North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | January 6, 2026
Men’s Basketball – Kellon Smith, Denison
Denison junior guard Kellon Smith (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) helped lead the Big Red to two conference wins last week, scoring 16 points in both victories. The junior recorded an efficient performance in a 65-60 road win at Ohio Wesleyan, shooting 6-of-10 from the field while adding six rebounds, two assists and two steals in the tightly contested matchup. Smith followed with another strong outing in a 75-62 win over Kenyon, as he went 8-of-11 from the floor to pace Denison offensively. On the week, Smith totaled 32 points on 14-of-21 shooting while adding seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
Women’s Basketball – Macy Miller, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan junior forward Macy Miller (Marysville, OH/Milford Center Fairbanks) recorded three double-doubles to power the No. 15/16 Battling Bishops to a 3-0 week, extending OWU’s winning streak to 10 games. The junior opened the week with a strong all-around performance in a 61-50 win over Washington & Jefferson on Tuesday, recording 15 points, 14 rebounds, five steals, and three blocks. Miller followed with a 20-point effort in Wednesday’s 75-60 victory over Allegheny, adding 11 rebounds, four steals, four assists and four blocks. Miller’s week was highlighted by a dominant showing in Saturday’s 80-61 win over Oberlin, where she totaled 18 points and 20 rebounds, marking the most rebounds by an Ohio Wesleyan player since December 2000. For the week, Miller totaled 53 points, 45 rebounds (31 defensive), 11 steals, seven blocks, and six assists to average 17.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals, 2.3 blocks, and 2.0 assists per game.
Milestones & Records (Dec. 22 – Jan. 4)
Denison, Women’s Basketball – Sophomore post Anelly Mad-toingué (Wellesley, MA/Dana Hall) was named to the Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team and earned MVP honors following a strong week in the paint. In two games, she recorded one double-double and averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals while logging just 38 total minutes of action.
DePauw, Women’s Basketball – Senior guard Riley Mont (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) earned a spot on the Amy Hasbrook Tournament All-Tournament Team and reached a career milestone, becoming the 22nd player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
John Carroll, Women’s Basketball – Senior guard/forward Ava Ryncarz (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) set the JCU women’s basketball career record for made three-pointers, pushing her total to 199.
Oberlin, Men’s Basketball – Senior guard Zach Smith (Chicago, IL/University of Chicago Laboratory Schools) extended his 20-point scoring streak to four games with back-to-back 20-point performances last week, including a team-high effort in Oberlin’s 79-56 win over Kalamazoo.
Ohio Wesleyan, Men’s Basketball – Junior wing Peyton Frey (Hilliard, OH/Davidson) scored a career-high 27 points to help OWU earn its first NCAC win of the season with a 75-69 victory over Oberlin on Saturday.
Wabash, Men’s Basketball – First-year guard Luke Ellspermann (Evansville, IN/Memorial) scored a career-high 28 points in the Little Giants’ 82-67 victory over Berea in the opening game of the Lee’s Famous Recipe Classic. The rookie went 9-of-16 from the field, including 7-of-13 from three-point range, and dished out a career-best six assists.
Wooster, Women’s Basketball – The Fighting Scots defeated Wittenberg 71-65 on Saturday to secure their first win over the Tigers since 2017 and their first four-game winning streak since the 2015-16 season.