Monday, January 09, 2006

Macon, Ga. – Senior Tim Smith earned his second straight Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week award after leading ETSU to a 2-0 week highlighted by his dominating 37-point effort at Campbell on Saturday.

Smith dominated nearly every phase of the game in the Bucs’ 110-96 victory versus the Camels. The guard scored a season-high 37 points and nearly posted the league’s first triple-double of the season, adding nine assists and a career-best eight steals. Smith hit 15-of-25 shots from the floor and scored 23 first half points to help cap a remarkable 20-minute span that left ETSU leading 65-38 at the intermission. His 37 points are just two off the most scored in the A-Sun over the last four seasons. Belmont’s Josh Goodwin (2005-06) and FAU’s Earnest Crumbley (2003-04) each scored 39 points in a game.

While his gaudy numbers were impressive in Saturday’s win, Smith also helped ETSU hand league leader Florida Atlantic their first loss of the season, a 63-61 decision in Johnson City, Tenn. In that game, Smith scored a team-high 15 points and netted four of the team’s final six points as the Bucs survived three legitimate scoring chances by the Owls in the closing minute. Additionally, the Newport News, Va., native played all 40 minutes in both contests.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week awards weekly during the 2005-06 basketball campaign.

The 11-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Atlantic, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
· DeAndre Rice, Florida Atlantic (Jr. – F – Flint, Mich. – Sociology Major)
Led FAU to top of A-Sun standings averaging 22.0 points per game and shooting better than 50% from floor in three games

· Brian Fisk, Lipscomb (Jr. – G – Newbern, Tenn. – Management Major)
Scored a career-high 31 points at Jacksonville while topping 20 points in each game of a 2-1 week

· Maurice Latham, Campbell (Sr. – F – Norfolk, Va. – Family and Consumer Sciences Major)
Scored a career-high 29 points at Lipscomb and averaged 21.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg on the week

· Jacob Skogen, Mercer (Jr. – G – Lookout Mountain, Ga. – History Major)
Averaged 23.3 ppg while shooting 59.5% from the floor in 2-1 Mercer week.

· Anthony Register, Stetson (Sr. - G - Atlanta, Ga. - General Business major)
Averaged 16.0 ppg, 3.5 spg, and shot 13-14 FT in two Hatter wins last week