NEWBA Announces Weekly Awards for Feb. 27

Giovanna Pickering
Babson College
Senior • Guard • Hull, Mass.

Jill Valley
Westfield State University
Senior • Guard • Orange, Mass.

Senior guards Giovanna Pickering of Babson College and Jill Valley of Westfield State University earn Presto Sports NEWBA Co-Player of the Week honors for February 27.

Pickering put together a pair of spectacular performances over the weekend, averaging 29.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 57.1 percent to help Babson capture its seventh NEWMAC Tournament championship in nine years. The senior guard, who earned tournament most outstanding player honors, poured in a career-high 35 points in Saturday's 83-59 semifinal win over Smith and then finished with 24 points, five rebounds and four steals in a 65-46 victory over WPI in Sunday's title game.

Valley was named MVP of the MASCAC Tournament after averaging 30 points, six rebounds, five steals, 2.5 assists and 2 blocked shots per game. She scored 39 points in the semifinals, a 97-95 double-overtime win over Bridgewater State on Thursday. She connected on 14 of a school-record 31 shots from the floor, and made five three pointers. In the title game, Valley scored a game-high 21 points and added seven rebounds and five steals as the Owls defeated Framingham State, 83-74.

Sadie Nelson
University of New England
Freshman • Guard • Windham, Maine

University of New England freshman guard Sadie Nelson is this week's NEWBA Rookie of the Week after helping lead the Nor'easters to their fifth straight CCC championship. She averaged 9.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while posting a pair of double-figure scoring performances. She recorded 12 points, five rebounds and three assists in Thursday's 75-59, semifinal victory over Eastern Nazarene, before totaling 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists on Saturday in the championship contest as UNE pulled away late to earn a 76-62 triumph over Western New England. 

• Alicia Brown, University of New England (Sr., C, Greenland, N.H.) - Brown led the University of New England to its fifth straight CCC title last week, averaging 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game. She shot 54.7% from the field for the week and posted a pair of double-doubles, including a 33-point, ten-rebound effort in the Nor'easters' win over Eastern Nazarene in the semifinals. 
• Paris Hodges, Brandeis (Sr., G, Southampton, N.Y.) - Hodges provided half of Brandeis' offense with 25 points in a 50-47 win at NYU on Saturday. She played all 40 minutes and produced the team's season scoring high in her final game. She scored 11 of Brandeis's 21 points in the first quarter and seven of their nine in the fourth, including a key 3-pointer to make it a two-possession game with under three minutes to go. Hodges also tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds and led all players with a career-best five steals.
• Jennie Lindland, Bridgewater State (Sr., F, Edgartown, Mass.) - Lindland averaged 31.5 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and 1.5 blocked shots in two games during the MASCAC Tournament while shooting 63 percent (25-40) from the field. She posted a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three steals and a block in a 71-60 quarterfinal round win over Salem State University. Lindland then poured in a school record 38 points and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds in a 97-95 double overtime loss to Westfield State University in the semifinals. She also notched three steals and blocked two shots in the setback to the Owls.
• Kelsi McNamara, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (So., G, West Newbury, Mass.) - McNamara earned GNAC Tournament MVP honors for the second-consecutive season after averaging 24.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals while leading the Monks to their second-straight GNAC title last week. The sophomore point guard netted 31 points with seven assists and four boards and connected for several huge three-point shots in a thrilling double-overtime semifinal victory over Johnson & Wales on Thursday. McNamara capped the week with 24 points, five assists, and five boards in an overtime triumph over Emmanuel College in the GNAC Championship on Saturday.
• Brittany Stone, Regis (Jr., F, West Bridgewater, Mass.) - Stone was named NECC Tournament MVP after leading the Pride to their fifth straight conference crown last week. She averaged 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 73.5% from the field. In Saturday's 92-49, NECC title-clinching victory over Elms, she recorded 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
• Kenzie Worcester, Husson (So., G, Washburn, Maine) - Worcester helped lead the Eagles to the NAC championship last week, earning Tournament MVP honors in the process. She averaged 19.5 points on 53.8% shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game. As the Eagles took down Colby-Sawyer 87-49 on Friday, Worcester led all scorers with 28 points (including 13 in the 1st quarter) while also adding five assists, five steals, and draining six 3-pointers. In the NAC Championship game, Worcester scored 11 points, corralled eight rebounds, and dished out four assists in a 58-55 win over New England College.