INFLUXER/NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kiyah Lewis, Central Connecticut
Guard, Freshman, 6-0, Fredericksburg, VA/James Monroe
Lewis balled out last week as she averaged 28.5 points per game off 48.7 percent shooting from the field during Central Connecticut’s western Pennsylvania road trip. The freshman added averages of 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 assist in addition to her impressive scoring outings. Lewis shined with a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds at Saint Francis on Saturday to register her first-ever collegiate double-double. Her 36 points are the most in a game by a NEC player this season. She added two steals and two blocks while going 13-of-15 from the charity stripe against the Red Flash. Lewis is the first NEC freshman to score at least 36 points in a conference game since LIU’s Brandy Thomas on February 11, 2019. Additionally, Lewis is one of two freshmen and one of seven players nationwide to score at least 36 points and grab at least 11 boards in a contest this season. The Fredericksburg, VA native added 21 points off 8-of-14 shooting at Mercyhurst on Thursday. Lewis has scored 21 or more points in three consecutive games to average 27.3 ppg during that stretch. Lewis ranks fourth in the league for scoring average and leads all NEC rookies (13.5). Additionally, she ranks third with a 81.0 free throw percentage. This marks Lewis’ first career Influxer/NEC Player of the Week honor and her second Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week accolade in back-to-back weeks. She is the first Blue Devil to win multiple Rookie of the Week awards since Lara Rohkohl during the 2022-23 season. It's also the first time multiple CCSU players have been tabbed Player of the Week since 2010-11 as Lewis joins senior Lucia Noin as Influxer/NEC Player of the Week selections this season.
INFLUXER/NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kiyah Lewis, Central Connecticut
Guard, Freshman, 6-0, Fredericksburg, VA/James Monroe
Lewis balled out last week as she averaged 28.5 points per game off 48.7 percent shooting from the field during Central Connecticut’s western Pennsylvania road trip. The freshman added averages of 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 assist in addition to her impressive scoring outings. Lewis shined with a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds at Saint Francis on Saturday to register her first-ever collegiate double-double. Her 36 points are the most in a game by a NEC player this season. She added two steals and two blocks while going 13-of-15 from the charity stripe against the Red Flash. Lewis is the first NEC freshman to score at least 36 points in a conference game since LIU’s Brandy Thomas on February 11, 2019. Additionally, Lewis is one of two freshmen and one of seven players nationwide to score at least 36 points and grab at least 11 boards in a contest this season. The Fredericksburg, VA native added 21 points off 8-of-14 shooting at Mercyhurst on Thursday. Lewis has scored 21 or more points in three consecutive games to average 27.3 ppg during that stretch. Lewis ranks fourth in the league for scoring average and leads all NEC rookies (13.5). Additionally, she ranks third with a 81.0 free throw percentage. This marks Lewis’ first career Influxer/NEC Player of the Week honor and her second Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week accolade in back-to-back weeks. She is the first Blue Devil to win multiple Rookie of the Week awards since Lara Rohkohl during the 2022-23 season. It's also the first time multiple CCSU players have been tabbed Player of the Week since 2010-11 as Lewis joins senior Lucia Noin as Influxer/NEC Player of the Week selections this season.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Kiyah Lewis, CCSU (Fr., G)
Last week: 28.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.5 bpg, 1.0 apg, 48.7 FG%, 88.8 FT%
- Named Influxer/NEC Player and Rookie of the Week
- Registered her first career double-double with a season-high 36 points and 11 rebounds at SFU.
- Her 36 points are the most in a game by a NEC player this season.
- Lewis is one of two freshmen and one of seven players to register at least 36 points and 11 rebounds in a game this season.
Keona McGee, CSU (So., G)
Last week: 19.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 spg, 47.8 FG%
- Notched 19 points, five assists and four rebounds in a 84-75 win over Wagner.
- Added 19 points, five assists, five steals and three board against LIU.
- Helped keep Chicago State's chances for a top-four seed in the NEC Tournament alive with the victory against the Seahawks.
