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Faafiti makes repeat appearance on D3hoops.com Team of the Week

MINNEAPOLIS - The wait to see when Gallaudet University would next receive a player on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week didn't last over a decade like last time. In fact it only lasted a few days as junior center Easter Faafiti (Pittsburg, Calif.) earned her second consecutive appearance on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week, a national team of five position players, selected once a week during the regular-season by the national Web site, as announced on Wednesday for the week of January 11-17.

Faafiti ended a 10-year drought for Gallaudet last week when she was named to the national team of the week. She becomes the first-ever Bison to make back-to-back appearances on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week.  Gallaudet University Athletics Hall of Famer Ronda Jo Miller holds the program record with four appearances from 1998-2000. This is the third time Gallaudet has had a player listed on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for two straight weeks. The last time this feat was accomplished was between Jan. 18-31, 1999, when Miller and fellow Gallaudet Hall of Famer Touria Ouahid were selected on back-to-back weeks.

Faafiti averaged 23.5 points and 16.5 rebounds in two games last week for Gallaudet in Capital Athletic Conference play. The Bison split their two games. Faafiti netted a season-high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a win over Hood in 33 minutes of play. She recorded her first-ever 20-20 game as she scored 20 points and had 20 rebounds in a loss to St. Mary's (Md.). She also averaged 4.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game.

She has 10 double-doubles in 14 games this season including one triple-double. Faafiti leads the CAC in scoring (19.2 per game), field-goal percentage (.618), steals (4.4 per game), first in offensive rebounding (5.4 per game), second in rebounding (11.1 per game) and sixth in free throw percentage (.702). She ranks seventh in the nation in steals, eighth in field-goal percentage, 22nd in scoring and 48th in rebounding.

Faafiti is still the only women's basketball player from the CAC to be honored this season with a spot on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week.

The repeat appearance by Faafiti gives Gallaudet eight D3hoops.com Team of the Week honors since the Web site began the award during the 1997-98 season. The Web site was established in 1995. Miller was recognized four different times from 1998-2000 while her teammates Dawn Birley and Ouahid were selected during that three-year run. (See complete listing below). GU has never had a D3hoops.com Team of the Week honoree from men's basketball or a representative on the D3football.com Team of the Week squads over the years.

The complete D3hoops.com Team of the Week for Jan. 11-17, 2010 along with the archives can be found here; www.d3hoops.com/tow/. Players are nominated by their Sports Information Directors or coaches weekly for the D3hoops.com Team of the Week; which is selected by its national staff of reporters.

D3hoops.com Team of the Week honorees from Gallaudet University
Jan. 11-17, 2010 - Easter Faafiti
Jan. 4-10, 2010 - Easter Faafiti
Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2000 - Ronda Jo Miller
Jan. 25-31, 1999 - Touria Ouahid
Jan. 18-24, 1999 - Ronda Jo Miller
Feb. 9-15, 1998 - Ronda Jo Miller
Jan. 12-18, 1998 - Ronda Jo Miller
Jan. 5-11, 1998 - Dawn Birley