Smith Named Horizon League Player Of The Week
Jan. 5, 2009
MILWAUKEE - Avery Smith of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been named the Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced today. Smith led the team in scoring during two victories in Chicago, helping land the Panthers (8-5, 4-0 Horizon) atop the league standings. The senior guard averaged a league-best 21.5 points to go with five rebounds and five assists per game in victories over UIC and Loyola. Smith is the first Panther player honored by the league this season, and this is the first player of the week honor of his career. He poured in a season-high 28 points in an 80-66 victory at Loyola Saturday. Smith scored 20 of his points in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers in the final five minutes to help put the game away. Last Tuesday at UIC, Smith scored 15 points to go with seven assists. He scored 10 of his points over the final 10 minutes of the game as the Panthers hung on for the win. For the season, Smith ranks seventh in the league at 13.8 points per game while also averaging 4.8 rebounds and three assists per contest. Milwaukee, which has won five of its last six games overall and is 4-0 in league play for the first time since the 2005-06 season, opens a five-game homestand this evening as Valparaiso visits the U.S. Cellular Arena for a 7 p.m. contest. The Panthers then welcome in-state rival Green Bay to the Cell for a nationally-televised contest Friday at 8 p.m.
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