BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Lehigh senior forward Mariah Sexe was named the Patriot League GEICO Women's Basketball Player of the Week, while guard Mackenzie Kramer of Lehigh received rookie of the week when the League office announced the results on Tuesday.
American junior guard Jade Edwards and freshman forward Emily Johns, Army West Point freshman guard Sam McNaughton, and Navy senior forward Sophie Gatzounas all earned honorable mention recognition.
The Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
Patriot League Player of the Week
Mariah Sexe, Lehigh, Sr., F, Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge
* Sexe averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 65.5 percent (19-for-29) from the field in a pair of wins over Holy Cross.
* In Saturday’s 87-68 victory, the senior scored a career-high 25 points in 23 minutes, going 12-for-19 (63.2%) from the field with 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. She also had two assists, a block and a steal.
* Sexe followed Saturday’s performance with a 16-point effort along with nine rebounds and two assists in Sunday’s 83-62 win.
Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Mackenzie Kramer, Lehigh, Fr., G, Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael Albertville
* Kramer scored 12 points on four 3-pointers, to go along with three assists in Lehigh's 87-68 victory on Saturday vs. Holy Cross.
* Her 12 points marked the fifth game she scored 10 or more points this season.
Honorable Mentions
Jade Edwards, American, Jr., G, Chicago, Ill./The Latin School of Chicago
* Edwards scored 13 points during Saturday's 64-45 win at Loyola Maryland, then added a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season during Sunday's 67-58 win over the Greyhounds.
* The junior leads the Patriot League with 20.0 points per game, good for 29th in Division I. She is also ninth in Division I for steals per game (3.50(, and 30th in field goal percentage (.551).
Emily Johns, American, Fr., F, Washington Township, N.J./Washington
* Johns tied her career-high with 10 points in her 12 minutes of play in American’s 64-45 victory against Loyola Maryland on Saturday, shooting 4-for-7 from the field. The freshman added another seven points in 10 minutes in Sunday’s 67-58 win over the Greyhounds.
Sam McNaughton, Army West Point, Fr., G, Fairfax, Va./Fairfax
* McNaughton set career-highs in points (12), rebounds (5) and assists (4) in Army West Point’s 63-58 win over Navy, with 11 of her 12 points coming in the third quarter.
Sophie Gatzounas, Navy, Sr., F/South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley
* For the week, the senior averaged 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists over 37.0 minutes per game while shooting 50.0 percent (13-26) from the field as the Mids went 1-1 against Army West Point.
* In Saturday's 63-49 win, Gatzounas scored 16 points on 7-12 shooting with four rebounds and three assists. She improved on that outing on Sunday going for 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in Navy's 63-58 loss.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.