Ava Renninger, FDU (So., G)
Last week: 9.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 30.0 FG%, 100.0 FT%
- Led FDU to its record 35th and 36th NEC regular season victories.
- Registered a near double-double against Le Moyne on Thursday with 10 points and nine rebounds along with four assists.
- Went for eight points, 12 rebounds and five dimes in a 82-49 victory over LIU on Saturday.
- The Knights improved to 17-0 in conference play over the weekend.
Kadidia Toure, LIU (Sr., F)
Last week: 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 37.9 FG%, 73.3 FT%
- Scored 22 points and nabbed 11 rebounds in win at Chicago State.
- Marked her league-best 13th double-double of the year
- One of three players nationwide to register 11 games with at least 20 points and 10 boards.
- Leads the NEC in scoring (18.7), rebounding (10.1), blocks (1.4) and defensive rebounding (6.9)
Cici Hernandez, MU (So., G)
Last week: 16.0 ppg, 2.5 spg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 40.0 FG%, 50.0 3FG%
- Netted 24 points off eight three-pointers in a 68-55 win over Stonehill
- Marks the second time a NEC player had made at least eight triples in a game - joining her teammate Lena Walz.
- Shot 8-of-13 from beyond the arc against the Skyhawks.
- Ranks third in the conference in scoring with 14.0 ppg and leads NEC in three-point field goal percentage (39.0)
Jenna Van Schaik, MU (Sr., G)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.5 spg, 42.8 FG%, 33.3 3FG%, 92.3 FT%
- Dropped 21 points off 8-of-15 shooting along with five boards and five assists in a 75-66 win over CCSU
- Added 18 points, six rebound and three steals in Saturday's victory against Stonehill.
- Dishes out the third-most assists in the conference (3.3)
Sofia Wilson, MU (Fr., G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 2.5 rpg, 2.5 spg, 44.8 FG%, 38.4 3FG%
- Netted 21 points and dropped six dimes in Thursday's triumph of CCSU.
- Stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, five assists, five steals and two boards in 13-point win over Stonehill.
- Her 3.5 apg are second in the conference and lead all rookies.
Brooke Paquette, STO (Jr., G)
Last week: 14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 42.1 FG%, 44.4 3FG%, 100.0 FT%
- Hit the 1,000-point career milestone during Thursday's victory at Saint Francis.
- Scored 22 points in Stonehill's three-point win over the Red Flash.
- Went a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe last week.
- Ranks second in the conference with 14.5 ppg.
Keana Foz, WAG (So., G)
Last week: 21.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.0 rpg, 1.5 spg, 54.8 FG%, 60.0 FT%
- Put up 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in Thursday's two-point win at New Haven.
- Shot an efficient 8-of-12 from the field against the Chargers.
- Added 22 points and two assists at Chicago State on Saturday.
- Her 2.1 steals per game are second in the NEC.
#NECWBB BY THE NUMBERS
400 - Saint Francis became the first program to win 400 regular season NEC games with its 82-63 win over CCSU on Saturday. The win also clinched SFU’s spot in the NEC Tournament.
3 - LIU’s Kadidia Toure is one of only 3 players nationwide with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in 11 games this season after notching two such outings over the weekend.
36 - FDU set a new NEC record for consecutive regular season wins with its 36th victory over LIU on Saturday. The previous record stood for over 35 years.
#NECWBB FASTBREAK
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Freshman Kiyah Lewis dropped a career-high 36 points at SFU on Saturday, which is an NEC individual game-high this season.
CHICAGO STATE: Chicago State owns the best three-point field goal percentage defense against NEC foes - limiting opponents to 27.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
FDU: The Knights boast the third-best scoring defense in the nation, allowing an average of just 51.4 points per game.
LE MOYNE: Le Moyne has won six of its last seven and has a chance to clinch the No. 4 seed in the NEC Tournament on Thursday.
LIU: LIU will host a NEC Tournament game in Brooklyn for the first time since the 2010 title game.
MERCYHURST: In its first season of eligibility, the Lakers have guaranteed themselves a top-3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
NEW HAVEN: Aniya McDonald-Perry leads the NEC in steals per game with a 2.7 average.
