NAC Basketball Players of the Week Announced (11/18/24)
WATERVILLE, Maine – The second North Atlantic Conference (NAC) men’s and women’s basketball weekly accolades of the 2024-25 campaign have been announced and six players hailing from four different institutions have claimed awards.
Women’s Basketball
Player of the Week:
Logan Thayne – Senior – Forward – SUNY Cobleskill
Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) delivered an exceptional week, averaging a double-double with 27.5 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game as the Fighting Tigers went 2-0. Thayne dominated on both ends of the court, showcasing versatility both in the paint and on the perimeter. In a victory over Alfred State, Thayne led Cobleskill with a game-high 22 points, 18 rebounds (7 offensive, 11 defensive), three blocks, and one assist, while shooting a flawless 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Thayne followed up that performance with a season-high 33 points, 14 rebounds (5 offensive, 9 defensive), and five blocks, playing a pivotal role in the Tigers' thrilling overtime win over RPI.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Jessica Dow – Sophomore – Forward – UMaine-Farmington
Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) continued her defensive dominance this week, helping the Beavers to a 1-1 record. In a hard-fought loss on Friday evening against Norwich University, Dow tallied six steals, one block, and four rebounds. The next day, she took on the challenge of guarding UMA's top scorer, limiting her to just 6-for-14 shooting from the field while contributing four steals, one block, and ten rebounds to record a double-double. Across the two games, Dow averaged 5.0 steals per contest.
Rookie of the Week:
Jaira Moore – Freshman – Guard – Lesley University
Jaira Moore (Chula Vista, Calif.) helped the Lynx go 1-1 last week, highlighted by a 63-58 victory in their home opener against Mt. Holyoke. Moore shot an efficient 4-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, to record a career-high 10 points. She also grabbed a career-high six rebounds and added a block. Earlier in the week, Moore contributed seven points in Wednesday's game at Dean.
Men’s Basketball
Player of the Week:
Simon Chadbourne – Senior – Guard – UMaine-Farmington
Simon Chadbourne (Portland, Maine) paced the Beavers offensively in the two games they played a week ago. Against UMA on Saturday, Chadbourne finished with 17 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting from the field and knocking down 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. In a tough loss against Colby College on Sunday, Chadbourne scored a game-high 35 points, knocking down nine three-pointers to keep the Beavers within reach. Chadbourne also snared ten rebounds in the game, finishing with his first double-double of the season.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Curt Heinz – Senior – Center – Maine Maritime Academy
Curt Heinz (Stuttgart, Germany) led MMA to a 1-1 week and a runner-up finish at the UNE Jim Beaudry Classic, averaging a double-double with 20.5 points and 12.0 rebounds while shooting an impressive 64.0% from the field. Heinz also dished out six assists across the two games. In an 82-79 victory over the host Nor’easters, he posted game highs of 30 points (11-for-15 FG, 6-for-6 FT), 17 rebounds, and five assists, along with two steals. He sealed the win with two clutch free throws in the final 19 seconds and secured the defensive rebound on UNE's last 3-point attempt to tie the game. The victory marked MMA’s first at UNE in 12 tries and just the second in 24 all-time meetings. In an 82-75 loss to Mitchell on Sunday, despite being double-teamed and running into foul trouble, Heinz contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
Rookie of the Week:
Zach McLaughlin – Freshman – Guard – UMaine-Farmington
McLaughlin delivered a significant boost off the bench in Farmington's two games last week. On Saturday against UMA, the freshman guard shot an impressive 7-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, finishing with 18 points in just 12 minutes during a dominant Farmington victory. In Sunday's championship game of the Colby College Tip-Off Tournament, McLaughlin contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and four steals against Colby College.