INDIANAPOLIS -- Green Bay guard Adrian Ritchie has been named the Horizon League women’s basketball Player of the Week, while Youngstown State guard Shar’Rae Davis has been named the Newcomer of the Week.
Ritchie was on target from long-distance last week, connecting on 67% (8-of-12) of her three-point attempts in Green Bay’s two wins. She had 17 points, knocking down 3-of-6 three-pointers, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in Green Bay’s 63-37 win over Loyola on Thursday. On Saturday, the De Pere, Wis., native scored the first nine Phoenix points - all on three-pointers - and ended up making her first five three-point attempts of the game. She finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists as the Phoenix won, 80-56, at Milwaukee.
The 20th-ranked Phoenix (26-2, 16-0) finished the regular season undefeated in Horizon League play for the fifth time in school history and will look to add the conference tournament championship to their collection when they begin play on Wednesday against either ninth-seed UIC or eighth-seed Valparaiso.
Davis won Newcomer of the Week honors for the third time this season after recording her two highest scoring games in League play last week. The Grand Haven, Mich., native was was 7-of-12 from the field and finished with 18 points, five assists, seven rebounds, a block and three steals in YSU’s win over Valparaiso on Monday. On Saturday, she scored all 16 of her points in the second half as YSU lost at Detroit.
Despite the loss, the Penguins (21-8, 11-5) who were picked eighth in the preseason poll, enter this week’s conference tournament as the No. 2 seed after enjoying their best finish in the regular season since joining the Horizon League. They open play on Wednesday against seventh-seed Cleveland State.
Top Performers for the Week:
Ashley Green, Milwaukee(So., F) - Green averaged a team-high 19.0 ppg., last week to help the Panthers split their two contest and earn the No. 6 seed in the HL tournament. She scored a team-high 18 points and added seven rebounds in the Panthers win over UIC on Thursday. Against Green Bay on Saturday, Green scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. She was the first player to score 20 or more points against the Phoenix in six games.
Gina Lange, Valparaiso(Sr., F) - Lange scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half as the Crusaders outscored Detroit by 23 points in the second frame to win 73-53. She was 7-of-12 from the field against the Titans.
Kim Demmings, Wright State(So., G) - Demmings had 20 points and 10 assists as Wright State defeated Cleveland State on Thursday. Demmings was the only player in conference play this season to record 10 or more assists in a game.
Ayrealle Beavers, Loyola(So., G) - Beavers stuffed her stat line with 11 points, seven assists, four steals and three blocked shots in the Ramblers 78-68 win at UIC on Saturday.
Shareta Brown, Detroit(So., F) - Brown posted a pair of double-doubles last week and now has 13 for the season and 25 for her career. She had 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Titans avenged an earlier loss to Youngstown State with a win on Thursday. On Saturday, she had 15 points and 10 rebounds as UDM fell to Valparaiso. She shot 65% (13-of-20) from the floor in the two games combined.
Shalonda Winton, Cleveland State (Sr., F) - Winton recorded her 17th double-double of the season with 15 points and 16 rebounds in the Vikings loss to Wright State on Thursday. She has now scored in double figures in 49 consecutive games.
Top Newcomers for the Week:
Taylor Johnson, Loyola(Fr., G) - Johnson had 16 points, six rebounds and two assists in Loyola’s win at UIC to clinch the No. 3 seed in the HL Tournament.
Rachel Story, UIC (Jr., G) - Story led the Flames in scoring in both of their games last week, dropping 20 points on Milwaukee and Loyola.
Ivory James, Wright State (Jr., G) - James tallied 12 points, five rebounds and two steals as the Raiders defeated Cleveland State, 61-53, on Thursday.
Jessi Wiedemann, Valparaiso(Fr., G) - Wiedemann scored a career-high 13 points in Valpo’s win over Detroit on Saturday.
Women’s Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 12: Shaquira Scott, Valparaiso
Nov. 19: Brandi Brown, Youngstown State & Shareta Brown, Detroit
Nov. 26: Sarah Eichler, Green Bay
Dec. 3: Shareta Brown, Detroit
Dec. 10: Shalonda Winton, Cleveland State
Dec. 17: Kim Demmings, Wright State
Dec. 24: Shareta Brown, Detroit
Dec. 31: Tabitha Gerardot, Valparaiso
Jan. 7: Brandi Brown, Youngstown State
Jan. 14: Tabitha Gerardot, Valparaiso
Jan. 21: Shareta Brown, Detroit
Jan. 28: Brandi Brown, Youngstown State
Feb. 4: Tabitha Gerardot, Valparaiso
Feb. 11: Katie Hannemann, UIC
Feb. 18: Simone Law, Loyola
Feb. 25: Katie Hannemann, UIC & Megan Lukan, Green Bay
Mar. 4: Brandi Brown, Youngstown State
Mar. 11: Adrian Ritchie, Green Bay
Women’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week:
Nov. 12: Shar’Rae Davis, Youngstown State
Nov. 19: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Nov. 26: Rachel Story, UIC
Dec. 3: Shar’Rae Davis, Youngstown State
Dec. 10: Charae Richardson, Valparaiso
Dec. 17: Tayler Stanton, Wright State
Dec. 24: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Dec. 31: Terri Bender, UIC
Jan. 7: Charae Richardson, Valparaiso
Jan. 14: Terri Bender, UIC
Jan. 21: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Jan. 28: Ivory James, Wright State
Feb. 4: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Feb. 11: Karen Flagg, Youngstown State
Feb. 18: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Feb. 25: Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Mar. 4: Ivory James, Wright State
Mar. 11: Shar’Rae Davis, Youngstown State