SAINT FRANCIS: SFU became the first NEC program to win 400 conference games with its 82-63 over CCSU on Saturday.
STONEHILL: Junior Brooke Paquette hit the 1,000-point milestone for her career after scoring 22 at Saint Francis on Saturday.
WAGNER: Wagner can clinch the four seed in the NEC Tournament with a win over LIU on Thursday night.
#NECWBB NEWS & NOTES
WHAT’S ON TAP?
The final #NECWBB takes place on Thursday- starting with an 11:00 a.m. start with FDU and Saint Francis going to battle.
Action picks back up at 6:00 p.m. with the remaning four contests.
NEC ON TV
#NECWBB makes its return to national and regional TV on Thursday, March 12 for the NEC Tournament Semifinals on ESPN+ and NESN Nation.
CLINCHING SCENARIOS
With the conference postseason quickly approaching, the 2026 NEC Tournament field is set.
Saint Francis clinched the final spot in the postseason with its win over CCSU on Saturday. The only thing left to be decided is seeding for five playoff spots.
FDU has clinched the #1 seed.
Mercyhurst secures the #2 seed with a win over Le Moyne unless LIU beats Wagner and Chicago State beats Stonehill. In that case, the #2 seed goes to the team with the higher NET ranking at the completion of NEC play. As of 03/01/26, LIU’s NET ranking was 280 and Mercyhurst was 330.
Mercyhurst also takes the #2 seed with an LIU loss.
LIU claims the #2 seed with a win and Mercyhurst loss or if both LIU, MU and Chicago State all win and the Sharks finish ahead of MU in the NET rankings.
Wagner controls its own destiny for the #4 seed and can lock it up with a win over LIU. Wagner can also be the #4 seed with a loss if Chicago State and Le Moyne both lose.
Le Moyne clinches the #4 seed with a win over Mercyhurst and a Wagner loss to LIU.
Chicago State earns the #4 seed with a win over Stonehill, coupled with Le Moyne and Wagner losses.
Stonehill is locked into the #7 seed and Saint Francis the #8 seed.
SWEET VICTORY
FDU set a new league record for consecutive NEC regular season wins with its 66-49 victory over Le Moyne on Thursday. The triumph marked its 35th straight regular season conference win. The Knights extended the streak on Saturday after taking down LIU, 82-49, to make it 36 in a row.
FDU also has the second-longest conference regular season win streak in the country - only behind No. 1 UConn (67).
Overall, FDU has won 40 straight games over NEC foes, including four postseason victories dating back to the 2024 Tournament.
The Knights are closing in on its second straight undefeated season as they sit at 17-0 with one league contest remaining. Additionally, FDU is one of five teams in the country to currently have a winning streak of 18 or more games.
MOVIN’ ON UP
LIU has improved its win total by 12 games from a year ago as the Sharks have 17 victories on the season. Its +12 win differential is tied for second in DI - only behind McNeese (+16) and Arizona State (+12).
The Sharks currently sit in second place in the NEC with a 13-4 mark. The last time LIU won at least 13 games in league play is 2009-10 where it went 14-4 against NEC opponents. Their 13 conference wins are the most for the program in the Sharks era.
RACKING UP WINS
FDU head coach Stephanie Gaitley notched her 750th career win on 02/21/26 with a 66-52 victory over Chicago State.
Gaitley is just the 15th coach in DI women’s basketball history to reach 750 wins and is one of five active coaches to the 750 mark.
The FDU skipper currently sits at 753 career victories.
CAREER MILESTONE
Stonehill junior guard Brooke Paquette (Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin) hit the 1,000-point mark for her career in Stonehill’s win at Saint Francis last Thursday. She is, now, the 36th Skyhawk to hit the 1,000-point milestone and is the first player to do so in Stonehill’s Division I era.
Additionally, the reigning NEC Most Improved Player became the only active conference player to score 1,000 points at the same school while competing as a NEC member institution.
