GVSU's Thomas and HC's Washburn Chosen As GLIAC Men's Basketball North and South Division "Players of the Week", Respectively

GVSU's Thomas and HC's Washburn Chosen As GLIAC Men's Basketball North and South Division "Players of the Week", Respectively

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BAY CITY, Mich. - Grand Valley State University senior guard James Thomas (Grand Rapids, Mich./G.R.C.C.) and Hillsdale College junior forward/center Nick Washburn (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) have been chosen as the GLIAC Men's Basketball North and South Division "Players of the Week", respectively.

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GLIAC North Division Player of the Week:
James Thomas
Grand Valley State
6-2, Senior, Guard
Grand Rapids, Mich./G.R.C.C.

Grand Valley State senior shooting guard James Thomas averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in a pair of Laker road victories over the weekend at Ohio Dominican and Tiffin. Thomas tallied career-highs of 30 points and 10 rebounds in an 18-point win over ODU, shooting 12-of-15 from the field and 6-of-7 from three-point range. In the win over Tiffin, Thomas recorded 15 points and five boards. For the weekend, he shot 68.0 percent from the field (17-of-25) and made 9-of-11 three-point attempts.

North Division Weekly Honor Roll:  Daniel Sutherlin - FS, Kyle Hunt - LS, Ali Hadar - MT, Bobby Lewis - NU, Chris Webb - SV.

2011-12 North Division "Players of the Week":  (11/15) B. Lewis  - NU; (11/21) C. Webb - SV; (11/28) K. Brown - FS; (12/5) J. Thomas - GV.

 

   

GLIAC South Division Player of the Week:
Nick Washburn
Hillsdale
6-9, Junior, Foward/Center
Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour

Junior center Nick Washburn averaged nearly a point a minute in two games last week for Hillsdale. Washburn averaged 15 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game as the Chargers won games at Ashland and Lake Erie College. He scored 17 points in 18 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Storm, and blocked a season-high three shots.  Washburn posted a 13-point, seven-rebound, two-block performance in the win over Ashland. He currently ranks fifth in the GLIAC in blocked shots with 1.4 per contest.

South Division Weekly Honor Roll:  Evan Yates - AU, Jack Smith - UF, Rich Austin - LE, Morgan Jones - OD, Karl Finley - TU, Ike Udanoh - WS.

2011-12 South Division "Players of the Week":  (11/15) T.Spahr - TU; (11/21) K. Finley - TU; (11/28) I. Udanoh - WS; (12/5) N. Washburn - HC.

 

 

Ashland Eagles

The Eagles were 0-2 last weekend, dropping games to Hillsdale and Wayne State at Kates Gymnasium. The Eagles never led against the Chargers, who opened the game with a 9-0 run. AU fell behind early against the Warriors also, but led by one point at halftime. The Warriors out-scored the Eagles by 10 points in the second half for the win. Junior forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) had 22 points (8-for-13) and 13 rebounds in the game. He is the GLIAC leader in scoring (19.2 points per game), rebounding (15.4) and blocked shots (2.2). Junior guard Ronnie Steward (Columbus, Ohio/Akron) averaged 13.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last week and buried seven 3-pointers (.538). Sophomore forward Will Evans (Lexington, Ky./Christian Academy) also had a solid week, scoring 11 points on Thursday and then setting a career high with 13 points on Saturday. He also pulled down five rebounds per game and hit 5-of-8 3-pointers. The Eagles finish a five-game homestand this week, hosting Wilberforce in nonconference action on Wednesday before welcoming Lake Erie on Sunday.

 

 

Ferris State Bulldogs

Defending GLIAC Champion Ferris State is off to a 2-0 league start in men’s basketball action as the Bulldogs won a pair of road contests to open conference play this past week in Ohio.  The Bulldogs were 81-64 winners over Tiffin on Thursday night. FSU then built a 17-point halftime advantage en route to a 69-60 triumph on Saturday in their first-ever visit to Ohio Dominican to complete the sweep... FSU has won its last four games in a row heading into Tuesday night’s non-league home game against Alma, which tips off at 7:30 p.m .inside Wink Arena. FSU junior forward Daniel Sutherlin averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 steals per contest with back-to-back double-double showings in FSU’s two road wins to open league play in Ohio. Four Bulldog players averaged in double-figures on the trip to Ohio including Sutherlin, junior guard Kenny Brown (15.0 ppg.), senior guard Dontae Molden (15.5 ppg.) and senior forward Jerrell Sanders (13.0 ppg.).

