MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – Senior forward/center Easter Faafiti (Pittsburg, Calif.) demonstrated why she was selected as a preseason All-American this season as she threw the Gallaudet University women's basketball team on her back Sunday and posted one of her most impressive games in a Bison uniform. Faafiti scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed a career best 24 rebounds to lead the No. 20 Bison to a 64-57 win over host Morrisville State College between the two North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) teams.

Faafiti becomes only the second player in NCAA Division III to score 30 or more points and grab 24 or more rebounds in a game this season. Misericordia's Christine Marks scored 30 and grabbed 25 boards in a 78-46 win over Wilkes on December 1, 2010. There have only been seven players to record 24 or more rebounds in a Division III game entering today. This is only the second time in her career with Gallaudet that Faafiti has reached the 30-point plateau. The 24 rebounds in a game are the most by a NEAC player this season.

The win is the 18th in a row for the Bison (18-0, 15-0 NEAC) who remain in first place on top of the conference standings. The win streak and start to the season are the best in program history.

Morrisville (3-14, 3-12) didn't bow out without a fight as the Mustangs pulled to within three points, 60-57 with just over a minute to play. Dyshea Smiley (12 assists) nailed a 3-pointer at the 1:09 mark to give her 10 points in the game.

Gallaudet answered back with a bucket by freshman forward Tandy Lewis (Frederick, Md.) and two free throws made by Faafiti, who was 10-for-12 from the charity stripe. As a team the Bison shot 83.3 percent (15-for-18) from the free-throw line.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early 4-2 lead, a minute into the game, but then watched the Bison stampede to a 15-4 lead with 13:28 left in the first half thanks to a 13-0 run. GU took a 29-23 lead into intermission. Faafiti secured her 11th consecutive double-double, 13th this season, in the first 20 minutes as she netted 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

GU outrebounded Morrisville 55-31 and held a 34-14 advantage in the paint. Junior guard Andrea Amati (Frederick, Md.) scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win. Freshman guard Stephanie Weiss (Wellington, Fla.) joined Faafiti as the only two Bison to play all 40 minutes. Weiss scored 10 points and passed out four assists. Faafiti passed out a team-high five assists and made three steals.

Faafiti surpassed over 500 career rebounds during her two seasons at Gallaudet thanks to her 24-rebound performance on Sunday. In 43 games for the Bison she has scored 840 points, grabbed 508 rebounds, made 160 steals and passed out 123 assists.

Morrisville's Nijah Townsend scored a team best 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss.

Gallaudet remains on the road this week as the Bison travel to College of St. Elizabeth (6-11, 6-8) on Wednesday, February 2, for a 7 p.m. conference game.