Monday, February 15, 2010

MACON, Ga. - Campbell’s Jonathan Rodriguez helped the Camels to a win against Mercer last week, earning the senior forward Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honors, the conference announced Monday.

Rodriguez scored 22 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, leading the Camels to a 69-63 win versus Mercer in their only game of the week. Campbell closed the game on a 14-4 run and defeated Mercer 69-63 Friday night in men's basketball action at the Pope Center/Gore Arena. In the final period, the sport management major hit 8-10 from the floor and all six of his free throws. Rodriquez finished with a game-high seven rebounds and season-best six assists. Along the way, the Bayamon, Puerto Rico native moved into third place on the A-Sun career scoring list (2060 points in 115 games) passing Courtney Pigram of ETSU (2043 from '05-09).

CU extended its winning streak to three games, and improved to 15-9 overall, 10-5 in the A-Sun, a half-game out of first place. CU also registered the program's most wins in a season since 1996 (17-11). Rodriguez rates among A-Sun leaders in eight categories, including fourth in points per game, rebounds per game and free-throw percentage.

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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
Daniel Emerson, Mercer (Sr. - Forward - St. Mary's, Ga. - Business) – Emerson, who ranks fourth in the nation for double-doubles, added two more to his ledger this week to give him 17 for the year (in 26 games) and extended his streak of double-figure scoring games to 16 in a row as Mercer went 2-1 this week. When MU's leading scorer, James Florence, was injured in the first half at ETSU, Emerson took control of the game to finish with 17 points and 11 boards (including connecting on 9-of-11 FT's) as Mercer won in Johnson City for the first time in six visits. Emerson also ranks fifth in the nation for total rebounds (308), only the fourth MU player to amass 300 rebounds in a season, and rebounds per game (11.9).