NEWBA Announces Weekly Awards for January 15

Emily Irwin
Curry College
Senior • Guard • Billerica, Mass.

There wasn’t much Irwin didn’t do in a 2-1 week for Curry. She averaged 23.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 4.3 steals per game last week. She recorded double-doubles in all three contests, starting with an 18-point, 12-rebound game against Roger Williams on Tuesday, a 59-55 loss. She also had seven assists and four steals against the Hawks. Irwin followed that up with a season-high 35 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday as the Colonels defeated the University of New England, 63-54. It was Curry’s first win over the Nor’easters in over a decade. The senior guard also had four assists and seven steals in the contest. She closed out the week with 17 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in a 58-52 victory over Western New England on Saturday.

Karli Opalka
Roger Williams
Freshman • Center • Southbury, Conn.

Opalka helped Roger Williams earn two conference wins last week while shooting 78.9 percent (15-for-19) from the floor. She averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Opalka opened the week with a double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) against Curry in a 59-55 win on Tuesday. She added 14 more points in a 69-65 road win against Gordon on Saturday.

• Lucy Barrett, Westfield State (Senior | Guard | Williamstown, Mass.) - Barrett averaged 27.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 steals per game in a 2-0 week for the Owls. She opened the week with 31 points, eight rebounds and four steals on Tuesday as Westfield State defeated No. 25 ranked and previously unbeaten Middlebury, 84-79. Barrett then totaled 24 points, five steals and four boards on Saturday in a 77-68 MASCAC triumph over Bridgewater State. For the week, she shot 51.4 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point distance and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe. 
• Catherine Coppinger, Fitchburg State (Junior | Guard | Boston, Mass.) - Coppinger turned in an impressive performance in Fitchburg State's only game of the week against Salem State on Wednesday, as she finished with 20 points, 20 rebounds, three steals and a block in a 61-54 victory for the Falcons.
• Alexis Hackett, Suffolk (Junior | Guard | Charlton, Mass.) - Hackett registered a double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in Suffolk's 78-63 victory over Rivier on Tuesday. Hackett connected on 8-of-13 field goals and went 2-for-3 at the foul line. 
• Payton Ouimette, Babson (Senior | Forward | Medfield, Mass.) - Ouimette continued her strong play by posting two double-doubles and averaging 16.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in a 3-0 week for Babson. The senior finished with 16 points, 14 boards and four assists in Tuesday's 73-56 win over Emerson, and then had 17 points and 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes of work in an 82-53 victory over Wheaton on Thursday. Ouimette capped the week by scoring 16 points, including the 1,000th of her career, and adding nine rebounds and two dimes in Saturday's 75-62 triumph at Coast Guard. 
• Gracie Restituyo, Springfield (Senior | Forward | Barrington, R.I.) - Restituyo averaged 16.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game in two NEWMAC wins for the Pride last week. In a 63-50 victory over Coast Guard on Tuesday, Restituyo posted 15 points to go along with a career-best 16 boards. She then helped Springfield to a 58-57 win over MIT on Saturday, producing 18 points and 13 rebounds.