St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball player Emily Preston was named the East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, following the Spartans 2-0 week on the hardwood.

Preston averaged 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in wins against Daemen College (65-41) on Friday evening and Roberts Wesleyan College (79-58) on Sunday afternoon. The sophomore forward from Brisbane, Australia shot 57.8 percent (11-for-19) from the field and 100.0 percent (1-for-1) from three.

The second quarter buzzer beating trey against Daemen (see below for video) was Emily's first three-point attempt of the season and only the second of her collegiate career (November 29, 2017 vs. Caldwell), with that attempt also finding net.

Preston's superb defense, which included 7 steals and 2 blocked shots, helped the Spartans hold their opponents to an average of 49.5 points per game on the weekend.

The NCAA East Region ranked Spartans (#5/24-3 overall record) hit the road this Wednesday, February 27, taking on Queens College in a 7:00 pm start (note start time). They wrap up the regular season on Senior Day, Saturday, March 2, hosting Molloy College for a 1:00 pm start. Senior Day festivities precede the contest.

Official ECC Women's Basketball Player of the Week Release