ST. LOUIS (USBWA) Jamie Nikitas of Lawrence University (Appleton, Wis.) and Katelyn Spahar of John Carroll University (Cleveland, Ohio) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the week ending January 17.
Nikitas, a 6-0 senior guard from Glenview, Ill., averaged 36.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as Lawrence (5-9, 2-7) lost a pair of close Midwest Conference (MWC) games on the road. For the week, he also shot 55 percent (22-of-40) from the floor and 83.3 percent (25-30) from the foul line for the Vikings. In an 84-83 overtime loss at Carroll University (12-1, 8-0) on Tuesday, Nikitas poured in a career-high 40 points as he hit 12-of-22 shots from the floor and went 14-of-16 from the foul line. He also grabbed eight rebounds, handed out two assists and picked up two steals. Nikitas followed that with a 33-point, nine-rebound performance in a 73-69 loss at Cornell College (5-9, 3-6) on Saturday. He added four assists and three steals, made 10-of-18 shots from the floor and went 11-for-14 from the line in the contest. Nikitas currently ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division III in scoring at 27.7 points per game and is 10th in career scoring at Lawrence with 1,217 points.
Spahar, a 5-9 junior guard from Willowick, Ohio, averaged 33.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game in a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) wins for the Blue Streaks (9-6, 4-4). She shot 51.2 percent (21-of-41) from the field, 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from three-point range and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the foul line. Spahar had 25 points and six rebounds in an 84-82 home win over Otterbein (6-8, 1-6) on Wednesday, hitting 9-of-18 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. She followed that up with a career-high 42 points, while adding seven rebounds and five steals in a 90-83 come-from-behind win at the University of Mount Union (11-4, 5-3) on Saturday. Spahar scored 17 points, including 7-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter as the Blue Streaks overcame a 20-point first-half deficit. Overall in the game, she connected on 7-of-8 three-pointers and 11-of-12 free throws. The 42 points are tied for the third-highest single-game total in NCAA Division III this season.
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.
2015-16 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 6: Jordan Rezendes, UMass Dartmouth and Lisa Murphy, Carnegie Mellon
· Week ending Dec. 13: Connor Green, Amherst and TiChina Mitchell, La Roche
· Week ending Dec. 20: David Linane, John Carroll and Alexix Roman, Scranton
· Week ending Jan. 3: Tom Palleschi, Tufts and Jordan Holmes, Denison
· Week ending Jan. 10: Tyheim Monroe, Cabrini and Michela North, Tufts
· Week ending Jan. 17: Jamie Nikitas, Lawrence University and Katelyn Spahar, John Carroll
· Week ending Jan. 24: Lucas Johnson, Benedictine and Jillian Gilman, Daniel Webster
· Week ending Jan. 31: Jordan Rezendes, UMass Dartmouth and Kelsey Tietje, Defiance
· Week ending Feb. 7: Ty Sabin, Ripon and Holly Denfeld, Milwaukee School of Engineering
· Week ending Feb. 14: Josh Berard, University of the Ozarks and Sydney Moss, Thomas More
· Week ending Feb. 21: Luke Lattner, DePauw and Lisa Murphy, Carngie Mellon
· Week ending Feb. 28: David Meurer, Denison and Caroline Naumann, Lynchburg