Monday, December 17, 2007

MACON, Ga. - Campbell’s Jonathan Rodriguez continued his stellar sophomore season with two outstanding performances last week. He scored a career-high 34 points against UNC Asheville and followed up with 23 in a home win at Liberty in the Atlantic Sun Game of the Week. For his efforts, Rodriguez earned his second career Player of the Week award, the conference office announced on Monday.

Rodriguez, a sport management major from Miami, started his week on Thursday at UNC Asheville. Rodriguez established a new high for points in a game by an A-Sun player as he poured in 34, 22 of which came in the second half. In addition, he grabbed a season-best 15 rebounds in CU's three-point loss. He made 14-of-19 from the floor and scored 14 of CU's first 18 points in the second half.

On Saturday, Rodriguez helped the Camels break a three-game slide with his sixth 20-plus point outing of the year, hitting 7-of-8 free throws and 8-of-17 from the floor against Liberty. For the week, he averaged 28.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG and 1.5 APG per game, while shooting 61 percent (22-36) from the floor, 73 percent (11-15) from the foul line and 50 percent (2-4) from 3-point range.

With the two double-doubles, Rodriguez moved into a four-way tie for second in the nation in that category with seven. Rodriguez, along with Gardner-Webb’s Thomas Sanders, Towson’s Junior Hairston and Rider’s Jason Thompson, trail Kansas State’s Michael Beasley by two. Rodriguez, Beasley and Thompson, along with High Point’s Arizona Reid claim the honor as the only four players in the country averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. For the month of December, Rodriguez owns averages of 28.0 PPG, sixth best in the country and 13.3 RPG, tops in the nation among players who have played at least three games this month.

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

Keaton Belcher, BEL (So. –/F – Butler, Ky. – Business Administration) – Tied career-high with 15 points off the bench in Belmont's 86-80 overtime loss at Middle Tennessee State Dec. 12; Went 5-for-6 from three-point territory. Now among the A-Sun leaders in three-point field goal percentage (.385).

Delvin Franklin, FGCU (Jr. – G – Houston – Sports Management) – Scored a career-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor in FGCU's only game of the week, a 66-63 loss at Army; Matched career-high with four rebounds; Went 4-for-5 from outside.

Aaron Linn, GWU (Jr. – G – Lenexa, Kan. – Business) – Hit his first eight shots en route to a game-high 22 points in Gardner-Webb's narrow loss at Charleston Southern; Finished with six rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal; One of three GWU players to earn 4.0 grade point average during the Fall semester.