PACWEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY NOTEBOOK
 
IRVINE, Calif. -- Natalie Diaz led Dominican to two wins in the first week of the conference season and remained the national leader in scoring as she recorded a season-high 41 points against Concordia.
 
Diaz is now averaging 33 points per game and is on the verge of cracking the PacWest’s all-time top-10 lists in rebounding, scoring and field goals after she became the 11th player in PacWest history to reach the milestone of 500 career field goals made.
 
Azusa Pacific also started the conference season with two wins, beating Holy Names and Notre Dame de Namur. Zoe March had 28 points, 13 assists and nine steals in the two victories. Biola and Hawai`i Pacific also went 2-0 on the week, including the Sharks’ impressive win over Fresno Pacific.
 
This week, Fresno Pacific wraps up its trip to Hawai`i on the big island against the Vulcans on Monday night. The Sunbirds are looking to become the first PacWest team to reach six wins on the season.
 
On Wednesday, Biola will try to remain undefeated in conference play as the Eagles travel to Point Loma. The Sea Lions picked up their first win of the season last week and are looking to build on that success with a young roster.
 
On Saturday, Notre Dame de Namur will host Academy of Art as both teams look for their first conference win of the season. For Academy of Art, it will be the only conference game of the week.
 
Weekly awards for week of November 26-December 2
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Natalie Diaz, Dominican
G, Sr., 6-0 -- Soquel, Calif.
Diaz continued her incredible start to the 2018 season with 78 points in two games to lead the Penguins to wins over Concordia and Point Loma. Diaz leads the nation in scoring for the season with an average of 33 points per game. She scored a season-high 41 points against Concordia, making 19 of 30 field goals. She has now made 500 career field goals, becoming the 11th player in PacWest history to reach the milestone. Diaz added 37 points, two steals and two assists to the week in the win against Point Loma.
 
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Alysha Marcucci, Hawai`i Pacific
F, So., 5-11 -- Melbourne, Australia
Hawai`i Pacific won two consecutive games for the first time this season by beating Hawai`i Hilo and Fresno Pacific to begin conference play. Marcucci tallied 14 defensive rebounds, five blocks and two steals in the two victories. The Sharks held the two teams to a combined 114 points as Marcucci played nearly every minute. She now has 13 blocks and 14 steals on the season. The sophomore also contributed on the offensive end with 44 points.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Amy Baum, Hawai`i Pacific
G, Fr., 5-7 -- Melbourne, Australia
Baum led the conference in assists last week with 15 as she helped the Sharks earn two conference victories to be among the four teams that started the year 2-0. She scored a career-high 19 points against Fresno Pacific to go along with her eight assists. Baum also added 10 rebounds in the win against Hawai`i Hilo. The freshman went 7 for 11 from the field on Saturday and knocked down her only three-point attempt. Baum registered one steal and one block on the week as the Sharks improved to 3-4 on the year.