Dec. 23, 2012
IRVING, Texas -
Junior transfer KEENA MAYS of SMU has been named Conference USA Player of the Week, and BRIAHANNA JACKSON of UCF takes Freshman of the Week accolades for games played Dec. 17-23. Mays averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Jackson accounted for 15 points, five rebounds and 4.3 steals per game for the Knights. Both the Mustangs and the Knights posted a 2-1 record last week. This also marks the first weekly honor for each player.
C-USA BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
for games played from Dec. 17-23_Week 7
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KEENA MAYS, SMU
5-7, JUNIOR, GUARD / MANSFIELD, TEXAS / KANSAS
Mays scored 72 of SMU's 206 points during her first three games as a Mustang last week. She averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game as the team went 2-1. The junior transfer from Kansas shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the field, including hitting 43.5 percent from the 3-point line (10-for-23). She also connected on eight of 10 free throws. She scored a career-high 33 points against Stephen F. Austin Wednesday, becoming the first SMU player since 2001 to score at least 33 which ranks ninth in program history for a single-game performance. Mays recorded her second career double-double with a 23-point and 11-rebound performance against Louisiana-Monroe Monday. At halftime, Mays herself was out-scoring ULM, 15-14. With those two scoring performances, Mays becomes the first Mustang to produce back-to-back 20-point games since Delisha Wills in December 2010. This is her first Player of the Week honor of her career.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
BRIAHANNA JACKSON, UCF
5-4, GUARD / TAMPA, FLA. / IMG ACADEMY
Briahanna Jackson averaged 15 points in three games as she extended her double-figure scoring streak to six games. Against Presbyterian, Jackson had a game-high seven steals, one shy of a personal best. She helped lead UCF come from an 18-point deficit in the second half against South Alabama by scoring 11 points during UCF's 22-3 run in the final eight minutes of the game. She finished with a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds - one shy of her career-high. Jackson netted a game-high 18 points to help UCF snap the nation's ninth-longest home winning streak (16 games) at Florida Gulf Coast Saturday. As UCF trailed by three points with less than five minutes remaining, Jackson rattled off seven of the next nine, including the go-ahead layup after she stole the ball at midcourt. She also knocked down a timely 3-pointer and fade-away jumper to maintain the advantage and help UCF to its first victory against the Eagles in program history. This is her first career weekly honor.
2012-13 C-USA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
N12 Kristine Vitola, UTEP (Sr., F)
N19 Nicole Dickson, Memphis (Sr., F)
N26 Yasmeen Thompson, Houston (Jr., F) and Karisma Chapman, UAB (Jr., F)
D3 Tanecka Carey, Southern Miss (Sr., G)
D10 Whitney Bibbins, Tulane (R-So., G)
D17 Jamierra Faulkner, Southern Miss (Jr., G) and Kayla Thornton, UTEP (Jr., F)
D23 Keena Mays, SMU (Jr., G)
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
N12 Kayla Anderson, UAB (F)
N19 Gabrielle Wilkins, SMU (G)
N26 Jerontay Clemons, Southern Miss (G)
D3 Jerontay Clemons, Southern Miss (G)
D10 Irene Gari, UTEP (F)
D17 Megan Palmer, Rice(F)
D23 Briahanna Jackson, UCF (G)
