Joanna Smith Tabbed MAC East Player Of The Week For Second Time
12/28/2015 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo, The State University of New York women's basketball junior guard Joanna Smith has been named Mid-American Conference East division Player of the week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. This is the second time this season that Smith has earned the weekly recognition.
The Southaven, MS native put the team on her back on Monday and led them to victory over Big 4 rival Niagara as she tied a career-high with 26 points. The junior finished the game going 10-for-15 from the floor and scored 18 of her game-high 26 in the second and third quarters combined. Smith took over the game offensively for the Bulls as she broke the 20-point plateau for the third time this season while also racking up five rebounds and a team-high three steals.
After a quiet start to the game, Smith took over in the second quarter as she connected for eight points in the quarter. After half, Smith came out firing as she helped UB extend their lead to double digits as she scored 10 points in the third quarter as she proved to be too much to handle for the Purple Eagles defense.
On the year, Smith is averaging a team-best 15.0 points and ranks second in rebounding (5.2 RPG). She has recorded double digits in scoring in six of 10 games while also leading the Bulls in scoring in six games. The smooth shooter is averaging 30.9 minutes per game this season while also making a strong impact defensively, ranking third on the squad with 15 steals.
Smith has now earned the weekly recognition twice this season, joining former UB star and current assistant coach, Kristen Sharkey, as the only players to earn the recognition twice in a season over the past four seasons.
The Bulls return to the hardwood on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm as they finish off their non-conference slate with a road game against Sacred Heart. The Bulls are off to a 7-3 start on the year, the best start to a season for the Bulls since 2002-03.
