INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Jordan Floyd of King University (Bristol, Tenn.) and Mar'Shalia Lollie of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (Fort Smith, Ark.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II National Players of the Week for the week ending January 5.
Floyd, a senior guard, claimed his first Division II National Player of the Week honor of the season after he exploded for 36 and 43 points to lead the Tornado to a pair of Conference Carolinas victories over Southern Wesleyan And Mount Olive last week. He averaged 39.5 points for the week, hitting 33-of-52 (.635) from the field including 10-for-18 (.556) from three-point range. He scored 36 points on 15-for-25 shooting in a 90-77 win over Southern Wesleyan, and he followed that effort with a 43-point outburst on 18-for-27 shooting in a 76-74 win over Mount Olive.
Floyd set a pair of school records with 43 points and 18 field goals made against Mount Olive, and the 43-point performance was the seventh-highest individual scoring game in Division II this season. Floyd is the Division II national scoring leader, averaging 29.4 points per game, and he has eight 30-point games including two games with at least 40 points for King, which improved to 10-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
Lollie, a junior forward, was named the Lone Star Conference Player of the Week after leading the Lady Lions to a pair of road wins by averaging a double-double with 27.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Lollie began the week with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds and three steals in a 57-52 win at St. Mary's on Thursday. The Kilgore, Texas, native then exploded for a UAFS Division II era record 39 points, 15 rebounds and three steals in a 66-62 win at St. Edward’s on Saturday, netting 17-of-23 field goals. Lollie finished the weekend with a 72.7 field goal percentage and also made 7-of-9 free throws. She entered the weekend averaging just 7.8 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.