Bryant sweeps NEC weekly awards

SOMERSET, N.J. - Senior Brooke Bjelko and redshirt freshman Shannon O'Connor swept the first set of Northeast Conference weekly awards of the 2020-21 season, as announced on Monday. 

Bjelko took home NEC Player of the Week honors after leading the Bryant University women's basketball team in scoring during the season-opening stretch. The 6-3 center posted back-to-back double-doubles in the first two home games of the season, first against UMass with 11 points and 13 rebounds, and then again against New Hampshire with 21 points and career-high 16 rebounds. She followed the double-digit performances with eight points and five rebounds at Providence. Bjelko currently leads the Black and Gold with 13.3 points per game, a 44.7 FG percentage, two blocks, and 39 rebounds. The 39 rebounds rank her first in the country after the opening weekend out of 142 players. 

After an injury forced O'Connor to redshirt during the 2019-20 season, the Wrentham native is back and earned an NEC Rookie of the Week nod. O'Connor started in all three games and leads the Bulldogs in free throw makes and attempts shooting 10-of-12 from the stripe. Across three games, she combined for 20 points including a career-best 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in Bryant's 75-72 win over New Hampshire. Six of the ten points came from the foul line in the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs needed it the most to gain the advantage over the Wildcats. She also leads the Bulldogs with six steals after swiping four against UMass.