NEWBA Announces Weekly Awards for January 22

Destiny Spears
Newbury College
Senior • Forward • Arnold, Md.

Senior forward Destiny Spears of Newbury College is the Presto Sports NEWBA Player of the Week for games played from January 15-21. Spears turned in impressive all-around numbers in a 3-0 week for the Nighthawks, averaging 18.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.0 assists per game. She posted a pair of double-doubles, beginning with a 14-point, ten-rebound, five-steal effort on Tuesday in a 61-45 win over Lesley. Spears followed that up with 17 points, 14 boards, five assists and four steals against Bay Path on Thursday, before scoring 24 points to go with seven rebounds, seven steals and two assists at Southern Vermont on Saturday. For the week, Spears shot 53.5 percent from the field.

Kristen Curley
Southern Maine
Freshman • Guard • Gorham, Maine

Freshman guard Kristen Curley of Southern Maine earns NEWBA Rookie of the Week honors for the third time this season after averaging 25.5 points on 57.9 percent shooting, six rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in a 2-0 week for the Huskies. Curley recorded 16 points, five rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal on Wednesday in a 76-48 victory at Plymouth State. The freshman then produced the top performance of her rookie campaign on Saturday, scoring a season-high 35 points to go with seven boards, two steals one block and one assist in a 79-77 win over West Conn. Curley shot 16-of-24 from the field against the Colonials and hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer.

• Lexie Hamilton, Colby-Sawyer (Sophomore • Guard • Sunapee, N.H.) - Hamilton averaged 18.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game in a 2-1 week for the Chargers. She began the week in impressive fashion with a triple-double of 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 65-42 win over Plymouth State. She then posted eight points and 12 assists in 23 minutes in a 78-41 victory over Green Mountain. In a tough 79-77 overtime loss to in-state rival New England College, Hamilton ended the week with a 30-point, 8-rebound effort against the Pilgrims. 
• Abby Kelly, Bowdoin (Junior • Guard • Bombay, N.Y.) - Kelly was an offensive force in a 3-0 week for the Polar Bears, averaging 18 points per game on 63.3 percent shooting from the field and red-hot 81.3 percent from three-point distance. She opened the week with 21 points against Husson, before scoring 17 and 16 points against Colby and Maine-Presque Isle, respectively. Kelly also averaged 6.7 rebounds per game. 
• Jaymesha Sanders, Newbury (Freshman • Forward • West Haven, Conn.) - Sanders posted impressive averages of 18.3 points, 16 rebounds, two steals and one block per game in a 3-0 week for the Nighthawks. She recorded double-doubles in all three contests, beginning with ten points, ten boards and three steals in a win over Lesley. Sanders followed that up with a 29-point, 23-rebound effort against Bay Path, before wrapping up the week with 16 points and 15 boards in a triumph at Southern Vermont. 
• Catherine Sweeney, Worcester State (Sophomore • Guard • Lowell, Mass.) - In Worcester State's only game of the week, Sweeney shined with 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and one steal as the Lancers defeated Fitchburg State, 74-63. Sweeney shot 77.8 percent from the field, making seven of nine shots. 
• Kenzie Worcester, Husson (Junior • Guard • Washburn, Maine) - Worcester carried Husson offensively last week, averaging 21.7 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field, 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. She scored 19 points at Bowdoin and 16 at Johnson State before pouring in 30 points to go with 11 rebounds and three steals on Saturday at Lyndon State. Worcester averaged 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game over the three-game stretch.