Senior point guard LATRESE McNAIR is the NJCU women's athlete of the week for the third time this season and the eighth time in the last two seasons and was named to the MBWA Honor Roll, after a sensational week in which she averaged over 20 points per game and became the eighth player in NJCU women's history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. McNair moved into seventh place in school history in scoring with 1,023 and 16th place in Division III history in steals with 413.
The two-time defending Division III national leader in steals per game leads the country again this year. During the week, she also attempted the 1000th field goal of her career (1014) and moved into second place in school history in minutes played (2,720), trailing only head coach ASHANTE TIMOLL (2,947) on the career list.
Although NJCU lost two tight New Jersey Athletic Conference games in which they led in the second half, McNair had a solid week, as she averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 1.0 assists per game, while shooting 41.9 percent from the field (13-31), 35.3 percent from three-point range (.6-17) and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-14). She tallied 43 points, 14 rebounds, nine steals and one block in two games.
In NJCU’s 66-58 loss at Montclair State University on January 13—a game NJCU led 17-1—McNair became the first NJCU player since January 2002 to score 30 points in a game, as she poured in a career-high 31, shooting 9-of-17 from the field, 4-of-8 from three-point range, and 9-of-11 from the line.
The NCAA Division III national leader in steals, McNair picked off seven in the game, and added six rebounds. She scored 21 of her 31 points in the second half, and 21 of NJCU’s 31 total points in the period. On a historic day for McNair, she was NJCU’s only player in double figures in scoring. She is just three points shy of moving into sixth place all-time.
McNair joins Monique Hemmingway (1,673, 1984-87, 88-89), Chris Mosca (1,514, 1980-84), Tara Mitchell (1,237, 1993-95, 96-98), Debbie Breen (1,231, 1978-82), Doris Nicholson (1,081, 1986-89), Shondelle Browne (1,025, 1999-03), and Mary Beth Kennedy (1,013, 1974-78), on the 1,000-point list.
McNair, who started the day with 992 points before passing Kennedy on the career list, became the first NJCU player in almost four seasons to score 30 in a game, a feat last accomplished by Anabel Rodriguez (34 points) at Stevens Institute of Technology on January 21, 2002.
McNair surpassed her previous career high of 25 against Brockport State on November 19, adding seven steals and six rebounds in 36 minutes. She tied her career high in free throws converted.
In a 51-46 loss to William Paterson University on January 10, McNair had a near double-double with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. She converted two three pointers in 37 minutes.
On the season, McNair is averaging 15.0 points (195), 4.85 steals (63), 4.1 rebounds (15-38-53), 2.77 assists (36) and 0.69 blocks (9) per game, shooting .391 from the field (70-179), .333 from deep (20-60), and .614 from the line (35-57). She has played 447 minutes, an average of 34.4 per game.
Among the NJAC statistical leaders, McNair leads the league in steals, and ranks second in scoring average and minutes played, sixth in assists and three-pointers made, ninth in three-point percentage, and 14th in free throw percentage.
