NEW YORK (Dec. 10, 2024) ---
Natalie Bruns of New York University has been named Divisions II/III Women’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
The designation, for games played Dec. 2-8, is unique in that it encompasses players from 49 Met area schools across Divisions II and III.
Named the MBWA Women's Division III Player of the Year last season, this marks Bruns' second career Met Basketball player of the week honor, her first coming during the 2022-23 season.
A 6-1 graduate forward from St. Louis, MO, Bruns averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals in a 2-0 week for the undefeated and Division III No. 1-ranked Violets (7-0), who won their two games by a cumulative margin of 111 points. Sharpshooting Bruns nailed 64.7% of her shots from the floor (22-of-34) along with all her free throws (6-of-6) last week.
NYU, the defending NCAA Division III national champion, trounced SUNY Cobleskill 119-55 at home on Friday and then whipped Tufts 97-50 Sunday on the road.
Bruns tied her career high with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, against Cobleskill. She added five rebounds, five assists, four blocks and four steals.
Against Tufts, when she notched 23 points, Bruns hit 11-of-19 shots from the field while adding six rebounds, three assists and a block.
NYU has now won 38 straight games, the longest active NCAA streak in all divisions, which includes an undefeated (31-0) 2023-24 national title season.
Players receiving MBWA Divisions II/III Honorable Mention for the week: Jalea Abrams, Queens; Syrita Faraj, St. Thomas Aquinas; Hannah Ramsden, USMMA; Ane Valle, Felician; Yasminah White, Saint Elizabeth.
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