Courtesy of PatriotLeague.org
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Bucknell senior forward Zach Thomas earned his third Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player of the Week honor this season, while Lafayette freshman guard Justin Jaworski earned his first The Rock Rookie of the Week honor when awards were announced by the League office on Monday.
Thomas averaged 19.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists to help the Bison go 1-1 last week, including a win against 2016-17 America East champion Vermont. The senior forward also had a career-high 19 rebounds in a loss to Saint Joseph’s.
Jaworski averaged 21.5 points and shot 72.7 percent from the floor (16-of-22) to help Lafayette go 1-1 last week. The freshman guard scored a career-high 24 points in a loss to Drexel on Wednesday.
Lehigh junior guard Lance Tejada earned a spot as a weekly honorable mention after averaging 20.0 points in the Mountain Hawks’ 1-1 week, while becoming the first player this season to score 20 or more points against No. 18/15 Virginia. Navy senior guard Bryce Dulin scored a career-high 30 points to help the Mids defeat Delaware on Friday night, helping him earn weekly honorable mention. Lafayette senior forward Matt Klinewski led the Leopards to their first victory of the season against Quinnipiac, on Saturday, while Army West Point sophomore guard Tommy Funk led the Black Knights to the Papa John’s Bulldog Bash Tournament title, earning Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors, as both student-athletes made the weekly honorable mention list.
The Patriot League Men’s Basketball The Rock Player and Rookie of the Week awards are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., 6-7, Ijamsville, Md./Oaksdale
Thomas averaged 19.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists during a 1-1 week for Bucknell to earn his third player of the week honor this season. The senior forward finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a victory over reigning America East champion Vermont. Thomas was 5-of-7 from 3-point range in the victory over the Catamounts. Against Saint Joseph’s, Thomas pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 15 points in an 83-70 loss.
PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL THE ROCK ROOKIE OF THE WEEK,
Justin Jaworski, Lafayette, Fr., G, 6-1, Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley
Jaworski averaged 21.5 points per game, while shooting 72.7 percent from the field (16-of-22) to help Lafayette go 1-1 during the week. Jaworski scored a team-high 24 points, going 3-of-5 from distance in the Leopards’ one-point loss to Drexel on Wednesday. He finished with 19 points, including all three of his attempts from 3-point range, to go along with three rebounds and three assists in the team’s win over Quinnipiac.
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Bryce Dulin, Navy, Sr., G, 6-4, Nixa, Mo./Nixa
Dulin scored a career-high 30 points in Navy’s 82-76 win over Delaware on Friday night. The senior guard shot 8-of-12 from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line in the victory. He averaged a team-best 16.5 points per game in victories over the Blue Hens and Morgan State last week.
Tommy Funk, Army West Point, So., G, 6-0, Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood
Funk matched a career-high 16 points in back-to-back victories at the Papa John’s Bulldog Bash against UMBC and Marist to earn tournament MVP honors. Funk averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game during a 3-0 week for the Black Knights.
Matt Klinewski, Lafayette, Sr., F, 6-8, Vorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional
Klinewski averaged 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during a 1-1 week for the Leopards. The senior forward scored a game-high 26 points, including 14 straight to start the second half in the Leopards’ first win of the season against Quinnipiac. He also finished with 17 points in a 68-67 loss to Drexel last Wednesday.
Lance Tejada, Lehigh, Jr., G, 6-2, Miramar, Fla./Ely [East Carolina]
Tejada averaged 20.0 points per game during Lehigh’s 1-1 week. The junior guard scored 18 points, including 13 in the first half, in the Mountain Hawks 85-76 victory over defending Ivy League champion Princeton. Tejada scored a game-high 22 points against No. 18/15 Virginia on Saturday, becoming the first player to score 20 points or more against the Cavaliers this season. His 22-point performance is the most against UVA since former Duke star Jayson Tatum scored 29 points against them, on February 15, 2017.
Previous Patriot League Men’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners
11.27.17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Jimmy Sotos, Bucknell, Fr., G
11.20 17
Player: Jordan Fox, Army West Point, Jr., G
Rookie: Jordan Burns, Colgate, Fr., G
11.13 17
Player: Zach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rookie: Caleb Green, Holy Cross, Fr., G
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