As 2019 wound down there were a number of standout performances by Kiwi women, playing NCAA Division I basketball, in the final week of the year. Kendell Heremaia led the Lowdown Team of the Week with Akiene-Tera Reed, McKenna Dale, Tegan Graham and Kayla Manuirirangi completing the five.
Kendell Heremaia, junior at Fordham University
Heremaia was in imperious form as hosts Fordham Rams won the Holiday Classic with a 63-54 win against Houston in the Bronx.
Heremaia was named Atlantic 10 Player of the week after a pair of games at the Classic where she lit up proceedings. Having scored 21 points against Stamford the previous day she averaged 16.5 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists over 31 minutes on consecutive days.
Akiene-Tera Reed, junior at Virginia Commonwealth University
Despite a career high 29 points (7/16FG) performance from Akiene-Tera Reed Virginia Commonwealth went down 69-58 to North Carolina A&T.
Reed scored 22 of her points in the second half and also added 5 rebounds and a pair of steals. She leads the VCU scoring averaging 14.4 points per game.
McKenna Dale, junior guard at Brown University
Dale finished 2019 in style banking double figures, including a career high 19 points, in her last four games for Brown University before their New Year break. Dale had her career first double-double (17 points and 12 rebounds) against FIU. Brown begin Ivy League play on January 17 at Yale.
Tegan Graham, senior guard at Colgate University
Colgate University wound up non-conference play with a 74-58 win at Wagner. Graham not only came up with 13 points (5/9FG) for the Raiders in the win but also captured a career high 4 steals.
Kayla Manuirirangi, senior guard at Tulane University
Manuirirangi, the former New Plymouth Girls High standout, led the way for Tulane Green Wave with 16 points (a season best) in the 56-40 win against Georgia Southern. The senior guard knocked down 4 threes in that tally.
In the same game Cantabrian Tsubasa Nisbett contributed 3 points and 3 rebounds for Georgia in just her second start for the Eagles.
Bubbling Under
Pareunora Pene scored a season best 7 points in 24 minutes as Chattanooga went down 70-58 to Ohio in their final game of 2019.
Shalae Salmon came up with 4 rebounds and 8 points as BYU beat Loyola Marymount 59-44.
Colorado, currently an impressive 12-0, won their opening Pac 12 encounter against Utah 80-70. Charlotte Whittaker had 5 points, 3 rebounds and a block in the win.
Katelin Noyer produced 6 points and 3 rebounds as Fresno State outclassed UC Merced 92-26.
LACEY LOWDOWN 