MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Mark Sears, Ohio, Guard
Sophomore, Muscle Shoals, Ala. / Hargrave Military Academy
Sears led Ohio last week, helping the Bobcats improve to 8-2 overall on the season. In the Bobcats matchup against Marshall, Sears scored 24 points to lead Ohio. He went 6-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from three - including the three with just over a minute remaining to help seal the Bobcats 65-55 victory. Sears also grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists, had one steal and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the line in 36 minutes on the floor.
Other Nominees
Joe Reece, Bowling Green, Forward
Junior, St. Louis, Mo. (East St. Louis)
Reece helped the Falcons capture a 101-74 victory over Robert Morris on Sunday (Dec. 19). Reece tied for the team-lead in points, tying his career-high with 19, as well as rebounds with six. Reece continued to stuff the stat sheet with three steals and a block. Over the last two games combined, Reece now has seven steals.
Dae Dae Grant, Miami, Guard
Junior, Lorain, Ohio (Lorain)
Grant posted back-to-back 20-point efforts while shooting over than 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long range in a pair of games last week. Grant averaged 21.0 ppg, notching 20 points at Clemson and 22 points against Bellarmine last week. Grant shot 61.5 percent from the floor against the Knights, going 8-for-13 from the field and 4-for-8 (.500) from 3-point range. He also added four assists in each game. Grant hauled in five rebounds against Bellarmine. For the week, he shot 51.6 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and averaged 4.0 apg and 3.5 rpg.
Keshawn Williams, NIU, Guard
Sophomore, Chicago Heights, Ill. (Bloom)
Williams averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game during NIU’s two games against Chicago State and UIC, helping the Huskies split the two contests. On Monday (Dec. 13), Williams netted 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists as the Huskies topped Chicago State, 70-59. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line against the Cougars. Williams then poured in a career-high 25 points and had four assists in a narrow, one-point setback against UIC (Dec. 19). For the week, Williams shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from the field and 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from the line.
Lamar Norman Jr., Western Michigan, Guard
Junior, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Godwin Heights)
Norman Jr. scored a game-high 19 points to help WMU win its final non-conference home game over Aquinas. The junior went 5-for-11 (.455) from the field and hit all eight of his free throw attempts, including six in the final three-and-a-half minutes to seal the victory for the Broncos. The double-digit scoring effort was his ninth of the season and eighth in a row.
