Monday, January 04, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville’s Ben Smith led the Dolphins to a team title at the UCF Holiday Classic and scored at least 20 points in all three games last week to win his fourth Atlantic Sun Player of the Week award, the conference office announced on Monday.

Smith, the Atlantic Sun’s Preseason Player of the Year, moved into ninth place on JU's all-time scoring list with the week - passing JU legend and NBA star Dee Brown. In all three games, the senior from Dublin, Ga., topped the 20-point mark, extending his streak to four straight. On Saturday, his 28 points against Mercer accounted for the sixth-highest single game total of his career. Smith has now scored 20 points in a game 21 times in his career, with five this season

The sports administration major put up six assists in each of the last two games, giving him 38 games with at least five assists in his career. Smith moved into second place on the school's all-time assists. With 431 assists, he trails only Jeremy Livingston’s total of 507, accumulated from 1992-95. Smith captured the MVP of the UCF Holiday Classic, leading the Dolphins to the title. In wins against Buffalo and UCF, Smith averaged 21.5 points and 4.5 assists while shooting an even 50 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from the 3-point arc.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast 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
Reed Baker, FGCU (Jr. - Guard - Naples, Fla. – Criminal Justice) – Put up 14 points to lead FGCU to its first ever win against Belmont in the A-Sun Game of the Week. For the week, Baker registered double-figures in each of the Eagles two games. Against Stetson, he scored 11 points and collected three assists. Saturday’s game against Belmont marked the sixth straight game that Baker has scored in double-figures.

Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State (Fr. - Forward - Savannah, Ga. - Undeclared) – Continued his spectacular season this past week with a 27-point game against Fordham and a 23-point effort on the road at UNF. Cummings averaged 25 points in two games while leading the Owls to a 1-1 record. He went 9-for-15 from the field against Fordham and followed with an 11-for-21 night at UNF. He has posted 10 or more points in each game this season.

Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb (Jr. - Center - Sarajevo, Bosnia – Management) –Hodzic led the Bisons with 29 points and eight rebounds in an 84-63 victory against Stetson Saturday afternoon - his 22nd career game with 20 or more points and extended his nation-leading streaking for scoring in double figures to 39 games. Shot 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) from the floor. He holds a career 59.1 percent shooter which places him fourth among active players in the nation and second among juniors.

Jonathan Rodriguez, Campbell (Sr. - Forward - Bayamon, Puerto Rico - Sport Administration) – Led the Camels to a 2-0 week, a 92-63 win against Appalachian State and an 82-69 victory at USC Upstate. Rodriguez posted 20 points and a career-high five steals against Appalachian. He then added a season-high 27 points on a career-high four 3-point field goals. Along the way, he moved into eighth place on the A-Sun all-time scoring list (1848 points). Camels 8-4 mark sits as the best 12-game start since the '93-94 club opened the year 9-3.

Matt Sauey, UNF (So. - Forward - Ocala, Fla. - Mechanical Engineering) – Helped the Ospreys run their winning streak to five games with a pair of home wins against Palm Beach Atlantic and Kennesaw State in the A-Sun home opener. The sophomore posted UNF's first double-double of the year versus Kennesaw with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sauey scored a career high 19 points against Palm Beach Atlantic.