Zakiya Saunders Season 2017-18

REDSHIRT SENIOR (2017-18)

• Named to the American Athletic Conference Second Team
• Scored her 1,000^th career point in the third quarter of The American quarterfinal win over Temple (3/4)
• Led the team with 16.0 PPG and 2.6 steals per game
• Ranked second on the team with 3.7 assists per game, and third in rebounds per game (5.8)
• Finished the season ranked 34^th in the NCAA in steals per game; 43^rd in minutes played per game; 72^nd in total steals; 90^th in field goal attempts; 138^th in field goals made; 170^th in points per game and 192^nd in assists per game
• Totaled 447 points, 163 rebounds, 104 assists, 74 steals and five blocks
• Second in the league in steals and minutes played; eighth in assists and 10^th in scoring
• Tied for ninth on the UCF single game record list with 14 made field goals
• Dished out at least one assist in all 28 games played
• Scored in double figures in 25 of 28 games played, with nine 20-plus performances and a career-best 31-point game
• Reached double figures in each of the final 18 games of the season
• Earned the starting nod in the season opener against Mercer, scoring 11 points while dishing out five assists (11/10)
• Collected a season-best five steals and scored 12 points in 32 minutes of action in the win at Chattanooga (11/13)
• Scored a season-best 20 points, finishing one shy of her career high, and grabbed seven rebounds in 34 minutes of action at Samford (11/30)
• Shot 70 percent from the floor for 16 points and recorded a season-best seven assists in the win over Georgia Southern (12/10)
• Pulled down nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, and tied her season high with 20 points at Boston (12/13)
• Tied her season-best with seven assists at Pacific (12/20)
• Drained a then-career-best trio of three-pointers at Connecticut (1/9)
• Posted her first double-double as a Knight with 11 points and a career-best 12 rebounds against Tulane (1/17)
• Scored a career-best 31 points, collected five steals and hit the three-pointer to send the game to overtime against then-No. 21 USF (2/18)
• Recorded three consecutive 20-point games, pouring in 22 in The American quarterfinal against Temple (3/4), 20 in The American semifinal (3/5) and 25 against Jacksonville in the WNIT First Round (3/14)

SENIOR (2016-17)

• Sat out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules

JUNIOR at UALBANY (2015-16)

• Top season for a UAlbany point guard in program history, earning a school record 227 assists, averaging 6.9 for sixth in all of Division I (passed old record of 159)
• America East All-Conference Second Team guard
• First in America East in assists per game, 5th in field goal percentage at 49.7% and steals per game at two and 15th in scoring at 10.8 points per game
• Totaled 355 points, 134 rebounds and 65 steals
• 21 double figure scoring games, seven 10+ assist contests and seven double-doubles
• Finished season ranked fifth in program history in total assists (358) and first in assist average (4.4 per game)
• Started the year with six points, eight assists and nine rebounds in win over Pepperdine (11/15)
• First double-digit assist game with 10 plus seven points at Army West Point (12/5)
• First double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 assists in win at UC Davis (12/18)
• 9-10 shooting for 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in home win vs. Yale (12/30)
• Two double-doubles in a row in wins with 14 points and 10 assists vs. Vermont (1/9) and 12 points and 10 assists at UNH (1/13)
• 13 assists day with 10 points in home win over Stony Brook (1/21)
• Double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, adding five steals at Hartford (1/31)
• Set program record 14 assists, adding 12 points vs. UMBC (2/3)
• Shot 8-for-12 from the field for 20 points, five assists and five steals in America East Tournament quarterfinal victory vs. Vermont (3/5)
• Finished with five assists and four rebounds at Syracuse in NCAA Second Round (3/20)

SOPHOMORE at UALBANY (2014-15)

• Explosive sophomore season, playing in all 33 games with 19 starts
• America East rankings: 5th in steals per game (1.9), 5th in assists per game (3.7), 6th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), 9th in field goal % (44.3%)
• Ranked in the top-175 in DI in assists per game (158th), steals per game (165th) and assist/turnover ratio (157th)
• Finished with 122 assists, the 8th-highest single season mark in UAlbany history
• Tallied 253 points, 122 assists, 109 rebounds, only UAlbany player with triple digits in all three categories
• 14 double digit scoring games, starting with 13 points, off 6-6 shooting, and six assists in Preseason WNIT victory over St. Francis Brooklyn (11/14)
• Three double digit scoring games in a row from December 19-28, including 18 points off 8-10 shooting in win at Cal State Fullerton (12/21)
• Shot 9-13 from the field for 18 points, five rebounds in victory at UMBC (1/22)
• First career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists in Big Purple Growl victory over UMass Lowell (2/7)
• Career-high 20 points and nine field goals, adding five rebounds at Stony Brook (2/22)
• Seven points and team-best eight assists in America East title game victory over Hartford (3/13)

FRESHMAN at UALBANY (2013-14)

• Played in 16 games as a freshman, earning first start at Stony Brook (1/30)
• Finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, nine steals and nine assists
• Played 24 minutes in the America East title game victory over Stony Brook (3/10), getting three steals and two assists

HIGH SCHOOL

• Four-year letterwinner in basketball and track
• Second player ever from Carthage High and first since 1998 to earn a scholarship to play basketball in Division I
• Played at Prince George High freshman and sophomore year, going to Carthage High as a junior and senior
• League MVP and First Team All-North honors as a senior, averaging 19.1 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals a game
• Team captain as a sophomore and senior playing basketball

PERSONAL 

• Daughter of Master Sgt. Vincent and Synithia Saunders
• Has a sister, Taryn
• Nickname is "Z"