PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly women’s basketball honors for the week ending Sunday, Dec. 25.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Katie Lou Samuelson • So. • G/F • UConn
Samuelson averaged 24.5 points per game while shooting 47.1-percent (8-of-17) from beyond the arc during the top-ranked Huskies’ 2-0 week that featured wins over a pair of Big Ten opponents. The Huntington Beach, Calif. native started the week with a 26-point performance to go along with four rebounds and two assists in a win over No. 12/13 Ohio State on Monday. She followed that with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Wednesday’s win at Nebraska.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Taylor Barnes • Fr. • G • Memphis
Rookie Taylor Barnes averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game on 53-percent shooting (7-of-13) in a 2-0 week for Memphis that included wins over Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State. Barnes scored a career-high 21 points in the win over Nicholls and helped seal the victory by going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the final 48 seconds as the Colonels were attempting a comeback.
Weekly Honor Roll
Aliyah Gregory • Jr. • G • UCF
Led UCF with 18 points on 60-percent shooting, dished out a season-high seven assists in a win over Omaha
Bianca Quisenberry • Sr. • G • Cincinnati
Scored a season-high 20 points to go along with four steals and three assists in a win over Eastern Illinois
Maria Jespersen • Jr. • F • USF
Led USF to a 2-1 week at the Play4Kay Shootout, averaged a double-double (12.3 pts, 12.7 rebs) in three games
Alliya Butts • Jr. • G • Temple
Scored 26 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers in a win over Fairfield, added a season-high five steals
Kolby Morgan • Jr. • G • Tulane
Named MVP of the Tulane Classic, led all scorers with 18 points in a win over RV/RV Auburn on Thursday