ST. LOUIS (USBWA) Justin Reyes of St. Thomas Aquinas College and Jasmine Kearse of Limestone College have been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Jan. 3.
Reyes, a 6-4 sophomore guard/forward from Haverhill, Mass., led the Spartans to a pair of East Coast Conference road wins over Daemen and Roberts Wesleyan College last week. Reyes averaged 26.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game with double-doubles in both games as the Spartans improved to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in ECC play.
Reyes opened the week with a 25-point, 19-rebound effort, making 11-of-16 (68.8%) from the field in the 85-66 win over Daemen, and he finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while making 12-of-16 (75%) from the field in St. Thomas Aquinas' 90-68 win at Roberts Wesleyan. On the week, Reyes shot 71.9 percent (23-for-32) from the field, including three-of-five on three-pointers.
Kearse, a 5-6 junior guard from St. Augustine, Fla., earned Conference Carolinas Player of the Week honors for the third time this season after averaging 24.3 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game in three wins for the Saints.
She began the week by tying a school record 44 points in an 83-68 win over Lees-McRae College last Tuesday. Kearse was 15-of-24 from the field, including 11-of-15 from three-point range. She tallied 20 of her points in the first quarter, with six of her three-pointers coming in those first 10 minutes of play. Kearse also added five steals, three rebounds and an assist in the win.
Kearse followed up the record-setting game with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in an 86-60 win over Mount Olive on Friday and then tallied 15 points and six assists in a 62-point win over Barton on Saturday.
For the week, Kearse shot 44.6 percent from the field, including 50 percent (18-of-36) from three-point range.
Kearse leads the Conference Carolinas with 21.8 points per game and has her team on a 44-game conference winning streak. Limestone is currently 12-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.