 

 

Findlay Oilers

The Oilers captured three wins last week, winning 77-57 at Illinois-Springfield (11/28), 78-64 at home over Northwood (12/1) and 98-57 at home against Notre Dame (12/3).  In the win at Illinois-Springfield, junior forward Jack Smith recorded a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.  In the Oilers win over Northwood, Smith tallied a career-high 19 points to lead the team.  In the win against Notre Dame (Ohio), the Oilers set a new school record with 30 assists as they shot a season-high 61.8 percent from the field.  Senior guard Kyle Caiola had 15 points while sophomore forward Greg Kahlig and freshman forward Jake Heagen contributed 14 points apiece.  During the week, Smith led the team with averages of 13.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  On the season, Kahlig is scoring a team-high 13.6 points per game to go with 6.3 rebounds per contest. 

 

 

Grand Valley State Lakers

The Lakers pushed their win streak to three games by sweeping Ohio Dominican and Tiffin in the team’s first road and GLIAC games of the year. GVSU held Tiffin to 26 points below their season average in a 76-57 victory on Saturday…Grand Valley State made 21-of-37 three-point attempts in the two games for a 56.8 percentage…senior shooting guard James Thomas (Grand Rapids, Mich.) averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the victories, shooting 68.0 percent (17-of-25) from the field and made 9-of-11 three-point attempts. He tallied career-highs of 30 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over Ohio Dominican, going 6-of-7 from three-point range…senior center Nick Waddell (Chicago, Ill.) averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.6 from the field. His totals of 20 points and 12 boards against Tiffin on Saturday were both career-highs.

 

 

Hillsdale Chargers

The Hillsdale College men’s basketball team won its first two conference games of the season last week, defeating Ashland and Lake Erie on the road…The team allowed a total of 99 points in the two games last week and continues to lead the conference in fewest points per game allowed (54.7)…In the months of November and December over the past two seasons, Hillsdale has a combined record of 16-1…Junior center Nick Washburn scored 30 points in 38 minutes in two games last week…Senior forward Brad Guinane has scored either eight or 11 points in six of the team’s seven games this season, and has grabbed either four or five rebounds in each of the past four games…The Chargers lead the GLIAC in opponents’ field goal percentage (.373), and rank third in both assists and blocked shots…Senior guard Tyler Gerber leads the GLIAC with 5.7 assists per game…The Chargers play their next three games at home, starting with Thursday night’s game vs. Findlay.

 

 

Lake Erie Storm

Lake Erie fell in a pair of home contests to start off GLIAC play, 67-56 to Wayne State Thursday and 62-56 to Hillsdale Saturday.  The Warriors held the Storm in check during the opening minutes of the game and then held off a couple of second-half comeback bids by the home team, snapping Lake Erie’s three-game winning streak in the process. Sophomore Rich Austin (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds while redshirt freshman Jamil Dudley (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon) finished with 13 points to lead the Storm.  Against Hillsdale, Lake Erie was able to cut a 14-point deficit to a single point but could not get over the hump.  The Storm was led by sophomore Riley Thomas (Cardington, Ohio/Cardington-Lincoln) with 12 points.  Following close behind was Austin, who reached double-digits for the fifth time in six games with 11 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.  It was a balanced effort for the Lake Erie as seven players scored at least five points.

 

 

Lake Superior State Lakers

LSSU’s 5-4 overall record includes three overtime losses. The Lakers have lost three straight, including two in overtime, heading into Saturday’s game at Hillsdale. Last season, they lost 74-69 at home to the Chargers. Senior guard Kyle Hunt (Macomb, Mich.) scored a career-high 33 points in that contest. Last weekend, Hunt averaged 20 points per game and sophomore guard Derek Billing (Anna, Ohio) and junior forward Derek Kinney (Romulus, Mich.) chipped in 14.0 ppg each to lead the Lakers during their road losses to Saginaw Valley State and Northwood. Hunt is ranked ninth in the GLIAC in overall scoring at 15.8 ppg, while Kinney is seventh in rebounding at 7.9 rebounds per game. Billing is fourth in assists at 3.9 assists per game.

 

 

Michigan Tech Huskies

Michigan Tech defeated Northern Michigan 77-54 in its only game this week. The 23-point win was the largest this season for the Huskies. Junior Ali Haidar set career-highs in both points (30) and rebounds (15). The Huskies have three players averaging in double figures, Ali Haidar (17.0), Mike Hojnacki (14.3) and Austin Armga (12.2). Mike Hojnacki scored 21 points to move into 18th place in school history with 1,067 career-points. The Huskies currently rank third in the league in both field goal percentage (.498) and 3-point field goal percentage (.392). Tech will play two games at home this week against Ohio Dominican Thursday (Dec. 8) and Tiffin Saturday (Dec. 10).

