TSWA honors weekly award winners - Dec. 5

December 5, 2017 Forrest Freeman

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Middle Tennessee’s King named TSWA award winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee’s Nick King earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, posting 32 points and 11 rebounds in a five-point road win at Florida Gulf Coast for the Blue Raiders.

The Memphis, Tenn., native made 11-of-21 shots overall and connected on 10-for-14 attempts at the foul line, setting career-highs in points, rebounds, assists (4) and minutes played (37) in Middle Tennessee’s second win over FGCU in 11 days. It was his first double-double of the season.

He has netted 20-plus points in five straight outings and ranks sixth nationally in scoring with 24.3 points per game. King is adding 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest as well for the Blue Raiders.

2017-18 TSWA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Devin Whitfield, Trevecca University
November 21 – Dylan Windler, Belmont
November 28 – Grant Williams, Tennessee

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Union’s Shumpert garners TSWA weekly honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Union University’s Chelsey Shumpert earned Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday, posting 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists with one double-double in a pair of victories for the Bulldogs.

The Paducah, Ky., native matched a career-high with 31 points at Mississippi College, hitting 10-of-16 shots overall with three 3-pointers. The senior guard made 8-of-9 at the foul line while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 98-71 victory.

Two days later Shumpert netted a career-best 34 points with three more triples, collecting 11 rebounds and hitting 9-for-11 at the charity stripe. She finished 11-of-17 from the field in the 69-62 win at Delta State, helping Union to a 2-0 start in league play.

Shumpert leads NCAA Division II in scoring with 28.6 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in all eight contests this season with three games of 30-plus points. She is adding 6.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.0 steals per outing as well.

2017-18 TSWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Mika Wester, Carson-Newman
November 21 – Haris Price, Carson-Newman
November 28 – Kylee Smith, Belmont

Weekly award winners announced by TSWA - Nov. 28

November 28, 2017 Forrest Freeman

FOOTBALL: Vanderbilt’s Shurmur, Memphis’ Cook earn TSWA weekly awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur and Memphis defensive back Jonathan Cook were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sportswriters Association for their efforts in contests from November 20-26.

Shurmur completed 20-of-31 passes for 283 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in Vanderbilt’s 42-24 victory over Tennessee. The Philadelphia, Pa., native broke the single-season TD passing mark with his first scoring toss of the game, a nine-yard throw to C.J. Duncan, breaking a record held previously by Whit Taylor in 1982.

The junior’s 30-yard TD pass to Kalija Lipscomb just before the half gave the Commodores a lead they would never relinquish. Shurmur added 20 and 12-yard scoring throws to Trent Sherfield in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with 2,823 passing yards, third most in a single-season at Vanderbilt, along with 26 TD passes.

Cook posted four tackles with one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and returned an interception for a touchdown in a victory over East Carolina. The Daphne, Ala., native played just a half in the contest, as Memphis led 49-0 at intermission despite the Pirates running 50 plays and gaining 218 yards in the first 30 minutes.

The senior had a tackle for loss on the first play of the game and added pass breakups in the first and second quarters. His INT return for 32 yards gave the Tigers a 21-0 lead late in the first quarter. Cook has 63 tackles with 4.0 tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception this season.

2017 TSWA FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Sam Castronova, Bethel University (Offense); Alex Campagne, Cumberland University (Defense)
September 6 – Dezmon Huntley, Cumberland University (Offense); Chris Collins, Tennessee State (Defense)
September 12 – Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt (Offense); Jordan Early, Maryville College (Defense)
September 19 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Matt Simon, Tusculum College (Defense)
September 26 – Brad Anderson, Middle Tennessee (Offense); James Gilleylen, UT Martin (Defense)
October 3 – Elijah Chenier, Maryville College (Offense); Jaison Williams, Austin Peay (Defense)
October 10 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Vincent Sellers, Tennessee State (Defense)
October 17 – Alex Ogle, Tusculum College (Offense); L’Keith Brown, Tusculum College (Defense)
October 24 – Kentel Williams, Austin Peay (Offense); John Cleveland, Sewanee (Defense)
November 7 – Derrick Evans, Carson-Newman (Offense); Temoris Coats, Carson-Newman (Defense)
November 14 – Jeremiah Oatsvall, Austin Peay (Offense); L’Keith Brown, Tusculum College (Defense)
November 21 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Juantarius Bryant, Austin Peay (Defense)

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Tennessee’s Williams named TSWA award winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s Grant Williams earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, averaging 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis over Thanksgiving.

