Jan. 2, 2013

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Army women’s basketball maintained its hold on the Patriot League Rookie of the Week accolade on Wednesday afternoon as freshman point guard Kelsey Minato snagged her third citation of the season. Minato had game highs in points, shooting percentage and three-pointers in the Black Knights’67-51  victory over Bryant on Sunday.

Minato went for a career-high 24 points on an 8-for-10 shooting afternoon against the Bulldogs, which including a 5-for-7 clip from behind the arc. The 24 points are the second-best by a Black Knight this season, while her field goal percentage was the best by an Army player since Nov. 11, 2011, when Jen Hazlett shot 85.7 percent (6-of-7) against Wagner. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native has also notched two games where she made five three pointers.

An Army rookie has earned the Patriot League’s top newcomer weekly honor six times out of the eight-week season, with a Black Knight only being eligible during seven voting periods. Classmate Aimee Oertner has also been voted the league’s top rookie three times this season.

The Black Knights own the record for most rookie of the week awards combined in a single season with nine out of a possible 12 established in 1991-92, including seven awarded to Lisa Russell. Russell’s seven rank tied for second most all-time in Patriot League history, with Bucknell’s Lindsey Hollobaugh collecting the most certificates with eight earned in 2003-04.