INDIANAPOLIS -- Green Bay senior Kaili Lukan (Barrie, Ontario, Canada) is the Horizon League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week while Oakland’s Taylor Jones (Detroit, Mich.) is the Freshman of the Week for the week of Nov. 9-15.
Green Bay opened its 2015-16 season against Big East-foe Marquette in a showdown in the Kress Events Center on Friday night. The Phoenix picked-up right where they left off from their 2015 Horizon League regular season and tournament championship season with a big 20-point win over the Golden Eagles. The 75-55 win marked Green Bay women’s 900th all-time in program history, to tab the first Division I women’s basketball program in the state of Wisconsin to hit the milestone.
Lukan led the Phoenix as she recorded the second double-double of her career with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. The senior shot 47.1 percent from the field (8-for-17) while netting three of five from behind the arc. In addition, Lukan paced the Phoenix in steals with three and blocks (2). Lukan’s first double-double came against South Dakota State in 2013 where she scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the road for Green Bay.
Oakland split its opening weekend with a win over UM-Dearborn on Friday and a loss to Central Michigan Sunday. The Golden Grizzlies broke the school scoring record in their 123-38 win against UM-Dearborn at the Athletics Center O’Rena in front of the third-largest crowd in program history. On Sunday, Oakland was defeated in a high-scoring contest to the Chippewas, 110-87, in which both teams shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and combined for 30 triples.
Jones posted a game-high 23 points in her first-ever collegiate game for the Golden Grizzlies while going 10-for-15 from the floor against UM-Dearborn. The freshman also tallied seven rebounds and another game-high five steals off the bench in her 18 minutes of work. Two days later versus Central Michigan, Jones once again led the squad in points with 23 on 8-of-9 shooting. Overall for the weekend, she posted a 75.0 field goal percentage and 62.5 3-point field goal percentage.
Green Bay faces Vanderbilt next at the Kress Events Center while Oakland travels to Niagara with both contests taking place on Saturday, November 21 at 2:00 p.m. ET, respectively. Green Bay’s game will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Top Players of the Week:
Sarah Cash, Youngstown State (So., F): In her first career start, set new career highs in points with 19, rebounds with 8 and steals with four. Was clutch in the fourth quarter as 11 of her 19 points came in the fourth and made two free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to break the tie to cap the Penguin’s 22-point comeback.
Kim Demmings, Wright State (Sr., G): Scored 27 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out two assists and collected two blocks versus Miami (Fla.) on Friday. Went 11-for-22 from the field and 5-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Khayla Livingston, Cleveland State (So., G): Recorded a career-high 19 points versus Bucknell to lead the Vikings while also posting a career-high five steals in the contest.
Kendyl Nunn, UIC (Jr., G): Went 9-for-11 from the field and 1-1 from behind the arc en route to her 20-point performance over Howard while scoring all of her points in 17 minutes of action.
Rosanna Reynolds, Detroit (Jr., G): Led the Titans in both contests over the weekend with 18 points against Bradley and 19 points over Michigan. Versus Bradley, also dished out seven assists and three blocks while also passing out three assists and three blocks against Michigan.
Christine Roush, Northern Kentucky (Sr., G): Posted a 13-point opening quarter against Miami (OH) on Friday while leading the Norse in several categories for the weekend with averages of 19.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.0 spg. In addition, set a career-high of free-throws made with 11 versus Miami.
Top Freshmen of the Week:
Ashanti Abshaw, Cleveland State (F): Posted 10 points and four rebounds in her first college start for the Vikings against Bucknell.
Brittany Byrd, UIC (G): Went 2-for-3 from 3-point range to tab 6 points for the Flames against Howard in the season opener.
Molly Glick, Northern Kentucky (F): Posted a breakout performance against Indiana State with 12 points, with nine of those coming in the second half. Averaged 9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.0 apg in Northern Kentucky’s two wins over the weekend.
Mackenzie Taylor, Wright State (G): Tallied 8 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal against Miami (Fla.) in her first collegiate contest for the Raiders.
Lola Ristovski, Detroit (G): Began her collegiate career with 14 points, three assists and no turnovers in two games for Detroit. Against Michigan, tallied nine points, one block, one steal and one assist.
Players of the Week
Nov. 9: Kaili Lukan, Green Bay (Sr., G)
Freshmen of the Week
Nov. 9: Taylor Jones, Oakland (Fr., G)
