WINTHROP, Mass. - Graduate student forward Alec Kinder (West Haven, Conn.) of the nationally-ranked University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball team was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Week, it was announced Monday afternoon by the conference front office in its fourth weekly report of the 2022-23 season. It marks the first career GNAC weekly honor for Kinder and the first for the undefeated USJ men's basketball team this season.
Kinder helped power the nationally-ranked No. 3 Blue Jays to another unblemished week, averaging 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game off the bench over a pair of contests en route to earning his first career GNAC Player of the Week nod. The West Haven product was efficient shooting the rock on his way to averaging 13.5 ppg, connecting on 75.0% (12-16) of his field-goal attempts during a two-game road swing last week.
Kinder started the week by matching his career-high with a game-high 15 points (7-10 FG) to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks in a 77-57 non-conference victory on the road over Tufts University out of the NESCAC on Tuesday night. The six-foot-six forward followed up that performance with a 12-point (5-6 FG), nine-rebound, and two-block outing in the Blue Jays' GNAC-opening 90-63 triumph on the road on Saturday at Anna Maria.
Kinder has been a key player off the bench so far this season for the Blue Jays and is currently averaging 6.8 ppg and a team-best 6.8 rpg in 15.2 mpg. He also averages nearly a block and steal per game for a USJ defensive unit that is currently allowing just 57.3 ppg, holding opponents to 37.2 percent shooting from the field, and forcing 20.33 turnovers per game. Those marks rank seventh, 16th, and T-17th in the nation, respectively.
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Men's basketball returns back to the hardwood on Wednesday, December 7 for another GNAC road contest and plays at Elms College. Tipoff between the Blue Jays and Blazers is slated for 7:00 p.m. inside the Maguire Center in Chicopee, Mass. The Blue Jays then return to West Hartford on Saturday, December 10 for a conference clash with Rivier University beginning at approximately 3:00 p.m. Tickets for Saturday's contest between the Blue Jays and Raiders can be purchased by visiting www.usjbluejays.com/tickets.
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