Paquette currently ranks second in the conference for points per game with 14.5 on the year, while averaging 15.5 ppg in league play, which is fourth among NEC players.
MAKING IT RAIN
Mercyhurst sophomore Cici Hernandez (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) tied fellow Laker Lena Walz (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep (St. Bonaventure)) for the NEC individual game-high this season of three-pointers made in a game.
Hernandez cashed in on eight in a 24-point outing against Stonehill on Saturday, while Walz registered 26 points with eight triples against Saint Francis on 02/14/26.
DROPPIN’ DIMES
Reigning NEC Rookie of the Year and FDU guard Ava Renninger (Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood) set a new career-high in assists with 12 in the Knights’ win over New Haven on 02/21/26, which is the most by a NEC player this season.
Her 12 dimes are the most by a FDU player in a conference game since 2002.
DOING IT ALL
CCSU senior guard Cierra Pearson (Teaneck, NJ/Saddle River Day School) stuffed the stat sheet in the Blue Devils’ win over Chicago State on 02/21/26 has she notched a near triple double with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 9 steals.
Pearson is one of five players in NCAA Division I to record at least 11 points, nine rebounds and nine steals this season.
Her nine steals are also the most by a NEC player in a game this season, while making her one of 28 players in the country to swipe the ball nine or more times in a game this year.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
FDU currently ranks third in the nation for scoring defense as the Knights allow just 51.4 points per game.
The only squads in the country that allows fewer points per game than the Knights is No. 1 UConn (50.7) and Quinnipiac (51.2)
17-0 FDU has allowed just 48.6 points per game in league play.
BIG TIME TOURE
Senior transfer Kadidia Toure (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel (Arizona State/James Madison)) continues to make her mark on the league in her first season with LIU as the Sharks are 13-4 in NEC play.
Toure is the only NEC player to register 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a game more than once this season. She is tied for the nationwide lead with 11 games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
She is also one of six players in the country to register at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in five or more games this season along with being one of four to have at least three contests of 20+ points and 15+ rebounds.
SOPHOMORE SURGE
Mercyhurst sophomore Cici Hernandez has been on fire as of late and is making strides in her sophomore season.
Hernandez has upgraded her 6.2 ppg a year ago to 14.0 ppg this season. She has already outscored her point total from last season with 393 compared to 156 a year ago. She currently sits at third in overall ppg.
Additionally, Hernandez is averaging 17.2 ppg in conference play - ranking second in the league.
The 5-6 guard has made four or more three’s in a game on nine different occasions this season, including three with at least six.
JUNIOR JUMP
FDU senior forward Rebecca Osei-Owusu (Brooklyn, NY/Monsignor Scanlon) has stepped up big for the unbeaten Knights underneath the basket as she has improved on both her scoring and rebounding from a year ago.
Osei-Owusu improved her scoring from 1.9 ppg to 7.1 ppg as she has started all 30 of FDU's games so far.
She has also upgraded in the rebounding department as she now averages 6.6 per game compared to 1.9 rpg a year ago.
SEEING DOUBLE
22 different NEC players have notched a double-double this season, with only 14 turning the trick more than once while five players own four or more on the year. All 10 schools have at least one player to notch a double-double this season.
13 Kadidia Toure, LIU
11 Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
6 Ashley Buragas, LEM
6 Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor, WAG
4 Shelby Ricks, SFU
3 Leah Crosby, FDU
3 Rebecca Osei-Owusu, FDU
3 Ella Pelletier, STO
2 Lucia Noin, CCSU
2 Tania Allen, CSU
2 Keona McGee, CSU
2 Laura Molnárová, LIU
2 Janessa Williams, LIU
2 Irene Fernandez de Caleya, WAG
1 Kiyah Lewis, CCSU
1 Saran Diallo Toure, LIU
1 Sofia Wilson, MU
1 Lindsay Hogan, NHVN
1 Merit Innocent, NHVN
1 Sonia Sato, SFU
1 Brooke Paquette, STO
1 Reese Roggenburk, STO
PERFECT SHOOTING
With a 10-for-10 outing from the field in a 70-51 win over CCSU on 01/04/26, Aniya McDonald-Perry (Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy (Saint Rose)) became the first NEC player in nearly 22 years - and the only one since the start of the 1998–99 season - to go perfect from the field with at least 10 makes. She finished the contest with 22 points after knocking down a pair of free throws, as well.
