(Aliso Viejo. CA) The Park University Gilbert men’s and women’s basketball teams dominated the GSAC Player of the Week honors this week as the women swept Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards for the second time this season and the men took home the defensive honor. Aubry Saleapaga (offensive) and Alynna Palacios(defensive) took home the conference kudos and Toate Sika won the men’s honor.
This was the second defensive player of the week honor for the Palacios who also took home the award on December 2, 2024.
Saleapaga made her NAIA debut on Saturday and showed why head coach Ben York couldn’t wait to get her on the floor. With the Buccaneers down 20 points entering the fourth quarter, Saleapaga but the Bucs on her back offensively, scoring 16 points to help the team erase the deficit and take the lead on two occasions including the go ahead basket with 1.6 seconds left in the contest. OUAZ hit a buzzer beater to win the game as time expired, but it did not overshadow the effort of “Ufi,” who finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor (9-18) and 3-3 from beyond the arc. In her 16 point fourth quarter, Saleapaga shot 6-11 and made all three trifectas.
But the comeback the Buccaneers made on Saturday doesn’t happen without holding the Spirit down on the defensive end and that is exactly what Alynna Palacios did as she had six steals for the game and also chipped in with seven rebounds. Park held the Spirit to just 12 points in the fourth quarter.
On the men’s side, Sika, the junior guard from Tucson, Ariz. and transfer from Pima Community College, brings home the first conference player of the week award for Buccaneers men’s basketball this season.
In the team’s 75-73 win over OUAZ last Saturday, Toate made the most of his 25 minutes off the bench and provided a massive contribution on the defensive end of the floor. He recorded three blocks and three steals against the Spirit, while also pulling down eight total rebounds (six defensive).
Sika has made an immediate impact on both ends of the court since making his season debut for the Bucs on Dec. 15 against Rocky Mountain College. With five games played, Toate leads Park-Gilbert with 14.2 points per game, a 57.8 FG%, 2.8 steals per game, and 2.4 blocks a game.
Both teams return to the floor on Thursday, January 9 against Life Pacific in San Dimas, Calif. This will be the first meeting against Life Pacific for both squads.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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