @FDUKnightsWBB - super proud ???????????? @CoachAngSzumilo
@RMUWBasketball
(Dec 11) “Robert Morris has been amazing ... The people I’ve met. The things I’ve learned. I’ve grown in so many ways here.” Grab a copy of the newest @RMU Foundations magazine to read Joe Bendel’s profile of @nnekaezeigbo! ??
@CoachAngSzumilo
(Dec 9) Had a lot of fun with @Coachlaurenhol1, Cathy Liggett and the rest of the @FDUWhatsNew volunteers at the Late Knight Breakfast tonight! Good luck to all the students as they take on finals this week! #YouGotIt
@Zack_L_Ward
(Dec 14) Alyssa Fisher with a key block with 24 seconds to go to help the St. Francis Terriers win this game, 49-41 over Albany.
@brandnewkindof
(Dec 14) five years ago i took @arenaapothecary to see @uncwbb play app state, and today we are watching 3-5 st francis play 4-6 albany, #ncaaw is magical and i mean that sincerely
@NevinCaple
(Dec 13) As a former @NECsports student-athlete, it was an honor to lead groundbreaking discussions on LGBTQ inclusion and race at the inaugural NEC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit. Thanks for the invitation @NECcommish! #NECDEI #NECWBB ??????
QUOTABLE
CHARLIE BUSCAGLIA (Robert Morris), Head Coach
“Rhode Island came out with a great energy and we fell behind early with some breakdowns defensively. I’m very proud of our team as the game went on to have the culture to keep fighting. We came up short today, but in the second half we kept pushing and continued to get better. That’s something a coach always prides him or herself on, to get better as the game’s going on and overcome the adversity of a slow start.”
- after RMU faced a 39-17 halftime deficit at Rhode Island, but forced 10 turnovers over the final two quarters of the 71-59 setback
ANGELIKA SZUMILO (Fairleigh Dickinson), Head Coach
“We talked a lot about how to defend them and our goal was to keep them under 60 points, and we felt if we did that, we would be in a good position to win the game.”
- after FDU triumphed, 68-59, over North Jersey rival NJIT in Newark
FEATURED HEADLINES
FDU SINKS NORTH JERSEY RIVAL FOR MILESTONE WIN
It was a special win over a local rival.
Fairleigh Dickinson snapped its season-opening seven-game slide by defeating fellow North Jersey inhabitant NJIT in Newark.
In the process, the Knights delivered the first career coaching victory to first-year head coach Angelika Szumilo.
"Everyone came in focused today, and everyone that played did a little of everything," said Szumilo after FDU shot 50.0 percent from the field during a 68-59 triumph.
Senior forward Lauren Francillon possessed the hottest hand of the group, nailing 8 of 10 field goal attempts over 23 minutes.
"Lauren was unconscious in the second half, hitting jumper after jumper and three after three so that definitely helped us along with her rebounding and post defense," said Szumilo.
Playing in her third game since returning from injury, Francillon finished with 17 points and seven caroms. She has broken the 10-point barrier in all three outings.
"It feels great to get one off your back,” said Szumilo. “More importantly, I'm so happy for the athletes because they've been working extremely hard and I wanted them to feel that feeling of winning. I don't want them to forget that feeling."
Szumilo, who was most recently the associate head coach at Fordham prior to landing in Hackensack, competed as a NEC student-athlete for LIU. She was a key member of the Blackbirds’ 2001 NEC Tournament championship team.
BIRKHEAD’S BIG DAY DOWNTOWN
Mount St. Mary’s guard Bridget Birkhead (Doylestown, PA) put on a three-pointing shooting clinic against MEAC member UMES.
The junior sharpshooter tied the program’s single-game record for three-pointers by nailing 8 triples in 13 attempts. Hitting more shots from downtown than any other NEC player in a game this season, Birkhead finished with a career-high 26 points in a last-second 78-76 setback.
Sparking a comeback attempt, the 5-foot-11 guard sank five three-pointers after the Mount fell behind by a 17-point margin midway through the third quarter.
She hit four fourth-quarter triples with the last one tying the score at 76-76 with 00:27 left on the clock.
For the season, Birkhead owns the fifth-highest three-point field goal percentage (.429) on the circuit.
DAVIS-STEWART DOUBLE-DOUBLE STACKIN’
Two out of every three games, Merrimack senior forward Denia Davis-Stewart logs a double-double.
In the Warriors’ first-ever match-up with a Big Ten member, Davis-Stewart did it again. The veteran poured in 26 points and secured 15 caroms in a 72-69 setback at Illinois.
The performance marked Davis-Stewart’s sixth double-double in nine games. The Massachusetts product is one of only 15 Division I players with at least six double-doubles this season.
Davis-Stewart also ranks amongst the DI elite in blocked shots. Her 5.11 blocks per game average is good enough for second highest on the national leader board.
In her first season of Division I competition, Davis-Stewart paces the NEC in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (12.2 rpg).
SFBK FRESHMAN FIFTH IN NATION
St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Nevena Dimitrijevic has been collecting NEC weekly honors and dishing out plenty of assists.
The first-year Terrier, who has recorded at least one assist in all nine games, is enjoying her third NEC Rookie of the Week award in six weeks.
Dimitrijevic, who logged a NEC single-game season-high 12 assists at NJIT on November 26, paces the circuit in assists per game average (6.7) and ranks fifth amongst NCAA DI leaders. Her 15.3 points per game are the most amongst Northeast Conference freshmen this season.
FLASH PUSH KEYSTONE STATE RIVAL TO BRINK
Saint Francis U had defeated Vermont in its only overtime game of the season heading into its battle with A-10 member Duquesne.
With SFU clinging to a two-point lead, Duquesne sank a pair of late free throws to force an extra session. The two Keystone State rivals recorded three ties during overtime until the Dukes finally eked out a 72-69 triumph.
SFU junior forward Haley Thomas, who scored 14 points in the double OT win over Vermont, tallied a team-high 14 points to go along with six boards in the setback to Duquesne.
The Red Flash, who will wrap up non-conference play by hosting Liberty and Buckell, posted a 1-5 record in true out-of-league road games.