Tuesday, January 02, 2007

MACON, Ga. – Belmont junior Justin Hare added to his reputation as a clutch player on his way to earning Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week honors as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Hare buried the game-winning 15-footer with 1.1 seconds left to lift Belmont past Conference USA foe Rice and into the finals of the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic.

The preseason All-Atlantic Sun selection scored nine of Belmont’s final 16 points to help the Bruins rally from a 10-point deficit in the game’s final four minutes. Hare also added five assists in the game to give Belmont their first win ever against a C-USA member. The next night in the championship game, the guard kept things close for the Bruins, scoring 16 points before falling to the host Gaels of Saint Mary’s. In that game, Hare scored his 1000th career point, becoming the 35th player in Belmont history and just the seventh in the team’s Division I era to reach the milestone. For the week, Hare averaged 19.0 points per game while shooting .556 from the floor including a 5-of-10 effort from the three-point line and earned All-Tournament honors. For the year, Hare ranks fifth in the A-Sun in scoring at 16.0 points per game. The 2006 A-Sun Tournament MVP is majoring in Exercise Science.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week awards weekly during the 2006-07 men’s basketball campaign.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
• Brian Fisk, Lipscomb
(Sr. - G – Newbern, Tenn. – Psychology Major)
Scored 16 points in loss at No. 8 Alabama

• Jonathan Rodriguez, Campbell
(Fr. - F – Miami, Fla. – Sport Management Major)
Netted career-best 29 points in 21 minutes versus Ohio Valley

• Garfield Blair, Stetson
(So. - G – Orlando, Fla. – E-Commerce Technology Major)
Scored team-high 16 points in 20 minutes in rout of Skidmore

• Shuan Stegall, Kennesaw State
(Jr. - F – Atlanta, Ga. – Health & Physical Education Major)
Averaged 26.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in 1-1 effort at Dr Pepper Classic

• Andrew Reed, ETSU
(Jr. - F – Port Richey, Fla. – Biology Major)
Posted double-double (17pts/15rebs) on 8-of-11 shooting at Tennessee

• Shaddean Aaron, Mercer
(Jr. - G – Pomona, Calif. – Computer Science Major)
Dropped career-best 25 points in road loss at Furman