General 11/20/2023 2:30:00 PM United East Athletes of the Week - November 20, 2023 LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for November 20, 2023. This includes Athletes of the Week for both the Skye and Volt Divisions in Men’s and Women’s Basketball. This week’s selections included contests from Monday, November 13 through Sunday, November 19. A total of 8 student-athletes were recognized for their performances. Men’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Jalen Parker / Jr / Bryn Athyn College / Baltimore, Md. / Admiral Farragut / Missouri Southern State University Jalen Parker led the Lions to a 3-0 week and a 4-0 start to the season. During this past week, Parker averaged 17 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1 assist on 58% shooting from the field. Parker's best performance came against Washington College when he logged 22 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks, and a steal. Parker is currently fifth in the United East in rebounding and third in the Skye Division in rebounding. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Jalen Jackson / Jr / Bryn Athyn College / Brick, N.J. / Brick Township HS / Western Connecticut State Jackson helmed the Lion defense leading them to a 3-0 week and the best start in program history. The junior transfer logged 7 steals on the week and added 16 rebounds while averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. Jackson's best performance came in a 92-77 win over Immaculata where he logged 18 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Jackson won United East Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division last week as well. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Nate Curry / Sr / Penn state Harrisburg / Brooklyn, N.Y. / Christ the King Nate Curry had a big weekend for Penn State Harrisburg at the National Beef Susquehanna Tip-Off Tournament. Against the No. 3 team in the nation in John Carroll on Friday night, the senior finished a rebound shy of a double-double with a game-high 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native followed it up with a game-high 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in a convincing victory over Cabrini on Saturday afternoon. For the week, he averaged 20 points per game on 68 percent shooting from the floor and 66.7 percent from 3-point range to go along with eight rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. Curry was named to the all-tournament team for his efforts. Curry was a 2022-23 United East First Team honoree as well as the 2021-22 United East Championship Tournament MVP. This is the third Athlete of the Week honor for Curry (January 23, 2023 and January 30, 2023). Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Hollique Johnson / Sr / St. Mary’s College of Maryland / Glen Burnie, Md. / Howard CC / Old Mill Senior HS Hollique Johnson averaged 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in a 2-1 week for the Seahawks. Johnson hauled in 27 rebounds over three games, including 22 defensive boards. He grabbed a career-best 12 caroms plus nine points in a 61-51 road win over Gallaudet in the consolation game of the Battle of DC/MD. Johnson started the week with a season-high 13 points in a 76-60 road win over Valley Forge. This is the first United East Player of the Week honor for Johnson. Women’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Destiny Battle / Jr / Saint Elizabeth University / East Orange, N.J. / East Orange HS Destiny Battle continued her strong start to the 2023-24 season by leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record this past week with a win over United East-partner Penn College in a non-conference matchup and a victory over Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday. Battled totaled 54 points on the week averaging 18 points per game, 92% Free Throws Made, 20 assists, 11 steals, and 13 rebounds. Battle was the 2022-23 CSAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as the 2022-22 CSAC Rookie of the Year. This is the 4th time Battle has been awarded Player of the Week (November 13, 2023, February 14, 2022, December 19, 2022). Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Aryanna Baytops / Sr / Saint Elizabeth University / Newark, N.J. / Newark Tech Baytops continued to pile up big numbers to start the season in leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record this past week with a win over United East-partner Penn College in a non-conference matchup and a victory over Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday. Baytops collected 41 total rebounds this week through 3 games including 20 rebounds in the game against Rutgers-Camden. Baytopps also had 6 steals and a block on the week as well. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Sam Blaylock / So / St. Mary’s College of Maryland / Ijamsville, Md. / Oakdale HS Sam Blaylock poured in a season-best 28 points on a career-best eight three-point field goals (tying the 22-year old single-game record for three-pointers in a game) to lead the Seahawks to a 74-52 win over Lehman in the consolation round of the 25th Annual USJ Tip-Off Tournament. Blaylock was named to her second straight All-Tournament Team as well. She also added season-bests of four rebounds and four assists in the win. In the loss to Sage to open the tournament, Blaylock had 20 points and a career-high three steals. This is the first United East Player of the Week honor for Blaylock. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Ali Lister / Jr / Penn State Harrisburg / Allentown, Pa. / Adelphi University / Northwestern Lehigh HS Ali Lister led the defensive unit for Penn State Harrisburg during a pair of games at the Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament hosted by Marymount (Va.) over the weekend. In a narrow setback against Case Western Reserve on Friday night, the junior transfer swiped a game-high four steals, grabbed three defensive rebounds, and added a block before racking up a game-high six steals to go along with four defensive boards and another block in the team’s first win of the season over Worcester State on Saturday night. Across the pair of games, the forward averaged five steals, 3.5 defensive rebounds, and one block per contest. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram - gounitedeast | Twitter - @GoUnitedEast * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.