Hearst and Casimir Announced as the First Men's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Zaid Hearst, Quinnipiac
Sr., G, 6-4, Bethesda, Md./Salisbury School (Conn.)
Zaid Hearst began his senior season with a bang on Friday night, using a career performance to help Quinnipiac to an 88-85 double overtime win against Yale. Hearst poured in a career-high 34 points going 12-for-20 from the field and 4-for-9 from behind the arc. He also added 11 rebounds, collecting his 11th career double-double, and dished out five assists. Hearst played in all but one minute of the marathon, scoring 17 in the first half, 12 in the second, and five in overtime. He got six of his points from the free-throw line and also blocked a shot. Career wise, Hearst moved into 29th place on the Quinnipiac scoring list as well.
Rookie of the Week
Schadrac Casimir, Iona
Fr., G, 5-10, Stamford, Conn./South Kent School/Trinity Catholic
Schadrac Casimir poured in 20 points in his Iona debut leading the Gaels to a 78-73 win over Cleveland State Friday night. It was the highest single-game point total for an Iona freshman in his first game in at least the last 15 years. Steve Burtt '06 previously held the mark with 18 at Lipscomb in 2002. After an inauspicious start which saw a turnover on the Gaels' first possession, a foul and a second turnover over the first 10 minutes of the game, Casimir drained his first collegiate field goal attempt with 9:57 left in the first half. He proceeded to shoot 7-of-11 overall from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. The 5-10 Casimir corralled a rebound on the potential game-tying Cleveland three-pointer with the shot clock off, was fouled and hit both free throw attempts with three seconds left to make it a two possession game and seal the win for the Gaels. Casimir's 20 points were complimented by four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.