NORFOLK, Va. — North Carolina Central University women's basketball sophomore forward Anissa Rivera was announced as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Week for the fifth time this season by the conference office on Tuesday, March 2.
 
Rivera posted a pair of double-doubles in two road games at North Carolina A&T State University. She averaged 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the week.
 
After pulling down 15 rebounds in both contests, Rivera has moved into the league lead in rebounding with an average of 10.1 boards per game. Rivera also paces the MEAC with 15.8 points and 3.2 blocks per game.
 
Rivera ranks fourth nationally with her 3.17 blocks per game.
 
The 15 rebounds she collected each day against the Aggies is a new season-high game total.
 
Rivera has seven double-doubles on the season and 13 in her first two seasons at NCCU.
 
The Capitol Heights, Maryland, resident has been recognized by the MEAC in seven of eight weeks NCCU has played this season. Rivera has been tabbed MEAC Player of the Week twice to go along with her five MEAC Defensive Player of the Week awards this campaign. She has now reached a 13 weekly awards to her name in her first two seasons at NCCU (MEAC Player of the Week twice, MEAC Defensive Player of the Week six times and MEAC Rookie of the Week five times).
 
NC Central (3-10 Overall, 1-5 MEAC) will next host Norfolk State University in its last two home games of the season on Wednesday-Thursday, March 3-4. Both games inside McDougald-McLendon Arena are scheduled at 4 p.m., and Thursday's finale will be Senior Day.