Men's Basketball | 12/31/2024 10:47:58 AM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on December 31, 2024, for games played from December 16-December 30. It is the 17th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Daimarr Miller, SUNY Poly, Sr., G, Syracuse, NY/Corcoran
Miller was named Most Valuable Player of the “Go 4 The Goal” tournament hosted by Medgar Evers College over the weekend, as SUNY Poly won a pair of games en route to tournament title. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.0 block per contest in the two wins. In the opener against Colby-Sawyer Saturday, Miller posted 22 points on six made 3-pointers, six assists and five steals, helping the Wildcats secure a 74-67 win. In the championship game against SUNY Old Westbury on Sunday, Miller registered 18 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), seven rebounds and three assists.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Merritt Holly, Nazareth, Fr., F, Le Roy, NY/Le Roy
Holly averaged 18.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per game, while shooting a remarkable 82.8 percent (24-for-29) from the floor and a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line, as the Golden Flyers went 2-1 in three tight non-league games right before and right after Christmas. He was 5-for-5 from the floor, scoring 14 points and adding eight boards in a win over Randolph on Dec. 16. The next day. Holly exploded for a season-high 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting at Lynchburg. He continued his torrid pace on Dec. 30, recording his first collegiate double-double, scoring 19 points to go along with 10 boards in a win at Hartford.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Stephanie Jean-Baptiste, SUNY Brockport, Jr., G, Jersey City, NJ/John Jay
In two games in Daytona, FL at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament, Jean-Baptiste averaged 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. She exploded for 32 points, five boards, two assists, and four steals against Plattsburgh in the opening game, while adding 17 points, three assists and three steals in just 18 minutes as Brockport rolled to a 99-53 win over William Smith. It is Jean-Baptiste’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sarina McDowell, Nazareth, So., F, Avon, NY/Avon
McDowell enjoyed two clutch performances to help Nazareth win the championship title at the Sandy DeWolf McCormack Memorial Holiday Tournament. On Sunday in the 95-59 win against Elms, McDowell had 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals, and one block. She shot 8-of-10 from the field in the win. The following day in the 69-67 win over Hartford, McDowell had 11 points, including the buzzer-beating layup as time expired to lead Nazareth to the victory. In the game she also added three blocks, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Peyton Maneri, SUNY Brockport, Fr., G, Auburn, NY/Auburn
Maneri excelled in Daytona, FL at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament on Dec. 17 in a win over William Smith, stuffing the stat sheet with 17 points, a career-best nine assists, and seven steals as SUNY Brockport rolled to a 99-53 win. She shot 8-of-14 from the field in the win. It is Maneri’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
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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