INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Jhonathan Dunn of Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, Okla.) and Jamiyah Johnson of Davis & Elkins College (Elkins, W.V.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II National Players of the Week for the week ending December 15.
Dunn, a senior guard, claimed his first Division II National Player of the Week honor of the season after he led the Crimson Storm to a 77-65 upset victory over No. 14-ranked Southeastern Oklahoma State on Dec. 14. Dunn scored a season-high 34 points, his fifth 30-point game of the season, along with a career-high 15 rebounds. He played all 40 minutes in the victory, and he scored 24 of his 34 points in the second half to help Southern Nazarene maintain a double-digit lead over the final 18 minutes of the contest as the Crimson Storm improved to 8-3 overall and 3-1 in Great American Conference play this season.
The double-double was the first of the season for Dunn, a native of San Antonio, Texas, and it was his sixth career double-double. He now has nine 30-point games in his career. Dunn currently ranks second in Division II in scoring (27.5 ppg) and third nationally in three-pointers made (43).
Johnson was named the Mountain East Conference Player of the Week after averaging 27.0 points and 21.5 rebounds per game, all while shooting nearly 73 percent from the field.
The Williamsburg, Va., native opened the week with her fourth consecutive double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds despite the Senators’ 70-59 loss to Notre Dame (Ohio) last Thursday. Johnson, who made 11-of-15 field goals, added three assists, two blocks and two steals.
In a 75-50 win at Urbana last Saturday, the junior forward tied her career-high in scoring with 31 points and equaled the school record with 26 rebounds. Securing her fifth straight double-double before halftime, Johnson went 13-of-18 from the field and pulled down 14 offensive rebounds in 36 minutes.
Johnson is third in NCAA Division II with 14.0 rebounds per game and is also averaging 18.7 points per game.
Each Tuesday, the USBWA is selecting men's and women's Division II National Players of the Week. This is the sixth season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division II.
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 Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.