Date Posted: 2/11/2008

MACON, Ga. - In two Atlantic Sun games last week, Gardner-Webb’s Thomas Sanders established a career high for points in a game, 30, at Kennesaw State on Saturday and matched another with 15 rebounds on Thursday at Mercer in leading the Runnin’ Bulldogs to back-to-back wins for the first time since starting the season 3-0. For his efforts, Sanders became the third Gardner-Webb basketball player to win the A-Sun Player of the Week award this season, the conference announced on Monday.

Gardner-Webb had alternated wins and losses throughout the first nine games of conference play before facing the league’s two Peach State schools, Mercer and Kennesaw State. Sanders led the Runnin’ Bulldogs to their fifth win in their last six against Mercer by scoring 19 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. The nations’ best rebounder under 6-foot-5 matched a career high for boards set earlier this season against Radford. Two days later, he turned in just the third 30-point, 10-rebound performance in the A-Sun this season in leading the Runnin’ Bulldogs past Kennesaw State to move over .500 in conference play for the first time this season. The two double-doubles gave Sanders 15 for the season, tops in the A-Sun and fifth in the nation. His season averages of 17.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds rank him as one of 18 in the nation averaging a double-double.

Sanders, a social sciences major from Sugarland, Texas enjoyed a great week off the court as well. On Thursday, Sanders, along with Belmont’s Justin Hare and USC Upstate’s Luke Payne earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors. Sanders sports 3.32 cumulative grade point average at Gardner-Webb; in the fall semester, he compiled a 3.80 GPA.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers

Landon Adler, FGCU (Jr. – F – Decatur, Ind. – Communication) – Led FGCU to a 72-69 win vs USC Upstate with 16 points and seven boards; Also scored 14 points and pulled down five rebounds in a loss against ETSU; Shot 50 percent from the floor and added a pair of blocks.

Garfield Blair, STET (Jr. – G – Orlando, Fla. – E Business Technology) – Scored 20+ points in each game this weekend leading Stetson to two wins; Scored 21 points, grabbed five boards and dished out three assists vs USC Upstate; Scored 20 points vs ETSU including 10 of the team’s final 15 points.

Shane Dansby, BEL (Jr. – G/F – Pegram, Tenn. – Exercise Science) – Turned in finest performance in a Bruin uniform on Thursday, scoring a career-high 28 points in leading Belmont past JU; Set a career-high four three-pointers, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds; Added 13 points and six boards vs UNF.

Bobby Davis, UPST (Jr. – F – Aiken, S.C. – Business Management) – Averaged 15.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.0 SPG; Finished Stetson game with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals; Against FGCU, led Spartans before getting into foul trouble; Finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Jonathan Rodriguez, CAM (So. – F – Miami – Sport Management) – First sophomore in Camels’ senior college era to reach 1000 points; 7th player in CU Division I history (1977-78) to grab 500 rebounds; Has 11 20-point, 10-rebound games this year, second in the nation to K-State’s Michael Beasley, 15.

Josh Slater, LIP (Fr. – G – Nashville, Tenn. – Undeclared) – Scored 17 in back-to-back games as the Bisons went 2-0 with home wins over UNF and Jacksonville; Led the Bisons in scoring with game-high 17 points against UNF; Led Bisons in rebounding against Jacksonville with seven.

Shuan Stegall, KSU (Sr. – G – Atlanta – Psychology) – Posted back-to-back double figure scoring games for the Owls as they dropped games to Campbell and Gardner-Webb; Averaged 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Related Links:
 • This Week in A-Sun Men's Basketball