NEWBA Announces Weekly Awards for Nov. 20

Abby Kelly
Bowdoin College
Junior • Guard • Bombay, N.Y.

Senior guard Abby Kelly of Bowdoin College is the Presto Sports NEWBA Player of the Week for games played from November 13-19. Kelly averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game en route to Skidmore Invitational MVP honors. Kelly was particularly outstanding in knocking off third-ranked St. Thomas on Saturday, scoring a career-high 27 points with eight boards and four assists. She also recorded 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 76-42 triumph over Skidmore on Friday. For the weekend, Kelly connected on 57 percent from the field, including 42 percent from three-point range. 

Mikayla Pucci 
Wheaton College
Freshman • Forward • Hopkinton, Mass.

Freshman forward Mikayla Pucci of Wheaton College earns NEWBA Rookie of the Week honors after averaging 18.0 points on 57.1 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds per game on her way to Kean University Classic All-Tournament Team accolades. Pucci led the Lyons to a 2-1 week, with the only loss coming on Friday to Cabrini in triple overtime when the freshman scored 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line to go with 12 rebounds. She also posted a 15-point, six-rebound effort on Saturday in a 63-51 win over Salisbury. 

• Kennedy Guest-Pritchett, Smith (Jr., F, Fairburn, Ga.) - In a 3-0 week for Smith, Guest-Pritchett averaged 18.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, and was named the MVP of the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament. In the Pioneers' season-opening win over Pine Manor, she scored 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting to go along with nine boards. In the opening game of the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament, she racked up 21 points and 11 rebounds as Smith topped Southern Maine, 72-64. In the final game of the weekend, Guest-Pritchett totaled 18 points, 14 rebounds, one steal, and one assist in an 85-64 victory over Bates. Over three games, she shot 59.5 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the free throw line.
• Emily Irwin, Curry (Jr., G, Billerica, Mass.) - Irwin opened her junior campaign in impressive fashion, averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a staggering 10.3 steals per game as she led Curry to a 2-1 week. Irwin started the week with 17 points on 5-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists and 10 steals in a 57-53 win over Framingham State. She followed that performance with 22 points, nine boards, seven assists and 15 steals in a victory over Pine Manor. She then closed the week with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and six steals in a loss to Maine Maritime. 
• Savannah Olsen, Newbury (Jr., F, Battle Creek, Mich.) - Olsen averaged 20.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in a 2-1 week for Newbury, and she was named MVP of the St. Joseph's Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend. The junior opened her week with 21 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in a loss to Mount Ida, before tallying 19 points, seven boards and three assists in a two-point win over Fitchburg State. Olsen, who shot 55.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc for the week, capped her week with 20 points, 14 boards and two assists in a 60-54 victory over St. Joseph on Saturday. 
• Olivia Shaw, University of New England (Sr., F, Saco, Maine) - Shaw averaged 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in a 3-0 week for the Nor'easters. She shot 58.5 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. Shaw matched her career-high in points (23), and established career-highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (four), to lead all players in a 75-63 win over Southern Maine. She was then named Tournament MVP of Plattsburgh State's Cardinal Classic after scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 boards in the title game as UNE defeated Plymouth State, 67-42.
• Jancy Sherwood, Western Connecticut (Jr., G, Poughquag, N.Y.) - Sherwood scored at a prolific rate over the weekend at the Brandeis Tournament on her way to All-Tournament Team honors. The junior averaged 27.5 points per game with 33 against Eastern Nazarene and 22 against Mitchell.