TSWA announces players of the week - Dec. 19

December 19, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman junior guard John Zhao had a tremendous week as he picked up a pair of 20-point scoring nights as he led the Eagles to two road victories last week to earn the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor on Tuesday.

Zhao, a junior guard from Sevierville, scored 23 points in an 83-73 victory over Tusculum, shooting 60 percent from the field and 11-for-12 at the free-throw line, pulling down six rebounds with an assist, two steals and a block.

He followed that performance up with 21 points against Anderson (S.C.) as he was 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Anderson also collected six rebounds and a steal in the win.

For the week, he averaged 22 points and six rebounds.

On the women’s side, Chattanooga graduate Jada Guinn continued the Mocs’ hot streak as she led them in scoring with 24 points in a victory over Lipscomb and 19 points in a win over Eastern Kentucky.

The Oak Ridge native and Tennessee Tech transfer scored 43 points on the week and has been the leading scorer for the Mocs on their current nine-game winning streak – the second-best start in program history behind a 13-1 start to the 1983-84 campaign.

Guinn has scored 10 or more points in every game this season. She also led the team with nine rebounds and five assists against Lipscomb, while tying her career-high in free throws made with 10. Guinn currently ranks second in the Southern Conference in scoring with an 18.0-point average and 22nd nationally in field goals made (82) and 28th in total points (216).

TSWA honors college players of the week - Dec. 12

December 12, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Trevecca junior guard Jalen Page took the Trojans on the road to Malone – a place they had never won in their last seven tries – then dominated as he pulled together a double-double in the victory to earn this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor.

In the contest, the Murfreesboro native scored 26 points and pulled down 10 boards as he shot 57.1 percent from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range as well as 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. Page also had four assists, a block and a steal in the game.

For the week, which also included a contest against Christian Brothers, Page averaged 23.5 points and 9.0 rebounds, shooting 15-for-31 (.484) from the field, 8-for-16 (.500) from 3-point range and 9-for-11 (.818) from the stripe.

On the women’s side, Fisk senior center Maya Buckhanon had a tremendous week in three outings as she averaged 27.3 points and 16.3 rebounds per game. Against Division I North Alabama, Buckhanon scored 29 of Fisk’s 60 points as she was 12-for-18 from the field, while pulling down 11 rebounds.

She followed that effort up with 26 points and 23 rebounds in a 79-51 victory over Wiley (Texas), then completed the week with 27 points and 15 caroms against Arkansas’ Philander Smith in a 71-63 win.

Buckhanon has double-doubles in eight of her nine games this season and has two games with 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds.

College players of the week named - Dec. 5

December 5, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville junior guard Reed Kemp had an impressive week as he averaged 27 points across three games and shot 52.6 percent from the floor, earning this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor.

The Franklin, Tenn., product led the Scots to three victories as he scored 39 points in an 85-83 victory at Berry, 26 points in an 87-84 overtime victory against Washington and Lee, then 16 points in a 112-61 win at Warren Wilson.

The 39-point outburst is believed to be the most by a Maryville player in a single game since November 2010. In that contest, he shot 16-of-24 from the field, including 6-for-8 from long range, then scored the game-winning basket with 4.1 seconds remaining.

Kemp currently leads the Scots in scoring and is second in the Collegiate Conference of the South with an 18.6-point average.

On the women’s side, Vanderbilt junior Sacha Washington had a great week, averaging 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 steals to claim the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award.

The forward from Lawrenceville, Ga., had her best performance of the week in a 71-63 victory over Louisiana Tech as she scored a career-high 33 points as she shot .750 from the floor on a 15-of-20 night against the Lady Techsters. It wasn’t just scoring where Washington shined in the game, she also had a career-high eight steals – the sixth-most in a single game in program history. Washington also recorded six rebounds, an assist and two blocks.

Washington also scored 14 points, collected seven boards and blocked five shots in a 70-62 loss to No. 5 N.C. State.

