INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Owen Liss of Norwich University (Northfield, Vt.) and Kendall Harris of Hamilton College (Clinton, N.Y.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending December 8.
Liss, a 6-6 senior forward from West Suffeld, Conn., helped lead Norwich to a pair of victories last week. In the Cadets’ 96-65 win over Vermont State-Randolph on Tuesday, Liss established a career high with 32 points (11-of-15 FG, 9-of-9 FT, 1-of-3 3FG), while pulling down seven rebounds, dishing out a pair of assists, recording a steal, and adding two blocks. He scored 22 points in the second half, which Norwich entered trailing, 40-39. Liss scored another 32 points (14-of-21 FG, 3-of-4 FT, 1-of-3 3FG), including the 1,000th of his career, in Saturday’s 88-71 win over Elmira. He added nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and five blocks in the contest. For the week, Liss averaged 32.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3.5 blocks while shooting 69.4 percent (25-of-36) from the field, 92.3 percent (12-of-13) from the foul line, and 40.0 percent (2-of-5) from three-point range. For his efforts, Liss was also named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Week.
Harris, a 6-1 sophomore guard from Chapel Hill, N.C., recorded a pair of double-doubles in Hamilton’s two tight victories last week. She scored a season-high 27 points (10-of-20 FG, 4-of-6 FT, 3-of-9 3FG), including a pair of game-clinching free throws with eight seconds remaining, in the Continentals’ 67-64 win over SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday. Harris added 10 rebounds and a steal in the contest. Then, in Hamilton’s 67-65 overtime victory against Rochester on Saturday, she scored 25 points (10-of-20 FG, 3-of-5 FT, 2-of-4 3FG), including a step-back jumper with less than a second remaining to send the game into overtime. Harris also contributed 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in the win. For the week, she averaged 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 50.0 percent (20-of-40) from the field, 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the foul line, and 38.5 percent (5-of-13) from beyond the arc. For her efforts, Harris was also named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week.
Each Tuesday, the USBWA is selecting men's and women's Division III National Players of the Week. This is the 10th season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division III.
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.
2024-25 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week
• Week ending Nov. 10: Lucas Lesko, Wilkes University; Destiny Matthews, Concordia University (Texas)
• Week ending Nov. 17: Adam Brazil, Hampden-Sydney College; Mary Schluesner, Washington & Lee University
• Week ending Nov. 24: Octavio Brito, Keene State University; Natalie Gricius, Carroll University
• Week ending Dec. 1: Billy Ray Barnes III, Dean College; Korin Baker, Whitman College
• Week ending Dec. 8: Owen Liss, Norwich University; Kendall Harris, Hamilton College