Women's Basketball Weekly Release - Week 13

Complete Women's Basketball Weekly Release in pdf format

Photos courtesy of Yale Sports Publicity

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Yale used a 2-0 week to move into second-place in the Ivy League standings, with wins at Harvard, 68-63, and at Dartmouth, 89-65. Junior Janna Graf (Mission Woods, Kan.) and freshman Sarah Halejian (Wyckoff, N.J.) were key contributors to both of the Bulldogs’ victories. For their efforts, the two were named Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively.

Yale took home both Ivy League weekly awards for the first time since Jan. 17, 2011, when Graf was named both Player and Rookie of the Week. The last time the Bulldogs saw two different players sweep the awards was Dec. 23, 2010, when Michelle Cashen earned Player of the Week and Graf received Rookie of the Week.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Graf averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 assist in two road victories for the Bulldogs. Graf shot 4-of-7 from downtown and tallied 16 points, 8 rebounds, three steals and one assist as Yale handed Harvard its first conference loss of the season. She then contributed 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range, along with six rebounds, one assist and one steal in the Bulldogs’ 89-65 win at Dartmouth.

The award is the sixth weekly honor of Graf’s career and her second Player of the Week. The sophomore received Yale’s first Player of the Week honor this season and its first since Megan Vasquez shared the award with Brown’s Sheila Dixon on Feb. 28, 2011. Graf last earned a weekly honor on Feb. 14, 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Week.

Graf has been playing out of position all season, as she has stepped away from her usual guard position to handle the power forward duties. It has not stopped her production, however, as she is averaging 10.9 points and leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Graf's Statistics for the Week

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Halejian averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in two games for the Bulldogs. In Yale’s five-point win over Harvard, Halejian shot 4-of-8 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from downtown, en route to 11 points. She also grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot. In the Bulldogs’ next game, a 24-point win at Dartmouth, Halejian contributed 10 points, three rebounds, one steal and a career-best six assists.

Halejian was named Rookie of the Week for the fourth straight week and the fifth time overall this season. The freshman’s run of four consecutive Rookie of the Week awards is the first since Princeton’s Niveen Rasheed received the award four-straight weeks from Nov. 16-Dec. 7, 2009.

Halejian's Statistics for the Week

Seven of the eight Ivy League teams were in action last week. Harvard, Penn and Brown each went 1-1 while Cornell finished 1-0. This week all eight teams will be in action with back-to-back Ivy League games on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Inside Ivy League Basketball" hits the airwaves again for its seventh episode on Wednesday, Feb. 1, featuring interviews with Brown junior forward Andrew McCarthy and Yale junior guard Megan Vasquez.

"Inside Ivy League Basketball" is hosted by Dan Loney and Brian Seltzer and takes an in-depth look at all the news and notes surrounding Ivy men’s and women’s basketball on and off the courts during the 2011-12 season. The 12-episode show debuted Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. on BlogTalkRadio.com (blogtalkradio.com/insideivyleaguebasketball) and is available on-demand via BlogTalkRadio and IvyLeagueSports.com.     

Each episode is packed with highlights, statistics and expert analysis in its 'Around the League' segment. With its interview segments 'Program Profile,' 'Student-Athlete Spotlight' and 'Alumni Focus,' the show will visit with past and present players, coaches and administrators who impact Ivy League basketball.

Fans and alumni can interact with the show via its social media platforms -- Facebook (Inside Ivy League Basketball) and Twitter (@insideivyhoops) -- as well as provide ideas and content for the show’s ‘Twitter Talk/Facebook Fodder’ segment.

HONOR ROLL
Alyssa Baron, Penn, Sophomore, Guard (Miami)
13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Columbia
24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block vs. Cornell

Allyson DiMagno, Cornell, Sophomore, Guard (Fairport, N.Y.)
10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal at Penn

Jackie Kates, Penn, Freshman, Guard (Colts Neck, N.J.)
10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals vs. Columbia
10 points, 3 assists, 2 steals vs. Cornell

Victoria Lippert, Harvard, Junior, Guard (San Diego)
15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal vs. Yale
14 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals vs. Brown

Hannah Passafuime, Brown, Senior, Guard (Soquel, Calif.)
11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block at Dartmouth
15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals at Harvard

Sarah Poland, Cornell, Freshman, Forward (Valley View, Ohio)
13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal at Penn

Tyler Simpson, Columbia, Junior, Forward (Lawrenceville, N.J.)
19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal at Penn

Faziah Steen, Dartmouth, Junior, Guard (Detroit)
15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals vs. Brown
13 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals vs. Yale

Milica Toskovic, Dartmouth, Freshman, Guard (Santa Monica, Calif.)
8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block vs. Brown
15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal vs. Yale

Megan Vasquez, Yale, Junior, Guard (Merrick, N.Y.)
15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block at Harvard
23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals at Dartmouth

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, February 3
*Brown at Princeton, 7pm (Verizon FiOS1)
*Harvard at Cornell, 7 pm
*Yale at Penn, 7 pm
*Dartmouth at Columbia, 7 pm
    
Saturday, February 4
*Yale at Princeton, 6 pm (Verizon FiOS1)
*Harvard at Columbia, 7 pm
*Brown at Penn, 7 pm
*Cornell at Dartmouth, 7 pm

KEY:
*-Ivy League contest