2015-16 Basketball - W Roster

23 Zakiya Saunders

  • Position Guard
  • Height 5-9
  • Class Junior
  • Highschool Carthage Central
  • Hometown Augusta, Ga.

Biography

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)

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)

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: Intends to major in business law... Daughter of Master Sgt. Vincent and Synithia Saunders... Has a sister, Taryn... Nickname is "Z".

Career Highs:
Points: 21 (vs. Yale, Dec. 30, 2015)
Field Goals: 9 (3x, last: vs. Yale, Dec. 30, 2015)
Three-Point Field Goals: 1 (4x, last: @ Maine, Feb. 14, 2016)
Rebounds: 10 (@ Hartford, Jan. 31, 2016)
Assists: 14 (vs. UMBC, Feb. 3, 2016)
Blocks: 2 (vs. Providence, Dec. 1, 2015)
Steals: 6 (vs. Binghamton, Feb. 8, 2016)

CAREER STATISTICS 

Season

GP/GS

Min.

FGM-A

%

3PT-A

%

FT-A

%

RB

Avg

A

TO

Blk

Stl

Pts

Avg

2013-14

16/1

127

9-26

.346

0-3

.000

2-2

1.000

13

0.8

9

16

0

9

20

1.3

2014-15

33/19

852

108-244

.443

0-2

.000

37-46

.804

109

3.3

122

87

3

63

253

7.7

2015-16

33/32

1205

146-294

.497

4-12

.333

59-74

.797

134

4.1

227

130

7

65

355

10.8

Career

82/52

2184

263-564

.466

4-17

.235

98-122

.803

256

3.1

358

233

10

137

628

7.6

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 23

    2013-14Freshman

    Guard
    5'9"
    23
  • 23

    2014-15Sophomore

    Guard
    5'9"
    23
  • 23

    2015-16Junior

    Guard
    5'9"
    23