Photo by Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- For the second time in three weeks, University of Delaware freshman basketball standout Elena Delle Donne is the Army ROTC Best of the Blue Hens Athlete of the Week.

She was honored for her play during the period ending December 28. In addition to her honor from UD, she was also named the Colonial Athletic Association Player and Rookie of the Week, earning rookie honors for third time.

Delle Donne (at right), a forward/guard Naismith national player of the year candidate, led Delaware with 39 points in an 85-72 win over Buffalo Tuesday night to tie UD’s single game record and earn the league’s ninth-best single game performance all-time. Her outing against Buffalo also marked the top points performance in a single game this season for any CAA women’s basketball player.

Delle Donne’s total also broke the 18-year old building mark at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark to lead the Blue Hens to their fifth straight overall and sixth consecutive home win dating back to last season, while her 39 points tied a 29-year old UD record set by Lori Howard vs. Temple on Jan. 27, 1981.

The Wilmington, Del. native shot 15-for-23 from the floor, 4-for-8 from three-point range and 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the Hens’ first series victory over Buffalo. In addition to draining 39 points, Delle Donne pulled down nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes of action.

Delle Donne has helped UD to rank atop the conference in three-point field goal percentage, as the Hens have connected on 52 of 129 from beyond the arc, good for 40.3 percent accuracy. Delle Donne alone ranks among the individual leaders in defensive rebounds (1st, 6.8 rpg), minutes played (1st, 37.1 mpg), assist/turnover ratio (1st, 1.7 ratio), scoring (2nd, 25.4 ppg), free throw percentage (2nd, 88.4%), rebounding (2nd, 8.8 rpg), three-point field goal percentage (3rd, 46.3%), field goal percentage (4th, 52.1%), blocked shots (5th, 1.4 bpg), three-point field goals made (5th, 2.4 3-pg), and assists (9th, 3.4 apg).

The Hens next take on the Minutewomen of Massachusetts on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

Past Winners:

2009-10 Season
Dec. 28 - Elena Delle Donne (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 21 - Kelvin McNeil (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 14 - Elena Delle Donne (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 7 - Grady Carter (Men's Swimming)
Nov. 30 - Lauren Carra (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 23 - Pat Devlin (Football)
Nov. 16 - Michelle LaLonde (Volleyball)
Nov. 9 - Noelle Diana (Field Hockey)
Nov. 2 - Chris Bourke (Men's Cross Country)
Oct. 25 - Elena Berry (Women's Tennis)
Oct. 18 - Jessie Ermak (Women's Cross Country)
Oct. 11 - Kevin McLister (Golf)
Oct. 4 - Darren Christie (Men's Soccer)
Sept. 28 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)
Sept. 21 - Chris Bourke (Men's Cross Country)
Sept. 14 - Charles Graves (Football)
Sept. 7 - Casey Howard (Field Hockey)

2008-09 Season
June 1 - Kelli McDonald (Women's Track & Field)
May 25 - Bill Merkler (Baseball)
May 18 - Ryan Cuneo (Baseball)
May 11 - Novice Fours Crew (Women's Rowing)
May 4 - Jessica Cerveny (Women's Lacrosse)
Apr. 26 - John Hally (Men's Track & Field)
Apr. 19 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Track & Field)
Apr. 12 - Curtis Dickson (Men's Lacrosse)
Apr. 5 - Stephanie Allen (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 29 - Michelle Grap (Softball)
Mar. 22 - Justin Martinson (Golf)
Mar. 15 - Ryan Reed (Baseball)
Mar. 8 - Amanda Marshall (Women's Indoor Track& Field)
Mar. 1 - Hans Gillan (Men's Swimming)
Feb. 22 - Karen Mandrachia (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Feb. 15 - Curtis Dickson (Men's Lacrosse)
Feb. 8 - Marc Egerson (Men's Basketball)
Feb. 1 - John Viotto (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 25 - Matt Abbruzzese (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Jan. 19 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 12 - Hans Gillan (Men's Swimming)
Jan. 5 - Marc Egerson (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 29 - Tesia Harris (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 21 - D.J. Boney (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 14 - Jawan Carter (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 7 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Nov. 30 - Jess Chason (Volleyball)
Nov. 23 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Cross Country)
Nov. 16 - Tesia Harris (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 9 - Katie Dennehy (Volleyball)
Nov. 2 - Andy Streilein (Men's Soccer)
Oct. 25 - Junior Jabbie (Football)
Oct. 18 - Caitlyn Germain (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 11 - Grady Carter (Men's Swimming)
Oct. 5 - Colin Smith (Golf)
Sept. 29 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)
Sept. 22 - Andre Vorobyov (Men's Tennis)
Sept. 15 - Colin Smith (Golf)
Sept. 8 - Amanda Campbell (Women's Tennis)
Sept. 1 - Anthony Walters (Football)

2007-08 Season
May 19 - Asha Quant (Women's Outdoor Track)
May 12 - Novice Eights (Women's Rowing)
May 5 - David Slovak (Baseball)
Apr. 28 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Apr. 21 - Chase Renoll (Men's Outdoor Track & Field)
Apr. 14 - Tommy Ellison (Golf)
Apr. 7 - Susan Pollack (Women's Tennis)
Mar. 31 - Emily Schaknowski (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 24 - Asha Quant (Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Mar. 16 - Anne Marie Pagano (Softball)
Mar. 9 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Mar. 2 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Feb. 25 - Ryan Cuneo (Baseball)
Feb. 18 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Feb. 11 - Vincent Giordano (Men's Lacrosse)
Feb. 4 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Jan. 28 - John Viotto (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 21 - Kelli McDonald (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 14 - Herb Courtney (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 7 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Dec. 31 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 24 - Alphonso Dawson (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 16 - Mark Duncan (Football)
Dec. 9 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Dec. 2 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Nov. 26 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Nov. 19 - Megan Welch (Volleyball)
Nov. 12 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 5 - Sobhan Tadjalli (Men's Soccer)
Oct. 29 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Cross Country)
Oct. 22 - Emily Sammis (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 15 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Oct. 8 - Kyle Schmid (Men's Cross Country)
Oct. 1 - Colleen Walsh (Volleyball)
Sept. 23 - Nolan Greenberg (Men's Tennis)
Sept. 16 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Sept. 9 - Jason Bernstein (Golf)
Sept. 2 - Casey Howard (Field Hockey)
Aug. 26 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)

2006-07 Season
Jan. 30 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track)
Feb. 4 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Feb. 11 - Sam McMahon (Men's Basketball)
Feb. 18 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Feb. 25 - Adam Zuder-Havens (Men's Lacrosse)
Mar. 2 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track)
Mar. 12 - Debbie Sloan (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 19 - Tyresa Smith (Women's Basketball)
Mar. 26 - Joe McLister (Golf)
Apr. 2 - Carolynn Sloat (Softball)
Apr. 9 - Bryan Hagerich (Baseball)
Apr. 16 - Alexi Capsouras (Women's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 23 - Jared Wasser (Men's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 30 - Alex Smith (Men's Lacrosse)
May 7 - David Slovak (Baseball)
May 14 - Tommy Scherr (Men's Lacrosse)
May 21 - Dan Deckelbaum (Men's Lacrosse)
May 28 - Mike McGuire (Baseball)