 

 

Northern Michigan Wildcats

The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team is now 2-4, 0-1 on the season following a 91-58 win over UM-Dearborn (Nov. 28) and a 77-54 loss to Michigan Tech (Dec. 3) to open up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play…The Wildcats shot 60.8 percent (31-51) from the field and 57.1 percent (12-21) against UM-Dearborn…Senior guard DeAndre Taylor led NMU in scoring over the week averaging 17 points, four rebounds and two steals…Freshman forward Haki Stampley is currently ninth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at .480 and sixth with 2.4 made 3-pointers per game…The ‘Cats rank third in the conference with 7.3 made 3-pointers per contest…NMU returns home this week for a pair of GLIAC games, hosting Tiffin (Dec. 8) and Ohio Dominican (Dec. 10).

 

 

 

Northwood Timberwolves

Northwood went 1-1 last week, falling 78-64 before defeating Lake Superior State 86-78 … Northwood is now 4-3 overall, 1-1 in the GLIAC … Bobby Lewis (Saginaw, Mich./Mott CC) led the way for Northwood in the week, averaging 16.0 points per game … Wes Wilcox (Roselle, Ill./Harper) finished with career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (9) in the loss at Findlay … six Timberwolves finished in double figures in the win over LSSU … NU grabbed twice as many offensive rebounds as their opponents over the two games last week (32-16) … Northwood will host Grand Valley State and Ferris State this week.

 

 

 

Ohio Dominican Panthers

Ohio Dominican dropped its first two conference games of the year, falling 79-61 to Grand Valley and 69-60 to Ferris State over the weekend…ODU scored the game’s first 11 points against the Lakers and trailed by just three with eight minutes left, but GVSU hit its final nine shots from the field to pull away…Ferris State led wire-to-wire against the Panthers, though ODU had several chances in the final minutes to cut into the deficit…Morgan Jones led the team with 15.0 points per game, while Aaron Gibbs notched his first double-double of the year against FSU and averaged 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game…Zack Joseph had a career-high 13 points off the bench against Ferris State…ODU plays its next six games away from Alumni Hall, beginning with a trip to the Upper Peninsula this week for contests with Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan.

 

 

Saginaw Valley State Cardinals

SVSU went 2-0 this past week. The Cardinals won their 2011-12 GLIAC opener in an overtime thriller as Chris Webb hit a clutch three-pointer to lift SVSU over Lake Superior on Thursday (Dec. 1). SVSU would also defeat Marygrove College 102-62 on Saturday (Dec. 3) to improve their win streak to three games. Webb scored a team-high 23 points against Lake Superior and added 13 points in the win over Marygrove. Senior Greg Foster posted 20 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers, while also scoring 14 points and seven assists in the victory over Marygrove. Rob Clark notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds against Marygrove, while Brett Beland dropped in 15 points. Webb leads SVSU in scoring with 18.6 points per game while Foster ranks second at 15.4 points. Through seven games, the Cardinals are averaging 79.6 points per game and are shooting .446 from the floor. SVSU is once again one of the most consistent teams from the free-throw line, shooting .775 (145-for-187) from the line, and currently have four players shooting 80 percent or better.



   

Tiffin Dragons

In the loss to Ferris State, Karl Finley had 27 points and Joe Graessle scored 14.…Finley scored his 1000th career point versus FSU…Against the Bulldogs, the Dragons blocked a school record 13 shots…Against Grand Valley State, Keith mackie had a career-high nine assists with just three turnovers…Joe Graessle has hit at least one 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games, in fact he has hit one in every collegiate game of his career…Graessle is now in TU history with 100 made triples.

 

 

Wayne State Warriors

The Warriors extended their winning streak to five games with a pair of victories in Ohio last week … Wayne State has won nine of its last 11 contests dating back to last season … senior center Ike Udanoh (Detroit, Mich. / Warren Woods Tower) had another strong weekend by scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the two wins … WSU started last year with a 9-1 mark … junior guard Cole Prophet (Sandusky, Ohio) also tallied 27 points last week, while junior forward Ian Larkin (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) and junior guard Mike Hollingsworth (Utica, Mich.) contributed 22 and 25 points, respectively … the Warriors had a season-best five blocked shots at AU including four by Larkin … Wayne State will conclude its pre-holiday schedule with three consecutive home contests starting this Thursday vs. Saginaw Valley … the game will be televised live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast Channel 900 with Dave Zoran, Shane Battier and Joe Abramson calling the action.