Final NAC Weekly Awards of 2024-25 Basketball Season Announced
WATERVILLE, Maine - The final North Atlantic Conference (NAC) men's and women's basketball weekly accolades have been announced, as six student-athletes from six different institutions close out the regular season with confernece honors.
Women’s Basketball
Player/Defensive Player of the Week:
Logan Thayne – Senior – Center – SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Cobleskill senior center Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) delivered a dominant week, leading the Tigers to wins over VTSU-Johnson and VTSU-Lyndon with strong all-around performances. She averaged 16.5 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, and four assists per game while shooting an efficient 54.2% from the field (13-24). Thayne posted a double-double against Johnson with 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and a steal, making her presence felt on both ends of the court. She followed with a career-high six blocks against Lyndon, along with another double-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.
Rookie of the Week:
Mollie Gray – Freshman – Forward - Thomas College
Thomas College freshman forward Mollie Gray (Southwest Harbor, Maine) delivered a standout performance in Saturday’s 58-56 loss to UMaine-Fort Kent, scoring 20 points with five rebounds and three assists in just 24 minutes. Gray also helped the Terriers claim a crucial conference win on Sunday against UMaine-Presque Isle, despite playing limited minutes in the triumph.
Men’s Basketball
Player of the Week:
Curt Heinz – Senior – Center – Maine Maritime Academy
Maine Maritime Academy senior center Curt Heinz (Stuttgart, Germany) continued his dominant play, averaging 24.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game while shooting an impressive 73.1% (19-26) from the field during a 1-1 week for the Mariners. The senior center delivered a standout performance with 31 points and 15 rebounds on 13-of-17 shooting in a narrow 67-66 loss to UMaine-Presque Isle on Saturday. He followed up with his second triple-double of the season, recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a win over UMaine-Fort Kent on Sunday.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week:
Malachi Howard – Senior – Forward – Lesley University
Lesley University senior forward Malachi Howard (Winter Haven, Fla.) recorded a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds in a crucial 88-80 NAC victory over VTSU Lyndon on Tuesday, marking his fifth double-double of the season and the 11th of his career. He also blocked three shots in the win, while his 14 rebounds set a season high and tied his career high.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week:
Gilbert Jean Mendez – Senior – Guard – UMaine-Presque Isle
In another impressive 2-0 week, UMaine-Presque Isle senior guard Gilbert Jean Mendez (Clearwater, Fla.) anchored the Owls' defense in two narrow NAC victories that secured the No. 2 seed and the program’s first 20-win season in history. In Saturday’s one-point win over MMA, Mendez made his presence felt with 14 crucial rebounds - 13 of them on the defensive end - in 38 hard-fought minutes. On Sunday against Thomas College, he played all 40 minutes, leading UMPI with eight rebounds, three steals, and a dominant 26-point performance.
Rookie of the Week:
Deshawn Ford – Freshman – Forward – VTSU-Lyndon
VTSU-Lyndon freshman forward Deshawn Ford (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) had a strong week in three road games as Lyndon fought to keep its postseason hopes alive. On Tuesday at Lesley, he posted a season-best 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 17 rebounds in a narrow loss. On Friday, he added seven points and seven rebounds in a close game against NAC West champion SUNY Delhi. With a playoff berth on the line Saturday at SUNY Cobleskill, Ford recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting to secure the win. He averaged 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field for the week.