Monday, November 26, 2007

MACON, Ga. - ETSU's Kevin Tiggs averaged 23.0 PPG in two overtime games last week, but his effort in the final minute of the Buccaneers' two-point win at UNC Asheville secured him his first Player of the Week award. He scored the Buccaneers’ final six points including four in the last six seconds as ETSU escaped with an 89-87 win.

With ETSU trailing by a point, Tiggs grabbed an offensive rebound and scored for a one-point lead, only to have the Bulldogs hit a 3-pt field goal for an 87-85 lead. After turnovers by both teams, he hit a layup to the game at 87 with six seconds remaining and following a steal by Andrew Reed, he scored game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds left. He finished the game with a team-high 20 points, his second straight game of at least 20 points.

The UNC Asheville game culminated a break-out week for Tiggs. He scored 26 points for ETSU in its one-point loss at Marshall. For the week, he averaged 23.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG while hitting on 60.7 percent of his field goal attempts (17-28), going a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line and picking up four steals and a pair of blocks.

Tiggs, a business major from Flint, Mich., entered his first season with the Buccaneers with high acclaim. A year ago, he earned The NJCAA Coaches Association Division II National Player of the Year honor after averaging, 18.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 3.2 SPG in leading Mott Community College to a national championship

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. – Business Management) – Named All-Tournament team at South Padre Island Invitational; Recorded two double-doubles; averaged 15.3 PPG/9.0 RPG

Nate Blank, GWU (Fr. – F – Terre Haute, Ind. – Undeclared) – Averaged 20.5 PPG against Connecticut and No. 24 Clemson; led team in scoring both; shot an impressive 55.2 percent for the week.

Mark Hall, MER (Fr. – G – Los Angeles – Business) – Scored 30 in OT loss to Loyola-Marymount, tied single-game high in the A-Sun and tops among freshmen; 4th-best total in University Center history

Justin Hare, BEL (Sr. – G – Cleveland, Tenn. – Exercise Science/Pre-Med) – Scored game-winning basket at Alabama; 13th time Hare hit a shot in the final seconds to win or force overtime for the Bruins.

Jonathan Rodriguez, CAM (So. – F – Miami – Sport Management) – Extended double-double streak to four; 21 points, 12 rebounds at App. State, 22 and 11 vs Radford; leads A-Sun in scoring and rebounding

A.J. Smith, STET (So. – G – Cocoa Beach, Fla. – Pre-Engineering) –Scored 21 vs Bethune-Cookman, one off his career high. was perfect from inside the arc, 6-6; only shots missed were 3-pt attempts.

Ronell Wooten, KSU (Sr. – G – Statesboro, Ga. – Sports Management) – Posted back-to-back 20-plus scoring games. Wooten had 25 points at Florida International and followed with a 28 against Florida A&M.