Double the Pleasure
Dunmore's Barrette, Governor Mifflin's Venne Make MAC Hoop Honor Rolls
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) - Susquehanna University senior post player Mike Barrette (Dunmore/Dunmore H.S.) is on this week's Middle Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Honor Roll, while Crusader senior Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) is on the MAC Women's Honor Roll. Venne has now earned MAC weekly honors in five of the past seven weeks - earning Commonwealth League Player of the Week in the previous four - and seven times this season. Barrette, meanwhile, earns MAC honors for the first time in 1998-99.
A 6-5, 200-pound co-captain, Barrette is also this week's WQSU-FM Crusader Men's Player of the Week as he averaged 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 52.0 percent from the field (13 of 25) and 55.6 percent from three-point range (5 of 9). His play helped Susquehanna win a pair of key MAC Commonwealth League games to keep alive its MAC playoff hopes. He had a game high 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting, hitting all three of his three-point attempts, while grabbing seven rebounds in last Wednesday's 83-74 win at Messiah. Barrette followed that with a double-double in Saturday's 78-60 win over Widener, scoring 14 points and equaling the game high with 11 rebounds.
Now just 19 points shy of becoming the program's 26th 1,000-point scorer, Barrette continues to lead the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 per game) this season, ranking third in three-point shooting (29 of 74, 39.2%). He has helped Susquehanna rebound from a 2-9 start to stand 9-12 overall, 6-6 and just a game out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Commonwealth League. He will be honored along with the other three Crusader seniors prior to Wednesday's 8 p.m. home finale with Albright.
Barrette is a biology major and the son of Dr. Joseph and Carol Barrette of Dunmore.
A 5-9 tri-captain and two-time All-American, Venne averaged 21.0 points last week while shooting 64.3 percent from the field (18 of 28), also averaging 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals as the team split a pair of important league games. She went 10 for 16 from the field while scoring a game high 24 points in last Wednesday's 67-58 loss at regionally-ranked Messiah, also pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out a team high four assists. She followed that by going 8 for 12 and scoring 18 points in Saturday's 69-65 win over Widener, also tying for team rebounding honors with eight, dishing out three assists, and making three steals. Her play helped Susquehanna avenge a 20-point loss at Widener on January 16.
Venne continues to lead the team in scoring (20.8 ppg) and is third in the MAC and 14th in Division III nationally. She also leads the team and is fourth in the conference in rebounding (9.1 per game), and second on the squad and fourth in the MAC in field goal percentage (56.0%). She has scored in double-figures in 36-straight games, and 93 of 95 during her collegiate career, ranking second on the school's career scoring list (1,808 points) and third in career rebounds (841).
Her play has helped Susquehanna secure its 11th-straight winning season and 10th-straight MAC playoff berth. The Crusaders are presently 14-8 overall, 8-4 and tied for second in the league.
An Academic All-American candidate as a psychology major who will also be recognized prior to her final regular-season home game Wednesday at 6 p.m. vs. Albright, Venne is the daughter of Richard and Ann Venne of Shillington.
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