North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week – Week of Dec. 19, 2023
 
Offensive Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Trent Jakacki, Hiram
Hiram junior guard Trent Jakacki (Hiram, OH/Crestwood) guided the Terriers to a 1-1 week with a victory over Hilbert (91-83) and a tough loss to No. 8-ranked Case Western Reserve (104-95). In the nine-point loss to the Spartans last Monday, the junior recorded 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one block. Then in the win over the Hawks on Friday, Jakacki netted 46 points, dished five assists, gathered five rebounds, and earned three steals. The guard’s 46 points tied for the third-most in a single game in program history and were the most points scored in a single game since Rod Swartz set the program record in 1987 with 51 points over Carnegie Mellon. On the week, Jakacki averaged 36.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks.
 
Defensive Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Manuel Devora Violan, Hiram
Hiram sophomore guard Manuel Devora Violan (Tenerife, Canary Islands/Andrews Osborne) averaged 4.5 steals and 3.5 defensive boards in a 1-1 week for the Terriers. In a loss to Case Western Reserve (104-95) on Monday, Devora Violan earned five steals, three defensive rebounds and the first block of his career. Then in a win over Hilbert (91-83) on Friday, the sophomore collected four defensive rebounds and four steals. On the week, Devora Violan totaled 30 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, nine steals, and one block.
 
Offensive Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Jade Simpson, Wittenberg
Wittenberg senior forward Jade Simpson (Edgewood, KY/Holy Cross) guided the Tigers to a 2-0 week with wins over Otterbein (65-58 OT) and Anderson (IN) (89-65). Against the Cardinals, the senior recorded five points, eight rebounds and two steals. Simpson followed with a career-high 23-point, 20-rebound performance, to go along with two assists and one block against the Ravens. The forward’s 20 rebounds rank third in program history and make her just the fourth Tiger player to reach 20 rebounds in a game.
 
Defensive Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week – Camille Zinaich, Oberlin
Oberlin junior forward Camille Zinaich (Boonsboro, MD/Saint Maria Goretti) propelled the Yeowomen to a 63-58 win over Adrian. Zinaich gathered a season-high 10 defensive rebounds, to go along with two steals and one block in a five-point win that featured 18 points from turnovers. Zinaich finished the contest with her third double-double in the last four games after totaling 17 points and 11 rebounds.
 
NCAC Milestones & Records (Dec. 11 – Dec. 17)
 
Denison, Men’s Basketball – Senior forward Emmett Burnside (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) set new season-highs with nine rebounds and three steals as Denison defeated Bluffton 90-63 … Junior guard Tyler Miller (Hudson, OH/Hudson) scored a season-high 24 points on five made three-pointers as Denison defeated Bluffton 90-63. Miller tied his career high in made field goals (9-for-14) and finished 5-for-9 from three while adding five rebounds … Denison outrebounded Bluffton by 20 (48-to-28) overall and by 12 (17-to-5) on the offensive glass. It was a season-high in both total rebounds and offensive rebounds for Denison and was its most in both categories since an 82-57 win vs. Hiram College on December 8, 2021. The Big Red also put together a season-high 14 steals en route to limiting the Beavers to just 63 points, which is tied for the fewest points allowed by Denison so far this season.
 
Hiram, Women’s Basketball – Senior guard Anastasia Lawler (Hudson, OH/Hudson) led Hiram with a career-high 19 points on Monday at Geneva and a team-high 12 points on Friday against Hilbert. The senior made seven three-point shots over the two games, which is tied for her most in any two-game span of her career.
 
Oberlin, Women’s Basketball – Oberlin senior Alyson Jefferson (Washington, DC/Benjamin Banneker) helped guide the Yeowomen to a 63-58 victory to close out the first semester of action by stuffing the stat sheet with a season-high 19 points to go along with a season-best seven rebounds while tying a career-high with six assists. Jefferson was 6-of-14 from the floor, which included a season-high two 3-pointers, and she went 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
 
Wittenberg, Women’s Basketball – Sophomore forward Riane Burton (Houston, TX/Cypress Ranch) had a breakout week against Otterbein as she poured in career-highs of 26 points and 14 rebounds, and she followed that with another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Anderson two days later.
 
Wooster, Women’s Basketball – Sophomore guard Ella Dean (Ann Arbor, MI/Saline) scored a career-high 23 points in an 81-58 win over Olivet. Later, in the team’s 80-69 win over the Pittsburgh-Greensburg, she followed up with a 20-point performance including going 6-of-12 from range, which was one three-pointer shy of tying the school record. The guard also added six rebounds and a career-best two blocks to help Wooster move to 4-5 on the season.