LANCASTER, Pa. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the Men’s Basketball weekly award winners on Tuesday, as Neumann’s Jalen Vaughns takes home his fourth weekly honors while Gwynedd Mercy’s Aquil Stewart earned his first Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
Player of the Week:
Name: Jalen Vaughns
School: Neumann
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
Hometown: Tobyhanna, Pa.
High School: Pocono Mountain West
Brief Outlook of Week: Vaughns averaged 20.0 points and 12.0 rebounds as Neumann participated in the Double Tree Holiday Tournament. In the opening game against host Albright, the senior had a double-double 21 points and 16 rebounds in an 81-68 loss. Vaughns followed with 19 points and eight rebounds in a close 69-66 loss to Cortland in the consolation game.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Name: Aquil Stewart
School: Gwynedd Mercy
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Hometown: Philadelphia. Pa.
High School: Girard College
Brief Outlook of Week: Over a 3-0 holiday stretch that included wins over St. Elizabeth, Penn State Brandywine, and Rosemont., Stewart averaged 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while fronting the Griffin defense with a block and seven steals. He started the slate off with three steals and a block against the Eagles, then nabbed a pair of steals in follow-up wins over the Nittany Lions and Ravens to help Gwynedd Mercy University finish the non-conference stretch 7-6.
Weekly Honor Roll:
Donoven Mack (Jr., Guard, Cabrini): Mack was tremendous on both ends, pouring in a season-high 25 points and collecting 4 steals in a 78-74 win over Rosemont. He followed it with a 13 point, 5 rebound performance in a loss to Haverford. He finished the stretch averaging 19 points and 3.5 rebounds to close out the first semester.
Aziz Parker (Sr., Guard, Gwynedd Mercy): Parker averaged 16.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game over a 3-0 holiday stretch that included wins over St. Elizabeth, Penn State Brandywine, and Rosemont. His long range shooting was on-point as he scored a season-high 23 points in the home win over the Eagles with five three-point baskets (5-of-6, .833) and scored 17 points in the road win over the Ravens with four more from beyond the arch. Overall, Parker totaled 48 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and a steal to help Gwynedd to a 7-6 non-conference record.
Bryan Warren (Fy., Guard, Cabrini): Warren was disruptive in Cabrini’s Dec. 19 win over Rosemont, collecting 2 blocks, 3 steals, and grabbing 6 defensive rebounds. He also had a game-high 3 steals in a Dec. 30 loss to Haverford.
Previous Weekly Award Winners:
Nov. 13, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & Tyler Tillery, Immaculata
Nov. 20, 2023 – Kyle Thompson, Neumann & , Marcus Beckett Marymount
Nov. 27, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumnan & Tyler Tillery, Immaculata
Dec. 4, 2023 – Jalen Vaughns, Neumann & D.J. Johnson. Gwynedd Mercy
Dec. 11, 2023 – Montell Cooper, Marymount & Bryan Warren, Cabrini
Dec. 18, 2023 – JoHaan Vinson, Gwynedd Mercy & Dylan Crews, Immaculata