One time simply wasn't enough.
Junior forward Khalilah Ummah has earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. In addition to being only the second player in the conference to earn this honor twice - Bowdoin's senior Eileen Flaherty is the only other player to earn the distinction - she is the first Jumbo to earn this honor twice since the 2003-2004 season. Ummah received her first award on Dec. 11.
Averaging 14 points and 9.3 rebounds in the Jumbos' three games last week, Ummah helped the Jumbos open NESCAC play on the right foot. Her 12 rebounds against Amherst on Friday and her 13 points against Trinity on Saturday were enough to lift her team to a 2-0 conference record.
In addition to her stellar performance in NESCAC competition, Ummah added a top-notch showing in the Jumbos' match-up with New England powerhouse Emmanuel. A career-high 21 points and eight rebounds was not enough for a Jumbo win, but it did establish Ummah's presence under the basket.
Ummah brings impressive post play to a team that has searched for this type of presence on the inside for the past few years. Along with senior co-captains Laura Jasinski and Libby Park, Ummah is one of the leaders down low and will continue to play an essential role in the offensive puzzle if the Jumbos want to make some noise in the NESCAC this year.
In addition to being a steady point-producer, Ummah has added impressive rebound numbers which have helped the Jumbos both offensively and defensively. Her points per game, rebounds per game, and field goal percentage statistics are among the best in the NESCAC.
"Khalilah was injured at the beginning of the break," Jasinski said. "But now she is back to dominating in the post which is essential for our offense."
The Jumbos will continue to look to Ummah for her positive post play in the upcoming games, especially against NESCAC rival Bates on Saturday. Bates is currently 1-1 in NESCAC competition, having lost to Williams in early January.
-by Lauren Ebstein
