By Reegan MacAulay

Women’s basketball player Lauren Armstrong and men’s basketball player Aaron Simmons have been named the Holland Hurricanes Athletes of the Week for the week ending January 26, 2024.

Armstrong, a third-year guard from Canberra, Australia, earned Hurricanes Female Athlete of the Week and Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honours for the third time this season after helping her team end January as the best in the conference at 11-3. This past weekend, the Hurricanes defeated Crandall twice at home, 82-47 and 75-59. Armstrong recorded her highest-scoring two-game weekend of the season with 37 points and her highest-scoring single-game performance with 26 points on Sunday. She added a 12-for-27 field-goal record, a 4-for-9 three-point record, a 9-for-10 free throw record, 18 rebounds, eight assists, seven steals, and two blocks.

The Hurricanes enter February with the most momentum out of any team in the conference nearing the 2025 ACAA Basketball Championships in Saint John, N.B. With exactly one month remaining till then, Armstrong and the Hurricanes, who carry five wins in their last six games, wrap up the home portion of their regular season with a McMillan Centre doubleheader against the third-place Mount Allison Mounties on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2.

Connect with the women’s basketball ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswbball and www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.

Simmons, a second-year guard from Nassau, Bahamas, earned Hurricanes Male Athlete of the Week honours for the second time this season and Hurricanes Male Basketball Player of the Week honours for the third time this season after leading his team to two victories at home this past weekend. Holland defeated Crandall twice in two spectacular, nail-biting matchups, 96-75 and 78-77. Simmons recorded 47 points, a 20-for-34 field-goal record, a 6-for-11 three-point record, 10 rebounds, four assists, and six steals across both games.

The Hurricanes enter the regular season’s final month vying to win a heated battle for second place in the conference; the team who claims it will earn a bye to the 2025 ACAA Basketball Championships semifinals. Holland’s chase starts with a home-game doubleheader alongside the women against the Mount Allison Mounties on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2.

Connect with the men’s basketball ‘Canes at www.x.com/canesmbball and www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.

An additional congratulations to women’s volleyball player Myah Utrosa and men’s volleyball player Brett MacAusland on earning Player of the Week honours for their respective teams.

For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, please visit www.hollandhurricanes.com,  www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.x.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.

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