Senior point guard LATRESE McNAIR is the NJCU women's athlete of the week for the fourth time this season and the ninth time in the last two seasons as she was an unstoppable force last week.
The two-time defending Division III national leader in steals also earned three major awards. The 5-foot-6 McNair was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week and ECAC Division III Metro Player of the Week for the first time this season and the third time in her career. Additionally, she was named to the PrestoSports/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Honor Roll for the second time this year.
McNair previously earned NJAC Player of the Week accolades on January 9 and February 6, 2006. She was selected ECAC Metro co-Player of the Week on January 4, 2005 and January 10, 2006; this is the first time she has won the award outright.
McNair has been named to the MBWA Honor Roll six times in her career, most recently scoring the honor two weeks ago on January 15. She previously was named to the MBWA Honor Roll four times during the 2005-06 season—December 19, January 9, January 23 and February 6.
McNair almost single-handedly led the Gothic Knights to their first two New Jersey Athletic Conference victories of the season last week. In two games, McNair averaged 28.0 points, 5.5 steals, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 45.0 percent from the field (18-40) and 65.4 percent from the line (17-26). She played all 80 minutes over the two games.
On January 27, when NJCU defeated Rowan University, 62-59—the first time in program history that the Knights have won in Glassboro in consecutive years—McNair scored 25 points on 8-of-20 shooting. She added seven steals, six assists and five rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the fourth straight game and the sixth time this year.
McNair moved into a tie for 12th place in Division III history with 431 steals, and increased her career scoring total to 1,112. It was her fifth 20-point game of the season and the 11th of her career.
NJCU trailed 45-37, with 7:37 left before McNair turned a defensive rebound into a fast-break lay-up, trimming the deficit to 47-44 at 6:48. NJCU rallied to take the lead before Rowan cut the margin to 56-55. But with 59 seconds left, McNair picked off a steal, before driving to the basket for a key lay-up with 39 seconds left and a 58-55 lead. She added a free throw with 21 seconds remaining for a 59-57 margin.
In NJCU’s 61-56 win over Ramapo College on January 24, McNair tied her career high with 31 points, moving into fifth place in NJCU history in scoring. She became the first NJCU player since the 1988-89 season to score 30 points twice in the same season and twice in the same month. Overall, McNair scored 22 of NJCU’s first 37 points and 26 of 43. McNair scored 15 of NJCU’s 28 first half points. She had 16 points in the second half, and overall shot 10-of-20, with five rebounds and four steals.
NJCU trailed 38-30 in the second half before seven straight points by McNair, including a three-pointer, put NJCU in front, 39-38.
On the season, through January 31, McNair leads NJCU in scoring (16.7), total points (317), steals (92), steals per game (4.84), assists (68), assists per game (3.6), total minutes (684) and minutes per game (36.0). She is averaging 5.2 rebounds and 0.53 blocks per game and has percentages of .386 from the field (110-285), .319 from three-point territory (29-91), and .636 (68-107) at the line. She is averaging 19.0 per game in conference play.
In the NJAC individual statistics, McNair leads the conference in steals and minutes played. She ranks second in scoring, third in assists and assist/turnover ratio (1.31), sixth in three-pointers per game (1.53), seventh in three-point percentage, and 14th in free throw percentage.
