General 12/4/2023 2:30:00 PM United East Athletes of the Week - December 4, 2023 LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for December 4, 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 27 through Sunday, December 3. A total of 8 student-athletes were recognized for their performances. Men’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Derian Bradford / Sr / Cairn University / Lansdale, Pa. / Faith Christian Academy / University of Valley Forge Bradford led the Highlanders to three victories this week, first in overtime against St. Joseph's Brooklyn on Monday night on the road where he recorded a 24 point, 17 rebound double-double, shooting 10-17 from the field with five assists and three blocks. In conference play, over two games, Bradford totaled 48 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, and three steals. On the week, Bradford averaged a double-double with 24.0 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. Bradford was a 2022-23 First Team All-Conference honoree and previously earned Player of the Week for November 15, 2021 while playing at Valley Forge en route to a Second Team All-Conference honor for that season. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Jonathan Ramos / Jr / Saint Elizabeth University / Clifton, N.J. / Clifton HS Ramos led Saint Elizabeth to two United East - Skye Division victories this week to begin conference play 2-0. Against Keystone on Wednesday, Ramos went 4 for 4 from three and finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Then on Saturday against Notre Dame (Md.), Ramos had 5 steals and 7 defensive rebounds to go with 9 points as the Eagles eliminated an 18-point deficit to eventually win in overtime. The 18-point deficit and comeback win was the largest in school history. Ramos currently is 12th in the United East averaging 1.7 steals per game. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Andre Ballard / Sr / Penn State Berks / Miami, Fl. / Archbishop Carroll Andre Ballard continued his solid play on offense in all three games this past week. The senior forward averaged 25.0 points on 57.4% (27-of-47) shooting from the floor, to go along with 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He recorded 29 points, five boards, three steals, three assists, and a blocked shot in a victory over Penn State Abington. Ballard followed that up with 24 points and five rebounds against Immaculata University, while adding 22 points and eight boards against Penn College Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Jake Schalki / Sr / Penn State Abington / Horsham, Pa. / Hatboro-Horsham In a 1-2 week for the Nittany Lions, Schalki recorded three double-doubles as he averaged 16.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He started the week with 13 points and 11 boards in the setback at Berks. He then totaled 17 points and 15 rebounds in the loss at King's College before wrapping the week up with a 20-point/11 rebound performance in the win over Immaculata. Thirty-three of Schalki's 37 rebounds for the week came on the defensive end. He also had three blocks and three steals on the week. Women’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Amani Watts / FY / Notre Dame of Maryland University / Severn, Md. / Old Mill HS Watts led the Gators to two key conference victories over Cedar Crest College and Saint Elizabeth University during the league’s opening week of games. In the victory over Cedar Crest College, Watts scored 19 points while pulling in 17 rebounds. She again shined in the Gators overtime victory at Saint Elizabeth University. Watts scored 25 points and pulled in 20 rebounds in the rematch of last season's conference semifinal matchup. Watts showed up in a major way during the overtime period where she scored 8 of the team's 12 points. For the week Watts averaged 22 points per game while pulling in an average of 18.5 rebounds per game. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Adrianna Stricek / So / Wilson College / Harrisburg, Pa. / Trinity HS Stricek helped the Phoenix open up conference play in blazing fashion as she averaged 16.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. In the divisional opener at Rosemont, Stricek led a balanced effort with 15 points, 12 boards, three assists and a steal. She followed up with 18 points, a career-high 19 boards, and three steals in another dominating win against Keystone on Saturday. In 2022-23, Stricek was the CSAC Rookie of the Year as well as an Honorable Mention honoree in addition to a Defensive Player of the Week nod for the week of February 6, 2023. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Cassidy Perry / Sr / Gallaudet University / Frederick, Md. / Maryland School for the Deaf Gallaudet University senior Cassidy Perry scored 54 points in two games last week for the Bison. Perry scored a season-high 35 points at home against Lancaster Bible College last Wednesday in the Field House. Perry completed the double-double with 19 rebounds, seven assists, four blocks and one assist. Perry then scored 19 points in a road conference loss at Penn St.-Harrisburg last Saturday. Perry added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the loss. This is the 12th Player of the Week honor on the basketball court for Perry who was a First Team All-Conference honoree in 2021-22, 2022-23, in addition to Rookie of the Year and Second Team honors in 2019-20. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Rachel Teats / Jr / Pennsylvania College of Technology / Middleburg, Pa. / Midd-West HS Teats totaled seven steals, 12 defensive rebounds and helped Penn College score 31 points off of turnovers in two games last week. Teats recorded two steals and five defensive rebounds in a setback to Penn State Harrisburg picked up five steals, one block, and seven defensive rebounds in a win over Penn State Berks. This is the first Athlete of the Week honor for Teats who was a Second Team All-United East in the 2022-23 season. 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