2002-03 Women's Basketball Players of the Week

February 24, 2003
Olivia Zurek, Bates
(Sophomore, Forward - Arlington, Mass.)
Zurek averaged 17.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while hitting 66.7% (14-21) of her shots from the field in leading Bates to a 2-0 week with wins over Springfield and Tufts. She notched her tenth double-double with 17 points and 12 boards in a 80-59 quarterfinal win over Tufts.

Sarah Walsh, Colby
(Senior, Center - Catonsville, Md.)
Walsh averaged 17 points, 17 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 5.5 steals in two games last week. She had 22 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five steals in a game at Newbury on Tuesday. Walsh, despite being double and triple teamed at times, had 12 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and six steals in a NESCAC quarterfinal game with Williams. Walsh set NESCAC single-game championship records for rebounds (16) and tied records for single-game assists (7) and steals (6). Walsh was 10-for-10 from the foul line in the two games and 12-for-23 from the field. On Tuesday, she became the first Colby woman to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career. She finished her career with 1,409 points and 1,022 rebounds.

February 17, 2003
Kamica Lewis, Wesleyan
(Senior, Forward - Jamaica Hills, N.Y.)
Lewis averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 58.3% from the field as Wesleyan went 3-0 on the week and secured the first 20-win basketball season (women or men) in school history. Lewis led Wesleyan in scoring in both NESCAC victories with 18 against Trinity and 22 against Amherst while hitting 66.7% of her attempts in the two games.

February 10, 2003
Sarah Walsh, Colby
(Senior, Center - Catonsville, Md.)
Walsh became Colby’s all-time leading rebounder while averaging 18.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.3 blocked shots per game in three contests last week. Against Bates on Friday, she became Colby’s all-time leading rebounder and currently has 1,332 points and 967 rebounds in her career. Walsh hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to lift the Mules to a 57-56 road victory over Maine-Farmington last Tuesday. Her best all-around game may have come Saturday with 21 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks in a 73-50 win over a 15-5 Tufts squad. She also had 21 points and 11 boards against Bates and had 18 rebounds against Farmington.

February 3, 2003
Carla Flaherty, Bates
(Senior, Forward - Gorham, Maine)
Flaherty averaged 22.3 points 4.7 steals and 4.0 assists per game while hitting 46.2% (6-13) of her 3-point attempts in Bates' 3-0 week. The senior forward tied her career-high with 26 points and recorded five steals in Bates' win over Maine-Farmington. In two NESCAC wins, she scored 22 points and dished out five assists at Trinity and recorded 19 points and registered five steals at Amherst.

January 27, 2003
Kristi Royer, Bowdoin
(Senior, Forward - Lewiston, Maine)
For the second straight week, the Polar Bears' senior captain lifted the squad to three wins over NESCAC squads, averaging a double-double for the week. First, she posted 13 points, nine boards and 2 blocks in her hometown in a mid-week win at Bates. On Friday night, she scored 11 points, grabbed 10 boards, had one block and two steals in limited action against Connecticut College. On Saturday in a battle for first-place in the NESCAC, she was dominant, scoring 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the Polar Bear win. For the week, she averaged 17.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.

January 20, 2003
Kristi Royer, Bowdoin
(Senior, Forward - Lewiston, Maine)
The senior captain shot 63% from the field averaging 16.3 points in three convincing wins over NESCAC foes. She posted 13 points and had nine rebounds and four assists in mid-week defeat of Colby; played 19 minutes scoring 14 points with five assists in 27-point win at Trinity and led the squad with 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in defeating Amherst by 30 points on the road.

January 13, 2003
Melissa Skeffington, Williams
(Senior, Guard - Woburn, Mass.)
Skeffington led her team to wins over Springfield and previously undefeated Amherst. She scored 19 against Springfield and had 17 against Amherst, also including three 2nd half 3-point field goals.

January 6, 2003
Sarah Walsh, Colby
(Senior, Center - Catonsville, Md.)
Walsh was named to the all-tournament team at the Salem State Tournament after averaging 18 points, 15 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals in two games. The senior center scored 18 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three steals against Elmira College and then had 18 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and three steals in a one point loss to Salem State.

December 16, 2002
Shannon Russell, Amherst
(Junior, Guard - Shrewsbury, Mass.)
Junior guard Shannon Russell drained five of seven three-point attempts and led the Jeffs in scoring for the third straight game with 23 points as Amherst improved to 6-0 with a 68-52 victory over visiting Coast Guard.

December 9, 2002
Carla Flaherty, Bates
(Senior, Forward - Gorham, Maine)
Flaherty was named MVP of the Paul Bunyan Tournament and led Bates to a 3-0 week. The senior scored 16 points with six assists and five rebounds in leading Bates to the title over Husson. On Monday, she dropped 24 on Salem State in a 65-49 win. On the week, she averaged 20.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists in the three wins.

December 2, 2002
Kate McCloskey, Trinity
(Senior, Center - Uxbridge, Mass.)
McCloskey made 11 out of 17 shots from the field and five out of six from the foul line to score a game-high 27 points at Albertus Magnus. McCloskey also had 13 rebounds and a blocked shot in Trinity’s 75-62 victory.

November 25, 2002
Sarah Walsh, Colby
(Senior, Center - Catonsville, Md.)
Walsh was named Colby Tournament MVP after averaging 25.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals as the Mules won the tourney. Walsh had 33 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in a 105-97 overtime win against Plymouth State in the championship game. She also had 18 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals in just 22 minutes of play in an opening round win against Roger Williams. Walsh shot 63 percent from the field in the two games.