Junior forwards Heather Bennett (Westwood, MA/Westwood) and Aaron Galletta (Hyde Park, NY/F.D. Roosevelt) were both named as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's “Forward of the Week” for their respective women's and men's basketball teams. Both players were also named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference's weekly “Honor Roll.”
Through the first four games of the season Bennett is averaging 14.5 points and 15.0 rebounds while helping the Dutchwomen to their best start ever at 4-0 (please see story below). She has hit the 20-point plateau twice so far, netting 20 points in a victory at Manhattanville and 22 points in a win over visiting Williams. Bennett has pulled down double digit rebounds in each of her last three games, including back-to-back backs in which she has 20 or more (20 versus Utica and 21 against Williams).
Bennett, who leads the Dutchwomen in both scoring and rebounding, is showing balance on the boards as she had pulled down 28 offensive rebounds and 32 defensive ones.
Bennett, who averaged 11 points and eight rebounds last year, came into her junior campaign having scored 503 points (an average of 10.6) with 383 rebounds (an average of 7.7). She also had 33 blocks, 23 assists and 71 steals in 50 career games.
Galletta, meanwhile, has been a one-man wrecking crew for the 1-2 Dutchmen. Union's leading scorer with his 23.0-point average, Galletta is shooting 59.1% from the field (26 of 44) including a solid 47.8% from three-point range (11 of 23).
The 6'7, 175 pounder opened the season with back-to-back 25-point games as the Dutchmen finished second in the Christopher Newport Tournament (beating Neumann, 103-82, before losing to the hosts, 73-8). He followed those performances with a 19-point effort at Utica College in a 62-58 setback.
Galletta, who came into the year with 863 points (an average of 16.0) is looking to become just the 13th member of Union's 1,000-point club. He has also contributed 254 rebounds (an average of 4.7), 83 assists, 50 steals and 29 blocked shots in 54 career games coming into the 2000-2001 season.