Monday, December 07, 2009

MACON, Ga. – On Monday, the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its weekly women’s basketball award with Courtney Ford of Mercer earning her third consecutive Player of the Week, after notching the award last week and sharing the honor with Belmont’s Haley Nelson two weeks prior (Nov. 23).

In Mercer's victory against Belmont on Saturday, Ford recorded her second triple-double of the season with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Ford's remarkable effort helped the Bears post their fourth-straight win and remain unbeaten in conference play. On Thursday, Ford tallied 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals as the Bears topped Lipscomb 69-59. Ford has now posted a double-double or better in four of Mercer's six games and stands as one of just two Division-I players to have multiple triple-doubles on the year. The communication major leads the A-Sun with 6.67 assists per game, and 3.83 steals per game and ranks as one of the top four players in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (11.0).

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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
Kristin Bunch, Belmont (Sr. - Guard - Fayetteville, Ga. - Exercise Science) – Bunch's performances on the hardwood helped the Belmont women's basketball team earn a split in its first weekend of Atlantic Sun play. On the road at Kennesaw State, the Fayetteville, Ga., native netted a career-high 24 points, including going 9-for-10 from the charity stripe and hitting a career-high seven field goals. Two days later at Mercer, Bunch scored a team-high 16 points, hitting 9-of-12 shots at the free-throw line. For the week, the exercise science major averaged 20.0 points, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and a blistering 81.8 percent from the line to lead the Bruins.

Siarre Evans, ETSU (Sr. - Guard/Forward - Griffin, Ga. - Sport Management) – Evans, the Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Player of the Year, has opened the season on a tear as her fifth straight double-double helped to lift the Lady Bucs to an 82-54 conference opening win against the UNF Lady Ospreys on Saturday afternoon inside the Memorial Center. The Griffin, Ga. native, who averaged 19.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and two assists over the last five games, recorded a game high 21 points and 14 rebounds in the 28-point win against the Ospreys. Evans’ 14 rebounds also moved her into a tie for fourth on the Lady Buccaneer all-time list with Regina Blair at 849 and ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 1431 points.

Drameka Griggs, Jacksonville (Fr. - Guard - Jonesboro, Ga. - Education) – Griggs scored a season-high 19 points off the bench and led the Dolphins with four assists and three steals against UCF. The freshman guard went 8-for-13 from the floor and 1-for-3 from the three point line in 36 minutes. Griggs also finished 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.

Koko Richardson, USC Upstate (Sr. - Guard - Mary Ester, Fla. - Special Education) – Richardson posted a big game in an 84-60 win against non-conference opponent Winston-Salem State, scoring 13 points and tying for a game high with seven rebounds to lead the Spartans to the win. The senior guard also contributed in several other ways by adding two assists, a block and two steals. Richardson finished as one of six players to score in double figures, and in each of the last three games, the Mary Ester, Fla. native has scored in double figures, averaging 12.3 points per game.