SYRACUSE, N.Y.— Senior guard Katie Villarini (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) of the Buffalo State women's basketball team earned plaudits from the SUNYAC, as she was named the league's PrestoSports Athlete of the Week on Monday, Nov. 22.
 
Villarini, continued her scorching-hot start to the season, averaging 29.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game as the Bengals went 2-1. She began the busy week with a 31-point, nine-rebound, eight assist performance against Pitt-Bradford, then went for a Betty Abgott Invitational-record 33 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists against Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo. She finished the weekend with 24 points and nine rebounds against Division II D'Youville College in the Abgott finale on Saturday. Her 57 points scored during the Abgott Invitational is a new tournament record.

Villarini is among the nation's best scorers from the first couple weeks of the season, averaging 27.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. The Bengals (3-2) went 2-1 during the week, defeating Pitt-Bradford 85-48 and Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo 79-65, before falling to Division II D'Youville by a 69-62 score. They will take the week off to prepare for SUNYAC play, which begins with a matchup at Oswego State on Friday, Dec. 3.