Tuesday, December 21, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville freshman Keith McDougald led the Dolphins to their first win against a ranked team in 16 years to claim the Newcomer of the Week accolade while Belmont’s Scott Saunders earned his first Player of the Week award as the Bruins improved to 9-2 with three victories, the conference announced on Tuesday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Scott Saunders, Belmont (F/C – Jr. – New Orleans – Finance)

• First A-Sun Player of the Week award
• Averaged a team-high 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in wins against Kennesaw State, Troy and Alabama State.
• Saunders recorded his first career double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds and four blocks vs. Kennesaw State.
• Saunders also had 13 points and seven rebounds at Troy.
• He ranks among the Atlantic Sun leaders in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and blocked shots.
• Belmont’s 9-2 start is best 11-game start at the Division I level.

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Junard Hartley (Jr., Campbell) – Matched season-high with a team-leading 15 points, plus 6 assists as CU ran its win streak to 4 games with a 67-60 triumph at USC Upstate
• Josh Slater (Sr., Lipscomb) – Delivered a strong all-round performance in Lipscomb's 99-73 win against Kennesaw State with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Keith McDougald, Jacksonville (G – Fr. – Jacksonville, Fla. – Undeclared)

• First A-Sun Newcomer of the Week award.
• Led JU in scoring against both Saint Louis and Florida - Now has led JU in scoring three times.
• Averaged 15.0 points per game, hit on 6-of-12 on 3-pt attempts.
• Scored 15 of his 18 at No. 20 Florida in 2nd half and OT (including the final four free throws to ice the win).
• Led Jacksonville to first win over a ranked team since 1994, first win over UF since 1994.
• Dolphins earned A-Sun’s first win against a ranked team since Mercer beat USC in 2007.
• Dolphins became first A-Sun school to beat two BCS teams in a year since Mercer in 08-09.

OTHER NOMINEES:

• Robert Boyd (Fr., Lipscomb) – Scored 12 points and had a career-best five assists in his third career start at the point for the Bisons in their 99-73 win against Kennesaw State Saturday.
• Marvelle Harris (Fr., Campbell) – Notched his second-straight double-figure rebounding effort to help CU to its fourth-straight win, a 67-60 victory at USC Upstate in its A-Sun opener.
• J.J. Mann (Fr., Belmont) - Scored a career-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting at Alabama State. Added 10 points against Kennesaw State, and 10 points and four assists at Troy.

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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 five 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.