Monday, January 04, 2010

MACON, Ga. – On Monday, the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its first weekly women’s basketball award of 2010 with Campbell’s Lauren Yesh winning her first league honor. Yesh led the Lady Camels to a 2-0 week that included a 30-point win against Winston-Salem State and a grinding 75-72 victory at Atlantic Sun rival USC Upstate.

Yesh, a junior forward, averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on the week. Against Winston-Salem State, Yesh tied a then season-high with 14 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. The Evart, Mich. native then followed with a new season-high 15 points, including 11 in the second half, while pulling down nine rebounds. Yesh has been in double figures seven times this season, and in each of her last three games, helping Campbell to its first 3-0 start in A-Sun play since 2005-06.

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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
Cacy Burtnett, Belmont (So. - Guard/Forward - Cleveland, Tenn. - Nursing) – Burtnett finished the week as Belmont's leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game. In the Bruins' final non-conference game of the season against the Tennessee State Tigers, the Cleveland, Tenn. native matched her career-high of 20 points. A few days later in BU's Atlantic Sun home opener against FGCU, Burtnett netted seven points for third best on the team.

Desarae Johnson, Jacksonville (Sr. - Forward - Greer, S.C. - Biology) – Johnson recorded a team-best 24 points (12 ppg) and 17 rebounds (8.5 rpg) to pace Jacksonville in its games last week. The senior forward opened with the week with 11 points, five rebounds and a block in the loss to Florida on Wednesday and helped the Dolphins earn their first A-Sun win of the season against Mercer on Saturday after recording her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 boards.

Brittany Kirkland, UNF (So. - Guard - Monroe, Ga. - Community Health) – Kirkland scored 21 points on 9-of-15 from the field in the UNF’s conference win against Kennesaw State, while dishing out six assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Chelsea Lyles, FGCU (Sr. - Forward - Colorado Springs, Colo. - Communications) – Lyles led the Eagles to a 2-0 record last week. In FGCU's 80-48 blowout of Bethune-Cookman, the senior forward from Colorado Springs, Colo. registered ten points in 26 minutes of action. Lyles tied her career-high with 22 points as FGCU extended their winning streak to four games by defeating Belmont, 81-48, at the Curb Event Center. The communications major led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

Chelsea McMillan, USC Upstate (Jr. - Forward - East Gadsden, Fla. - Accounting) – McMillan averaged a double-double on the week, posting 11.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as USC Upstate split a pair of games. In the win against Presbyterian, the junior forward posted eight points and 12 rebounds and tied a career-high with four blocks in win, in addition to 14 points and 11 rebounds for fifth double-double of season against Campbell. McMillan also notched a season-high three steals and two blocks and hit all eight free throw attempts during the week and 47 percent (7-15) of her shots from the field.