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Jack Browder (Carson-Newman)
11/21 | Mikhail Pocknett (King)
11/28 | Jordan Sears (UT Martin)
12/5 | Reed Kemp (Maryville)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Kendal Cheesman (Belmont)
11/21 | Maya Buckhanon (Fisk)
11/28 | Jordyn Cambridge (Vanderbilt)
12/5 | Sacha Washington (Vanderbilt)

TSWA announces college players of the week - Nov. 28

November 28, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In two games this past week, UT Martin junior guard Jordan Sears poured in 61 points while shooting over 60 percent from the field, earning this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Sears, a Daytona Beach, Fla., native, started the week as he scored a career-high 34 points on a 13-of-23 shooting effort, while also collecting seven assists in a 105-103 double-overtime victory over North Alabama, scoring the Skyhawks’ final six points in the contest.

He followed that performance up with another strong showing as UTM topped Chicago State 94-71, scoring 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting with four 3-pointers. Sears outscored the Cougars 15-14 in the first nine minutes as he scored 20 points in the first half.

For the week, Sears averaged 30.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting .618 from the field (21-of-34), .722 from the charity stripe (13-of-18) and .667 from 3-point range (6-of-9).

Selected as the Ohio Valley Conference’s Player of the Week, Sears is averaging 22.3 points and 3.6 rebounds on the season.

On the women’s side, Vanderbilt graduate guard Jordyn Cambridge was selected as the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week as she averaged 20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 4.5 steals as the Commodores went 2-0 at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas.

Cambridge collected her third double-double of the week with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Iowa State in the 68-53 victory. She followed it up with a career-high 28 points, seven steals and six rebounds against Northern Iowa in a 68-64 win as she set a new personal best in made field goals (11) and tied her mark with made 3-pointers with five.

She finished the week shooting .517 from the floor (15-of-29), .538 from long-range (7-of-13) and .750 at the line (3-of-4).

For the season, the Nashville native is averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds.

2023-24 TSWA College Sports Players of the Week
MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Jack Browder (Carson-Newman)
11/21 | Mikhail Pocknett (King)
11/28 | Jordan Sears (UT Martin)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Kendal Cheesman (Belmont)
11/21 | Maya Buckhanon (Fisk)
11/28 | Jordyn Cambridge (Vanderbilt)

College players of the week honored - Nov. 21

November 21, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Vattiato led the Blue Raiders to a 34-30 win over UTEP this weekend and his numbers earned him this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

The Plantation, Fla., native led Middle Tennessee to its second straight win, completing 18 passes for 242 yards with three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 92 yards on 15 carries. It was the ninth 200-plus-yard game for the QB this season.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech sophomore linebacker Aaron Swafford was the Defensive Player of the Week honoree as he finished Saturday’s 35-0 win over Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association rival Tennessee State with five tackles and two interception returns for 52 yards. Both interceptions by the Decatur native led to touchdown drives as the Golden Eagles picked up their first shutout since 2013 and fourth since 2000.

VOLLEYBALL: Tusculum graduate outside hitter Emiah Burrowes led the Pioneers to their first conference championship in program history and was named the South Atlantic Conference tournament MVP as Tusculum upset Anderson 3-0 and Wingate 3-1 in the semifinal and championship matches.

Burrowes averaged 4.42 kills, 3.17 digs and 4.79 points per set as she collected 53 total kills, 38 digs and had three blocks, ending the tournament with a .219 attack percentage.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: King freshman forward Mikhail Pocknett had an incredible game as the Wilmington, N.C. product scored 33 points in the Tornado’s 98-94 double-overtime loss to Emory and Henry. Pocknett scored 33 points in the contest, while also pulling down five boards. He shot 12-for-23 from the field and 9-for-16 from the free-throw line.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Fighting a lower-body injury, Fisk senior forward Maya Buckhanon led the team to a 63-56 victory over NCAA Division II Lane College. The Talladega, Ala., native led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds. She finished the game shooting 12-for-16 from the floor and 6-for-7 at the line.