Complete Release in PDF
NM STATE'S SIAKAM NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NM State sophomore forward Pascal Siakam has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 23-29. This is his third WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and the fifth of his career.
The Douala, Cameroon, native averaged 30.5 points on 64.9 percent shooting, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as the Aggies went 1-1 in a pair of overtime games. Siakam collected a career-high 35 points to go with 11 rebounds in the Aggies' 81-71 win over Robert Morris. He followed it up with his fifth double-double of the year and the 12th of his career with 26 points, 12 rebounds and a career-best six blocked shots in NM State's 66-64 overtime loss at Air Force. Siakam leads the nation in total field goals made with (63), ranks second in scoring (26.8) and 11th in rebounding (11.8). In addition to scoring and rebounding, he leads the WAC in blocked shots (2.17) and minutes played (36.17) per game.
Other nominees included: Chicago State's Elliott Cole averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds on the week ... Grandy Glaze of Grand Canyon finished with 18 points on 90 percent shooting, 10 rebounds and three assists in a win over Mississippi Valley State ... Missouri-Kansas City's Martez Harrison averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals as the ‘Roos went 2-0 on the week ... Jack Crook of Seattle U averaged 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks as the Redhawks went 2-0 on the week ... UT Rio Grande Valley's Shaquille Hines finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a win over Southeast Missouri State ... Konner Frey of Utah Valley averaged 16.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on the week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring (85.8), scoring margin (23.2), free throw percentage (72.4), field goal percentage (50.7), three-point field goal percentage defense (27.5) and assists (18.25), and is tied with NM State in rebounding defense (30.5). NM State is tops in field goal percentage defense (37.6), rebounding (45.8), rebounding margin (15.3), blocks (3.83) and defensive rebounds (33.0). Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (12.0), offensive rebounds (15.0) and three-pointers per game (8.43), while CSU Bakersfield is tops in turnover margin (6.0) and assist-turnover ratio (1.45). Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (38.3) and Seattle U is tops in scoring defense (62.2).
Individually, NM State's Pascal Siakam leads the WAC in scoring (26.8), rebounding (11.8), blocked shots (2.17), defensive rebounds (8.0) and minutes per game (36.17). Grand Canyon's Joshua Braun is tops in free throw percentage (92.9) and three-point field goal percentage (57.9), while teammate DeWayne Russell leads the WAC in assists (6.25). Utah Valley's Darrious Hamilton is tops in field goal percentage (64.1), while Chicago State's Kieran Woods leads the league in steals (3.43). CSU Bakersfield's Damiyne Durham leads the WAC in three-pointers per game (3.8), while teammates Brent Wrapp and Kevin Mays are tops in assist-turnover ratio (6.33) and offensive rebounds (4.2), respectively.
UTRGV'S HINES APPROACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
UT Rio Grande Valley senior Shaquille Hines is nine points shy of 1,000 career points and looks to become the 24th player in program history to reach the milestone. Hines, who ranks fifth all-time at UTRGV with 60 career blocks, is also 11 rebounds shy of 500 for his career.
GCU HAS HIGHEST SCORING GAME AT DIVISION I LEVEL
Grand Canyon defeated Mississippi Valley State 94-60 on Nov. 23. The Lopes' 94 points were their highest offensive output since transitioning to Division I and the 34-point margin of victory was their second-straight win by 30 or more points and their largest since November of 2008. GCU has started the season 4-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
SIAKAM HAS HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME POINT TOTAL IN WAC SINCE 2014
In an overtime win over Robert Morris on Nov. 24, NM State's Pascal Siakam scored 35 points, the most by a WAC player since Seattle U's Isiah Umipig scored 36 points against Idaho on March 1, 2014. It is also the most points by an Aggie since Justin Hawkins had 37 against Hawai‘i on March 8, 2008. Siakam is the first Aggie to have multiple 30-point games in a season since 2010-11 (Troy Gillenwater).