Monday, March 01, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Siarre Evans averaged a double-double this past week and guided ETSU to its second Atlantic Sun regular season title in the last three years after picking up three wins in the past week and finishing 20-8, 18-2 and a perfect 11-0 at home. For her performance, Evans claimed the seventh Player of the Week award of her career and third on the season, the conference office announced on Monday.

The conference preseason player of the year selection posted 13.3 points and 14.0 rebounds, while going 18-of-35 (51.4 percent) from the field. Evans began the week with a 10-point, 18-rebound effort in the 88-67 win against USC Upstate on Senior Day inside the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center. On Thursday, the standout senior helped lift ETSU to a 68-58 come-from-behind win at UNF, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds, with one of her four steals kicking off a 26-9 run in the final 9-plus minutes that rallied ETSU to the win.

Knowing her Lady Bucs needed to defeat the Dolphins to win the regular season outright, Evans once again didn’t fail to execute on the hardwood. The Griffin, Ga. native tallied 15 points and 16 rebounds, marking her 51st career double-double in the Lady Bucs’ 79-70 win on Saturday afternoon. Along with averaging a double-double, Evans tallied seven steals (2.3 per game) in 35.7 minutes of action and shot 14-for-20 in the Jacksonville series (.700).

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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
Tee’Ara Copney, USC Upstate (Fr. - Guard - Asheville, N.C. - Undeclared ) – Copney had three huge performance, leading USC Upstate to two wins, including one over A-Sun defending regular-season champs, FGCU. The freshman forward finished with 17 points, four blocks, two 3-pointers and three free throws in the loss at ETSU and posted 22 points, including 16 to keep game close in first half, in 86-78 win against FGCU on Thursday. Copney recorded a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown, including hitting one from deep as time expired in the first half to tie the game and also finished with four rebounds, two assists and two steals, The Asheville, N.C. native helped the Spartans win their 20th game of the season for the first time since 1994-95 when she scored 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals against Stetson, despite playing just 24 minutes. Copney hit three more 3-pointers in the game to finish the regular season with 46 treys, the ninth-most in school history, and has 335 points on the season, finishing the regular season ranked sixth in the Upstate freshman record book. She also used her five steals to finish the season with 67 steals, the second most in the school's freshman record book.

Brittany Kirkland, UNF (So. - Guard - Monroe, Ga. - Community Health) – Kirkland helped UNF to a 1-1 record on the weekend. Against Campbell on Saturday, the sophomore guard tallied 14 points, in addition to 15 points she scored on Thursday against ETSU.

Ashley Williamson, Campbell (Sr. - Center - Colonial Heights, Va. - Biology) – Williamson paced Campbell on the week, leading the team in rebounding on Thursday at Jacksonville, and scoring on Saturday at UNF. Williamson posted a team-high eight boards at JU, the 13th time this season and the 28th time in her career that the senior center has led CU in rebounding. Williamson led the Lady Camels in scoring for the eighth time this season and the 13th time in her career at UNF with 10 points.