Nainima Wins Seventh Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week Award

1/29/07 -- Long Island University freshman guard Valerie Nainima (Suva, Fiji) has been named the Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the week ending Jan. 29.

Nainima's seventh Rookie of the Week honor of the year ties her for second all-time in the conference, leaving her just one behind former Blackbird Kim Mac Millan, who won the award a record eight times in 1999-00.

Last week, Nainima led first-place Long Island to two road wins as the Blackbirds eclipsed a 30-year old school record by winning their ninth consecutive game. The Suva, Fiji product averaged 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot 8-16 (.500) from three-point territory.

She opened her week with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 67-40 triumph at Wagner, then hit for a team-high 21 points, including 5-8 shooting from downtown, as the Blackbirds rallied from a ten-point second half deficit to upend Quinnipiac, 69-65, on Saturday. She also added seven rebounds and two assists against the Bobcats.

On the season, Nainima is the leading freshman scorer in the conference and ranks sixth overall with 16.5 ppg. She is also the leading three-point shooter on the circuit with a 44.1 percent success rate from outside the arc, and stands third with 1.95 trifectas per contest.

Long Island takes on Sacred Heart in a showdown for first place in the Northeast Conference on Monday, Jan. 29 at 7:00 p.m.