The senior forward joined NEC Hall of Famer Beth Swink, who went 10-for-10 for Saint Francis against Purdue in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (3/21/04).
She is one of only six players nationwide this season to make 10-plus shots without a miss and one of three to do it during the 2026 calendar year.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Le Moyne junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, NJ/John Jay (Mineral Area College)) had a historic outing in the Dolphins’ 82-79 OT victory over Lafyette on 11/09/25, scoring 20 points and grabbing 22 boards.
It was the first 20-20 double-double by a NEC player since Merrimack’s Denia Davis-Stewart (25 points, 24 rebounds) on Feb. 21, 2020. Her 22 boards were the most in a game since Jan. 23, 2022 when Jada Dapaa snagged 23 boards.
Her 22 boards were the second-most in Le Moyne program history and the most by a Dolphin since January 1988.
Additionally, Buragas is one of 17 players in the country to grab 22 or more boards in a single game this season.
LEAGUE PLAY
Each #NECWBB will partake in an 18-game double round-robin schedule under the conference’s 10-team alignment this academic year. The schedule runs 10 weeks with the teams playing every Thursday and Saturday until Thursday, March 5th.
TOURNEY TIME
The NEC Women’s Basketball Championship will remain an eight-team playoff format in 2025-26 with every game being played at the home of the higher seed. After the quarterfinals, advancing teams will be reseeded so the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed.
WHO’S IN THE MIX?
With Mercyhurst now postseason eligible, nine of the 10 eligible teams will participate in this year’s NEC Tournament. NEC newcomer New Haven is not yet eligible for conference postseason play.
Stonehill has completed its Division I reclassification and is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time this season. Le Moyne and Mercyhurst are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to their current statuses as Division I reclassifying institutions.
If a reclassifying institutions wins the NEC Tournament championships, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. If two reclassifying member reach the conference final, the NEC will stage an “AQ” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. The “AQ” game will occur this season if both Le Moyne and Mercyhurst reach conference tournament final.
2025-26 INFLUXER/NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: Aiyanna Culver, CSU & Kadidia Toure, LIU
Nov. 17: Ava Renninger, FDU
Nov. 24: Madlena Gerke, FDU
Dec. 1: Ava Renninger, FDU
Dec. 8: Kailee McDonald, FDU
Dec. 15: Ava Renninger, FDU
Dec. 22: Brooke Paquette, STO
Dec. 31: Addisen Sulikowski, NHVN
Jan. 6: Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
Jan. 12: Kadidia Toure, LIU
Jan. 19: Cici Hernandez, MU
Jan. 26: Keona McGee, CSU & Addisen Sulikowski, NHVN
Feb. 2: Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
Feb. 9: Keona McGee, CSU
Feb. 16: Kadidia Toure, LIU
Feb. 23: Lucia Noin, CCSU & Jenna Van Schaik, MU
Mar. 2: Kiyah Lewis, CCSU
Mar. 6:
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: Kayden Clark, LEM
Nov. 17: Reese Roggenburk, STO
Nov. 24: Leah Crosby, FDU
Dec. 1: Leah Crosby, FDU
Dec. 8: Reese Downey, FDU
Dec. 15: Sofia Wilson, MU
Dec. 22: Ella Pelletier, STO
Dec. 31: Reese Downey, FDU
Jan. 6: Sofia Wilson, MU
Jan. 12: Sofia Wilson, MU
Jan. 19: Peyton Dincher, LEM
Jan. 26: Sofia Wilson, MIU
Feb. 2: Sofia Wilson, MU
Feb. 9: Leah Crosby, FDU
Feb. 16: Jasmine McKay, NHVN
Feb. 23: Kiyah Lewis, CCSU
Mar. 2: Kiyah Lewis, CCSU
Mar. 6: