Twenty-Point Scorers Set the Pace
(St. Louis, MO) – Explosive scoring set the pace in this week’s Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conference games. Twenty-point scorers were littered throughout the two leagues and earned some players weekly awards.
For five of the six weekly winners, this was not their first time to earn a league-wide award.
Explosive Scoring ‘Players of the Week’
Tennessee State (12-6, 6-2) swept their two games and Aaron Nkrumah picked up his OVC-leading third ‘Player of the Week’ award. The 6’6 guard scored 30 points against Morehead State and recorded a double-double (24 points, 11 rebounds) against Southern Indiana. Nkrumah leads the OVC in steals and is second in scoring.
Illinois State’s Chase Walker is on a scoring tear and has nabbed two MVC ‘Player of the Week’ awards in the last three weeks. Walker scored 21 and 20 points during the Redbirds’ (13-6, 5-3) two-game split. His double-double (20 & 11) sparked ILS to a dominating victory in this season’s first half of the ‘War on 74’ with Bradley.
Repeat Newcomers
Lindenwood’s (11-8, 5-3) surprising rise in the OVC standings has been fueled by several players, and Abilene Christian transfer Dontrez Williams has been one of those stars. The 6’5 sophomore scored 22 and 20 points as the Lions split their two games. He collected 12 steals and earned his second ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award in last three weeks.
Valparaiso’s Owen Dease has claimed three MVC ‘Newcomer of the Week’ awards in the last six weeks. Last week, Dease scored 24 points against Belmont and 20 against Northern Iowa and continues to lead Valley players in conference-only games in scoring (19.8 ppg) and three-point percentage (.475).
Deniusas & Others
First-place Tennessee Martin (15-4, 7-1) received another very solid week from Matas Deniusas who earned his Skyhawk record eighth ‘Freshman of the Week’ award. The 6’9 forward averaged ‘just’ 12.5 points, but also contributed 18 rebounds during UTM’s two wins.
The only first-time winner is Belmont’s Eoin Dillon. The Bruins (17-3, 7-2) won both of their games and Dillon racked up 18-point and twelve-point games. This week’s ‘Freshman of the Week’ hit the key basket in a win against Valparaiso and added the game-winning-assist against the Beacons.
Do Good
Editor: Cover photo of Dontrez Williams, courtesy of lindenwoodlions.com.
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