WORCESTER, Mass. – The 2015-16 collegiate basketball season commenced last week with Clark University and Worcester State University competing shortly after midnight on Friday, November 13. And with the initial weekend in the books, it is time to unveil the Worcester Area Collegiate Basketball Association (WACBA) Players and Rookies of the Week, and honor roll.
Men’s Co-Player of the Week: Declan Soukup (Jr.), Assumption (Melbourne, Australia): In a 2-0 weekend, Soukup led the Hounds with 19.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. He posted 20 points in the win over Georgian Court, highlighted by an 11-for-12 showing at the line in that game. He also chipped in 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest as well.
Men’s Co-Player of the Week: Patrick Bradanese (Sr.), Anna Maria (Billerica, Mass.): Bradanese averaged 21.5 points per game on a 47.2 percent shooting effort in the opening weekend for Anna Maria. He scored a game-high 26 points on 61.1 percent shooting in Anna Maria’s 76-67 win against Bridgewater State before adding another 17 points against No. 10 Babson. Seven of Bradanese’s 17 field goals over the weekend were hit from beyond the three-point arc. He also averaged 4.0 assists per game.
Men’s Rookie of the Week: Marcos Echevarria (Fr.), Nichols College (Peabody, Mass.): Echevarria poured in 33 points in his collegiate debut in a 105-85 win over Becker. Echevarria made 9-of-15 from the field – including 8-of-11 from 3-point range – and also sank 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Echevarria snared seven rebounds and dished out four assists in 37 minutes of action.
Women’s Player of the Week: Allison Stoddard (Jr.), Assumption (East Lyme, Conn.): In a 2-0 weekend, Stoddard averaged 14 points per game to go along with four rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. Highlighting her weekend was a 21-point performance in a win over Dominican as she earned a spot on the Assumption Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team.
Women’s Rookie of the Week: Britt Herring (Fr.), Worcester State (W. Brookfield, Mass.): Herring tallied up 36 points in her first collegiate week of basketball at the Worcester City Tournament. She recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and three blocks in the Lancers’ 58-56 setback to Clark University on Friday. She then registered a double-double in the 56-36 win over Becker College, scoring 20 points and notching 14 rebounds. She went 57.1 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. She also had a game-high five blocks against the Hawks.
Honor Roll
Robert Champion (Jr.), Holy Cross (Charlotte, N.C.): Champion led the team in scoring with 16 points in the Crusaders’ victory at Marist. He tied his career-high, and set a new career-best with eight rebounds. With 6.7 left and Holy Cross up 65-64, Champion hit two free throws to give the Crusaders a three-point lead.
Karl Charles (Fr.), Holy Cross (Piscataway, N.J.): In the first game of his collegiate career, Charles totaled six points and four rebounds in the victory at Marist. Additionally, he posted one assist, one block and one steal.
Christina Gauvin (Jr.), Anna Maria (Dudley, Mass.): Gauvin scored 20 points in the team’s season-opening win against Elms. She shot 35.3 percent from the floor with two three-pointers and hit six-of-seven (85.7 percent) from the free-throw line. She also recorded a career-high eight steals in the victory.
Anthony Muccioli (Sr.), Fitchburg State (Nashua, N.H.): Averaged 14.5 points per game and 3.5 rebound per contest for the Falcons. Posted 14 points, four rebounds and one steal in a 87-76 setback to Springfield College in opening round action of the 2015 Hampton Inn Classic on Friday evening before registering 15 points and three caroms in an 86-82 loss to Mitchell College in the Consolation Round of the 2015 Hampton Inn Classic on Saturday.
Erika Schneider (Sr.), Fitchburg State (Rockland, Mass.): Averaged 12.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest for the Falcons. Registered a team-best 13 points and three boards in a 95-27 setback to Johnson & Wales University on Saturday before adding 12 points, seven caroms and two steals in a 71-40 setback to Colby-Sawyer on Sunday.
Marquez McKreith-Collins (Jr.), Worcester State (Springfield, Mass.): McKrieth-Collins recorded a double-double in the 83-78 setback to Clark University Friday morning. McKreith-Collins scored 22 points and added in 10 rebounds against the Scarlet and White. In addition, he had two assists, one steal, and shot 63.6 percent from the field.
Alex Santos (Fr.), Worcester State (Lawrence, Mass.): Santos scored 19 points for the Lancers in the 83-78 loss to Clark University on Friday. He had 15 points in the first half, and then added in another four in the second. Santos led the team in assists with four, and added in two rebounds and one steal on the evening. He shot 50 percent from the field, 37.5 from the three-point range, and 80 percent from the free throw line.
Brianna Hackett (So.), Worcester State (Hollis, N.H.): Hackett racked up 31 points in a 1-1 week for the Lancers. She totaled 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the 58-56 setback to Clark on Friday, and then had 23 points in the 56-34 win over Becker College.
Aaron Todd (So.), WPI (York, Maine): Todd earned Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors as the Engineers moved to 2-0 for the 13th straight season by claiming the Rick Martin Holiday Inn Tournament at Westfield State University. The sophomore opened the season with his first career double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, as the Engineers defeated nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut 60-50. In Saturday’s title game, Todd totaled a career-high 13 points and gobbled up nine rebounds as WPI defeated the host Owls 59-50.
Yasmeen Luna (Sr.), WPI (North Providence, R.I.): Luna was tabbed the Most Valuable Player of the 35th annual Worcester City Tournament. She anchored the Engineers’ defense, which limited opponents to just 27 points per game in the tournament.
Release Courtesy of Mark Therrian, WPI Sports Information