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Feb. 5, 2019
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mel Greenberg
215-815-5943

Weekly women's honors continue each Tuesday this season

ALARIE, HARBISON ARE USBWA WOMEN'S
NATIONAL, FRESHMAN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – For the season's tenth U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week and the organization's women's freshman player honor, Princeton guard/forward Bella Alarie is national player while Saint Louis guard Ciaja Harbison has been tabbed for the freshman citation after each was involved in helping their teams go unbeaten in games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 3.

The USBWA weekly honors for Division I women's players will be handed out each Tuesday this season.

As the Ivy player and Atlantic 10 freshman weekly winners, both were nominated for the awards, which were chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for women's basketball, primarily from a pair of lists of Division I conference players and freshmen players of the week.

Alarie, a 6-4 junior guard/forward from Bethesda, Md., averaged 33 points and 12 rebounds in a weekend set of games that began with her setting both the league's overall and conference game scoring records by collecting 45 points at Columbia, shooting 20-for-28 from the field (which also became a similar record for field goals made), and grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked four shots and dealt an assist. The previous scoring marks were 41 points for league and 43 for game marks. Bill Bradley is the only other Tigers male or female to reach 45. The next night at Cornell, Alarie had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Her six blocks on the week also gave her a new Princeton blocked shots career mark of 162.

Harbison, a 5-6 guard from Louisville, Ky., in both wins against George Mason and George Washington, was the Billikens' top scorer, as well as leading field goal and free throw percentage shooter, as well as best on assists and steals. In averaging 18.5 points for the week, she powered her way in second halves, scoring all 16 points against George Mason, in which she overall also dealt a game-high six assists, and 19 of her game-high 21 points against George Washington.

Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. For the 2012-13 season, the national and weekly player award has been named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale. At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2019 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA’s annual awards event in Tampa, site of the 2019 NCAA Women’s Final Four.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

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