NEWBA Announces Weekly Awards for Dec. 11

Mya Villard
Eastern Connecticut
Junior • Forward • Cromwell, Conn.

Villard averaged 23.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game with a 66.7 shooting percentage and 14-of-17 free-throw shooting in two Little East Conference road wins last week. Villard also blocked four shots and had four assists. In a 99-70 win at Western Connecticut on Wednesday, the LEC rebounding leader had season-highs of 34 points and 19 rebounds (both totals one shy of her career-highs) and was 13-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the foul line with three blocks and three assists. In a 69-57 win at Plymouth State on Saturday, she had 12 points and nine rebound and was 6-of-8 from the foul line.

Julie Keckler
Eastern Connecticut
Freshman • Guard • Trumbull, Conn.

A starter in all eight games this year, Keckler averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds while playing 26.5 minutes per game in a 2-0 week for the Warriors. Keckler shot 55.6 percent from the floor and was 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. In a 69-57 win on Saturday at Plymouth State, Keckler had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. She was 5-of-7 from the floor (2-of-3 from distance) and 5-of-6 from the stripe. Keckler dished out ten assists and also recorded four points and five rebounds in Wednesday's victory at Western Connecticut. 

• Charlie Boyle, Emerson (Senior | Forward | Scotts Valley, Calif.) - Boyle turned in a pair of impressive scoring performances in a 2-1 week for Emerson. She finished with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting in an 82-49 win at Lasell on Thursday, before breaking out for 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field and a 10-for-10 effort at the free throw line on Saturday in an 86-77 triumph over Smith. For the week, Boyle shot 66.7 percent from the field and averaged 20.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. 
• Jenn Burnham, Eastern Nazarene (Junior | Guard | West Valley City, Utah) - Burnham posted back-to-back 20+ point efforts to lead Eastern Nazarene to a pair of conference victories last week. She netted 25 points and added six rebounds with three steals as the Lions topped Elms 76-58 on Tuesday. Burnham finished with 21 points and seven boards as Eastern Nazarene collected a come-from-behind win at New England College on Thursday to extend its winning streak to eight games. Burnham shot 55.2% from the field and converted 14-of-15 attempts from the free throw line over the two games. 
• Catherine Coppinger, Fitchburg State (Junior | Guard | Dorchester, Mass.) - Coppinger registered a pair of double-doubles in a 1-1 week for the Falcons. She opened the week with 22 points, 19 rebounds and three steals in a 74-71 setback at Suffolk on Thursday. Coppinger then totaled ten points, 16 boards, four steals and two assists on Saturday as the Falcons defeated Southern Vermont, 64-47. Overall, she shot 54.2 percent from the field and averaged 16.0 points with 17.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. 
• Jenni-Rose DiCecco, Suffolk (Sophomore | Guard | Falmouth, Mass.) - DiCecco had strong all-around numbers with 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game in a 2-0 week for Suffolk. She scored 22 points to go with 12 boards, six steals and five assists in a 74-71 triumph over Fitchburg State on Thursday. DiCecco then compiled 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals on Saturday as the Rams topped Framingham State, 76-63.
• Nakira Examond, UMass Dartmouth (Senior | Forward | New Bedford, Mass.) - Examond averaged a double-double effort of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game in 1-1 week for the Corsairs. She finished with 19 points, eight boards and three steals in 75-67 setback to top-ranked Bowdoin on Thursday. Examond added 13 points and 12 rebounds in 70-43 triumph at Keene State on Saturday that extended UMD's regular season conference winning streak to 19 straight. She shot 77 percent (13-of-17) from the field for the week and moved into second place on the program's career scoring list (1,340).
• Kennedy Guest-Pritchett, Smith (Senior | Forward | Fairburn, Ga.) - In a 1-1 week for Smith, Guest-Pritchett averaged 21.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game while shooting 68 percent from the field. In Smith's 71-61 win over Clark on Wednesday, Guest-Pritchett poured in a career-high 31 points and grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds. Against Emerson on Saturday, she finished with 12 points and nine boards in an 86-77 setback.