Dec. 10, 2012
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Release in PDF
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Kayla Alexander, Syracuse, Sr., C (Milton, Ontario)
Alexander averaged 27.0 ppg and 13.0 rpg while shooting 54 percent to lead the Orange to a pair of victories last week. She had a career-high 34 points against Wagner, outscoring the Seahawks in a 66-28 win. She added 13 rebounds and three blocks. Against Loyola (Md.), she had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. The double-doubles were the fourth and fifth of the season for Alexander.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Jewell Loyd, Notre Dame, Fr., G (Lincolnwood, Ill.)
Loyd averaged 19.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.0 steals per game with a .481 field goal percentage and .556 3-point percentage. The Irish lost to No. 3/3 Baylor on Dec. 5 before bouncing back with a 109-70 victory against Utah State on Dec. 8. Loyd scored a career-best 24 points, including a 4-of-5 effort from behind the arc, against Baylor. She had 15 points, four rebounds and three steals against the Aggies.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut, So., F
Mosqueda-Lewis averaged 16.0 ppg during a week in which the Huskies knocked off two top-10 opponents in Maryland and Penn State.
Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown, Sr., G
In a 1-1 week for the Hoyas, Rodgers averaged 27.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg. She added four assists and seven steals.
Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame, Jr., F
Achonwa shot 71.4 percent from the floor for the Irish, averaging almost a double-double with 17.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg in two games. She also added seven assists.
Monique Oliver, Rutgers, Sr., F/C
Oliver averaged 16.0 ppg in a 2-0 week for the Scarlet Knights. She added five assists, six steals and five blocks, while shooting 65 percent from the floor.
Andrell Smith, USF, Sr., G
Smith averaged 17.0 ppg in a 2-0 week for the Bulls. She had 19 points against Florida Gulf Coast before adding 15 points and six assists against Jacksonville.
BIG EAST Notes
Maggie Dixon Classic At MSG
A BIG EAST team has played in “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, Madison Square Garden, in each of the previous seven seasons. In 2012-13, three BIG EAST teams will play there, including Rutgers, St. John’s and Seton Hall. On Sunday, the Scarlet Knights defeated Louisiana Tech 73-46 at MSG, while the RV/25 Red Storm fell 60-42 to No. 4/4 Duke at the eighth annual Maggie Dixon Classic.
The Maggie Dixon Classic honors the former Army women’s basketball coach who died in April 2006, of arrhythmia, probably caused by an enlarged heart. Her death came three weeks after her first season as a head coach, where she led Army to its first NCAA berth. She also is the sister of Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. Along with games at Madison Square Garden, there’s a health and heart expo.
The Bulls Great Start
USF defeated Jacksonville 92-52 on Dec. 8 on the road. The Bulls improved to 8-0, tying the best start in school history, set in 1976-77. USF had five different players score in double digits, and had 13 players score at least one in the Bulls’ highest-scoring game of the season.
SU Rising Star
Syracuse defeated Loyola (Md.) 83-48 on Dec. 8 at home. Senior Kayla Alexander moved into second place on the SU career scoring list with a 20-point, 13-rebound performance. The senior center passed former Orange star and current staff member Erica Morrow (1,658) with a short jumper at the 4:57 mark of the second half. She finished the game with 1,661 points, 123 behind Nicole Michael’s (2007-10) program record of 1,784.
Turning it Over
After No. 8/8 Louisville committed a season-high 25 turnovers in a loss to Kentucky on Dec. 2, the Cardinals turned the ball over only eight times in a 96-40 win against visiting Valparaiso on Dec. 8.
Marquette Community Service
Marquette will continue its five-game home stand on Dec. 15 when it welcomes Toledo for an 8 p.m. ET tip. The Golden Eagles will be hosting “We Back Pat” night at the game in support of the Pat Summitt Foundation. Assistant coach Tyler Summitt will be speaking at halftime and MU will be selling “We Back Pat” t-shirts for $15.
