INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC senior guard Jay Harris (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) has been named the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, while Wright State freshman guard Grant Benzinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) has been named the Freshman of the Week, for the week of Dec. 8-14.
Harris became the fifth different player in five weeks this season to win the League’s Player of the Week honor after scoring a career-high 32 points in the Flames’ 71-60 win over Central Florida. The senior guard became the first UIC player in more than seven seasons to score 32 points in a home game (Josh Mayo vs. Green Bay on Dec. 7, 2007). The Aurora, Ill. native also recorded a new career-best with nine made field goals, shooting 9-of-16 and 4-of-9 from three-point range.
Harris was 10-of-12 from the foul line and added three rebounds, two assists and two steals as UIC overcame a halftime deficit to win going away.
The 32 points scored by Harris are the most by a Horizon League player this season.
UIC returns to action Monday night when it hosts UT-Martin before closing the week with a game at SMU.
Benzinger won Freshman of the Week honors after hitting all eight of his field goal attempts in two wins for the Raiders last week. He opened the week by connecting on all four of his attempted field goals, including 3-for-3 on three-pointers in Wright State’s 79-71 win at Belmont. On Sunday night, he again went 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from long distance as the Raiders held off Miami (Ohio), 68-59.
Benzinger has now connected on 14-of-23 (60.9%) of his three-point field goal attempts in the month of December and ranks in the top-10 of the League in three point field goal makes (19) and percentage (42.2%).
Wright State (7-4) will hit the court once this week, playing at Western Carolina on Thursday.
Top Performers for the Week:
DJ Cole, Youngstown State (Sr., G) – Cole scored 15 points and dished out six assists in the Penguins loss at Texas A&M on Saturday. He was 5-for-9 from the field and made a season-high three three-pointers in the game. It marked the seventh time this season Cole has had five or more assists in a game. He ranks second in the League with 69 assists (5.8 per game).
Juwan Howard Jr., Detroit (Sr., F) - Howard Jr., scored a game-high 27 points, 17 in the second half, in Detroit’s game versus #11 Wichita State. He became the 39th Titan to reach 1,000 career points during the game against the Shockers.
Trey Lewis, Cleveland State (Jr., F) - Lewis tallied 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists at Bowling Green on Saturday.
Alec Peters, Valparaiso (So., F) - Peters recorded his second career double-double with game-highs in points (23) and rebounds (10) in Valpo’s come-from-behind win over Ball State on Saturday.
Corey Petros, Oakland (Sr., C) - Petros had his League-leading fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday at #23 Michigan State.
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay (Sr., G) – Sykes scored 18 points in the first half, finishing with 23, as the Phoenix defeated Drake on Saturday. He tied his career-high with five three-pointers made and set a career-high with four steals.
Matt Tiby, Milwaukee (Jr., F) – Tiby averaged 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two Milwaukee games last week. He had a team-high 17 points versus #5 Wisconsin on Wednesday and had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Montana on Sunday.
JT Yoho, Wright State (Jr., F) – Yoho led the team in scoring in both wins last week. He had his second career double-double with 18 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds in the win over Miami (Ohio) on Sunday.
Top Freshmen for the Week:
Paris Bass, Detroit (Fr., G/F) - Bass had 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists in Detroit’s game versus 11th-ranked Wichita State.
Brett Prahl, Milwaukee (Fr., F) – Prahl connected on all three of his field goal attempts last week and finished with eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of play.
Tevonn Walker, Valparaiso (Fr., G) - Walker had 15 points in 19 minutes off-the-bench in the win over Trinity International on Wednesday. He had nine second half points in Valpo’s win over Ball State on Saturday.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 10: Chrishawn Hopkins, Wright State
Nov. 17: Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Nov. 24: Keifer Sykes, Green Bay
Dec. 1: Bobby Hain, Youngstown State
Dec. 8: Jay Harris, UIC
Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week:
Nov. 10: Justin Jordan, Milwaukee
Nov. 17: Paris Bass, Detroit
Nov. 24: Paris Bass, Detroit
Dec. 1: Nick Daniels, Oakland
Dec. 8: Grant Benzinger, Wright State
Tags: Horizon League - Men's Basketball · UIC - Men's Basketball · Wright State - Men's Basketball
