Courtesy of Atlantic10.com
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – La Salle junior B.J. Johnson was chosen as the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week while Massachusetts freshman Luwane Pipkins was selected as the league’s Rookie of the Week. The awards, announced Monday and presented by Come Ready Nutrition, are for games played Dec. 12-18.
Johnson registered a career-high 35 points, including 28 after halftime to lead La Salle to an 84-80 win over reigning Atlantic Sun champion Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. The left-handed forward shot 10-of-16 (.625) from the field and 12-for-14 (.857) from the charity stripe en route to his best scoring output as a collegian, eclipsing his prior high of 24 set earlier this year against Texas Southern. The Philadelphia native hit back-to-back 3-pointers with his team trailing by six in the second half, and scored the final six points of the game to seal the victory. Johnson leads the team and ranks in the top 10 in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 19.9 points per game.
Pipkins averaged 19.0 points per game during a pair of Gotham Classic victories. The guard from Chicago shot 50 percent from the floor (14-28) and chipped in four assists, two steals and two rebounds per game. He scored nine of his 11 points against North Carolina A&T during the final eight minutes of the game. That included a 3-pointer that gave the Minutemen the lead for good, and a pair of fast break layups that helped sealed the win. He also dished out five assists versus the Aggies. Pipkins followed with a personal-best 27 points against Kennesaw State, including a program record-tying eight made 3-pointers. He scored all four of his first-half triples in succession, turning a five-point Massachusetts deficit into a lead the team did not relinquish the rest of the game.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Peyton Aldridge scored 22 points, and pulled down eight rebounds as Davidson, which led at halftime, battled No. 3 Kansas … Scoochie Smith led Dayton in a narrow loss against Northwestern, helping spark a furious comeback with 18 points, 16 of which came in the second half, and six steals … Otis Livingston II, who ranks second nationally in free throw percentage, was 7-of-7 from the line en route to 17 points as George Mason beat Longwood to extend its winning streak to eight games … Mason freshman Justin Kier tallied 12 points, hitting 3-of-5 from the field, and a perfect 4-for-4 at the line in the Patriots’ win … George Washington’s Jordan Roland shot 69 percent from the field, including 55 percent from beyond the arc to record 27 points and lead the Colonials past UCF … Donte Clarke averaged 16.5 points and 6.0 assists in the two Gotham Classic wins for Massachusetts, including 22 points, four rebounds, two blocks and six assists versus North Carolina A&T … Jared Terrell had 18 points for Rhode Island in a win over Holy Cross, shooting 6-of-13 (.462) from the field while tallying three rebounds and two assists … Richmond freshman De’Monte Buckingham hit 50 percent from the field for 16 points with six rebounds in a close loss against 10-1 Texas Tech … St. Bonaventure’s Jaylen Adams scored 23 points, and dished out seven assists as the Bonnies rolled past Niagara to win a Big Four Basketball Classic matchup … Saint Joseph’s freshman Charlie Brown had back-to-back solid performances, averaging 13 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game for the Hawks … Reggie Agbeko had had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double in a win at Southern Illinois, followed by a near double-double of 20 points and nine rebounds in a win over SIU Edwardsville … VCU’s JeQuan Lewis scored 20 points on 7-of-11 (.636) shooting to help lead the Rams to a win over a 10-win Middle Tennessee State team … VCU freshman Samir Doughty had 14 points and four assists in the win over MTSU.
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