DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its weekly award winners and Mount Holyoke College student-athlete Amber Legare has been selected. The senior captain was named the Division III New England Player of the Week in women's basketball after leading the Lyons to a 2-0 week. This is the third honor this week for Legare, who was the NEWMAC Player of the Week and a selection to the NEWBA Weekly Honor Roll.
A forward out of Chicopee, Mass., Legare averaged 27.5 points and 16.0 rebounds per game to pace the Lyons offense. She added three assists and three blocks as well. In a 71-61 win over NEWMAC-rival Clark, Legare netted a career-high 31 points, adding 13 rebounds, an assist and a block.
Legare then posted a game-best 24 points and 19 rebounds with two assists and a block to lift the Lyons to a 70-54 win over St. Joseph (Conn.). It marked her eighth double-double of the season and her seventh in the last eight contests.
Through 12 games, Legare leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per contest. She is also second on the squad in rebounding with a 10.6 per game average, while adding 19 assists, 16 blocks and 11 steals. Legare, who is a two-time NEWMAC Player of the Week recipient this season, is currently averaging 36.7 minutes played per game.
Among the conference's best, Legare is second in points per game and third in boards per contest. Overall, she ranks first in the NEWMAC in offensive caroms per game with 4.1, while also sitting third in total rebounds (127). Legare has posted 10 points or more in all 12 games this season, recording eight double-doubles overall.
The former Chicopee Comprehensive High School standout, who surpassed the 1,000-career point mark on December 9, now has 1,084 career points with 755 rebounds over an 84 game span in her career. Last season, Legare averaged 14.7 points and a conference-best 11.2 rebounds per contests as a starter in 24 of 25 games for the Lyons. A NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team selection, she also chipped in with 28 assists, 30 blocks and 38 steals, while averaging 34.0 minutes per contest. Legare shot a team-high 60.7% (68-112) from free throw range and also had a squad-best 40.9% (149-364) mark from the field.
As a sophomore, Legare averaged 11.6 points with a team-best 7.4 rebounds and 25 blocks. A starter in all 24 games, she also had 24 assists and 17 steals. During her rookie campaign, she averaged 9.7 points with a team-best 7.3 rebounds, also contributing 19 assists and team-bests in blocks and steals with 38 and 36, respectively.
Mount Holyoke (4-8; 1-2 NEWMAC) returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Worcester for a 7pm conference-tilt at WPI. Live stats and video for the game can be found HERE.
