Orange Sweeps BIG EAST Weekly Honors

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The SU women’s basketball team took home both conference weekly awards on Monday, Dec. 5. Sophomore center Vaida Sipaviciute (Kaunas, Lithuania) was tabbed the BIG EAST Player of the Week, while rookie guard Jenny Eckhart (Libertyville, Ill.) was named Freshman of the Week.

Sipaviciute averaged 31.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game in wins against Colgate (92-56) on Nov. 29 and Canisius (91-73) on Dec. 4. She broke the SU single-game scoring record with 41 points versus Colgate, a mark that stood for more than a decade. Sipaviciute also pulled down a career-best 21 rebounds against the Raiders, the second-highest single-game total in SU history. She was 16-of-25 (.640) from the field in the contest and her 16 field goals was tied for the second-most on SU’s single-game ledger.

Sipaviciute followed up her record-setting performance with another double-double versus Canisius. She tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots versus the Golden Griffins.

For the week, Sipaviciute hit 23 of her 42 field-goal attempts (.548) and was 17-for-21 (.810) from the foul line. She made all eight of her free-throw attempts at Canisius, including four in the final 21 seconds to help seal the victory. Sipaviciute is the only player in Orange history to score 20+ points in five straight games and she has four double-doubles this season. Sipaviciute leads the conference in rebounding (12.3 rpg) and blocks (3.83 bpg) and ranks second in scoring average (23.8 ppg). She is the first SU performer to earn Player of the Week honors since Julie McBride on Jan. 18, 2004.

Eckhart averaged 19.5 points and 4.5 assists per game in the Orange’s two victories. At Canisius, she led all scorers with a career-best 23 points and played the full 40 minutes. She was 6-of-11 from the floor (.545) and matched her personal best with four 3-pointers. Eckhart also established career highs in free throws made (7) and attempted (11). In SU’s win against Colgate, she finished with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting (.667) and was a career-best 4-for-5 (.800) from 3-point range. She also chipped in six assists.

For the week, Eckhart knocked down 60 percent of her field-goal attempts (12-20). Eckhart is the Orange’s second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and has started each of SU’s six games.

SU returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 8 when it tips off its league schedule at Pittsburgh. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.

Syracuse University Athletics

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