General | 1/9/2023 10:49:48 AM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on January 9, 2023, for games played from January 2-January 8. It is the 18th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Justice Brantley, Utica, Sr., G, Catskill, NY/Catskill
Brantley was the driving force offensively in a 2-0 week for Utica, as he averaged 21 points per game, while going 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. He also averaged nine rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while playing 35 minutes per contest. Brantley collected his fourth and fifth consecutive 20-point games in wins over St. John Fisher on Tuesday and Keuka on Saturday, as well as his third double-double of the season on Saturday with 22 points and 11 boards. It is Brantley’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2022-23 season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jonathan Park, Nazareth, Gr., GF, Angola, NY/Lakeshore
Park led No. 20 Nazareth to three Empire 8 wins, averaging a double-double with 16.3 points and 15.3 rebounds to go along with 4.0 blocks for the week, while shooting 59.5 percent (22-for-37) from the field. Park had 17 points and 16 boards in just 23 minutes at Keuka Tuesday before adding 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 17 caroms at Medaille Friday. Park set the school record for career blocks as he passed the 185 mark Saturday as he recorded nine blocks against Houghton. He was one block shy of a triple-double, as he added 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win. It is Park’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Jaylen Savage, Nazareth, Fr., G, Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton
Savage recorded three double-digit scoring efforts in three Empire 8 road wins for No. 20 Nazareth last week. He averaged 15.7 points on 48 percent shooting from the floor to go along with 2.7 assists per contest. Savage began the week by pouring in 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting Tuesday in a win over Keuka. Five of his eight made baskets came from 3-point range. Savage added 14 points against Medaille on Friday and 12 points against Houghton. It is Savage’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Desiree Roy, Elmira, So., F, Stafford, VA/North Stafford
Roy helped the Soaring Eagles to its first three-game Empire 8 win streak since the 2013-14 season, with victories over Medaille, Russell Sage, and Hartwick. For the week, Roy averaged 12.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 assists, recording a double-double in each game to give her seven for the season. Against Russell Sage, Roy scored 16 points (7-of-12 shooting), while collecting 11 rebounds and two steals. She began the week with 15 boards, 11 points and four blocks in a win over Medaille. It is Roy’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2022-23 season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kaitlyn Walker, St. John Fisher, Sr., F, Camillus, NY/West Genesee
Walker led the Cardinals to three E8 wins during the week, averaging 17.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals, while shooting 63 percent from the floor. In the opening game of the week against Utica on Tuesday, Walker had 18 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals. On Friday versus Houghton, Walker continued her impressive play with 21 points on 8-fo-11 shooting and secured another 15 rebounds in 28 minutes of action. She finished the week with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, while also securing seven rebounds, three blocks, one steal and two assists at Medaille. It is Walker’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2022-23 season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Layla Acosta, Russell Sage, Fr., G, Haines City, FL/Haines City
Acosta scored a career-best 26 points on the road at Elmira Friday night after shooting 7-for-8 from 3-point range and was 9-of-15 overall from the floor. She added three assists with two steals. Acosta’s seven made 3-pointers are an Empire 8 single-game high this season and the second most in one game in Russell Sage women’s basketball history.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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