Averkamp, Brown Repeat as Scholar-Athletes of the Month

INDIANAPOLIS -- Loyola senior forward Ben Averkamp and Youngstown State senior forward Brandi Brown have repeated as the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Month.

Averkamp and Brown both also won the honor for November 2012. In the December polling, both received 100 percent of the votes.

While leading Loyola to a 4-1 record in December, Averkamp averaged 13.2 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals. By the end of the month, the 9-3 Ramblers had already surpassed their win total from last season (7). Among the December victories were wins over an SEC team (Mississippi State) and a Big East team (in-city rival DePaul).

In the win over the Blue Demons -- Loyola's first since 1989 -- Averkamp had nine points and four rebounds. In a close loss to then-No. 19 Michigan State, the senior posted 25 points and eight rebounds.

Averkamp finished the month with 1,177 career points, 17th all-time at Loyola. He is one of only 17 Ramblers to collect 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.

Off the court, Averkamp carries a 3.80 GPA in biology. He is a member of Loyola's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the president of the Horizon League chapter of SAAC and is on the conference's honor roll.

Averkamp has been named a Capital One Academic All-District V selection and was named to the I-AAA Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team, Horizon League Men's Basketball All-Academic Team, National Jesuit Men's Basketball All-Academic Team and NABC Honors Court. Additionally, he was named as one of national 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award.

Averkamp and the Ramblers return to action on Sunday in a non-conference matchup against in-city rival Chicago State on ESPN3 at 8:05 p.m. EST.

Brown scored 20 or more points in four of six December games for Youngstown State, including 25 against both Akron and IUPUI. Against the Zips, Brown pulled down 15 rebounds, including the 1,000th of her career. She added 16 boards against IUPUI.

For her career, she is just the third player in Horizon League history to score at least 1,600 points and grab at least 1,000 rebounds.

Brown finished December having totaled 119 points, 59 rebounds and 13 steals while helping key a turnaround season for the Peguins program.

In the classroom, Brown carries a 3.75 GPA in communications studies. She was a member of the Horizon League Honor Roll in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Brown and the Penguins play tonight at home against Milwaukee, starting at 7:05 p.m. EST.

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