The Charlotte, N.C., native made 8-of-18 shots with a pair of 3-pointers, netting 22 points and eight rebounds in a three-point win over Purdue. The sophomore forward collected 20 points, eight boards, three assists and two blocks in a loss to Villanova, a game the Vols led at halftime, connecting on 9-of-16 shots overall.

Williams finished the tournament with 14 points, six caroms, four assists and three blocks in a victory against N.C. State. He shot 48 percent from the field (22-for-46) in the tournament and was 10-for-15 at the foul line in the three outings as well. He is averaging 15.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks per game for Tennessee this season.

2017-18 TSWA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Devin Whitfield, Trevecca University
November 21 – Dylan Windler, Belmont

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Belmont’s Smith garners TSWA weekly honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont’s Kylee Smith earned Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday, recording 17.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in four games for the Bruins.

The Alpharetta, Ga., native hit 7-of-14 shots overall with three 3-pointers, netting 18 points with three rebounds in a victory over Samford to begin the week. The senior guard posted 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a win against Gonzaga in the first game of the Play4Kay Showcase in Las Vegas, making four triples and connecting on 3-of-4 at the foul line.

Smith added two more 3-pointers and scored 10 points with three rebounds in a loss to Stanford. She finished the tournament with a 28-point effort versus Florida Gulf Coast, connecting on 13-of-23 field goals while registering six boards and three assists.

She is averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Bruins this season.

2017-18 TSWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Mika Wester, Carson-Newman
November 21 – Haris Price, Carson-Newman

TSWA announces weekly award winners - Nov. 21

November 21, 2017 Forrest Freeman

FOOTBALL: Memphis’ Ferguson, Austin Peay’s Bryant earn TSWA weekly awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – University of Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson and Austin Peay’s Juantarius Bryant were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sportswriters Association for their efforts in contests from November 13-19.

Ferguson completed 21-of-27 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing six times for 29 yards and a career-high three TDs in a 66-45 victory over SMU. The Matthews, N.C., native posted his fifth 300-yard passing game of the year, tossing TD passes of 34 and 24 yards. He also had scoring runs of eight, 12 and two yards, all in the second half.

Ferguson has completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,201 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions through 10 games this season.

Bryant posted seven tackles with a tackle for loss and collected his first interception of the year in Austin Peay’s 28-13 victory over Eastern Illinois. The Nashville, Tenn., native returned the INT 18 yards to the Eastern Illinois 39-yard line, setting up APSU’s final touchdown of the day. He made five of his seven tackles in the first half, including one on special teams.

The redshirt sophomore safety finished the season with 64 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

2017 TSWA FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Sam Castronova, Bethel University (Offense); Alex Campagne, Cumberland University (Defense)
September 6 – Dezmon Huntley, Cumberland University (Offense); Chris Collins, Tennessee State (Defense)
September 12 – Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt (Offense); Jordan Early, Maryville College (Defense)
September 19 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Matt Simon, Tusculum College (Defense)
September 26 – Brad Anderson, Middle Tennessee (Offense); James Gilleylen, UT Martin (Defense)
October 3 – Elijah Chenier, Maryville College (Offense); Jaison Williams, Austin Peay (Defense)
October 10 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Vincent Sellers, Tennessee State (Defense)
October 17 – Alex Ogle, Tusculum College (Offense); L’Keith Brown, Tusculum College (Defense)
October 24 – Kentel Williams, Austin Peay (Offense); John Cleveland, Sewanee (Defense)
November 7 – Derrick Evans, Carson-Newman (Offense); Temoris Coats, Carson-Newman (Defense)
November 14 – Jeremiah Oatsvall, Austin Peay (Offense); L’Keith Brown, Tusculum College (Defense)

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Belmont’s Windler named TSWA award winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont’s Dylan Windler earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, averaging 15.5 points and 12.3 rebounds while posting three double-doubles in four Bruins victories.

The Indianapolis, Ind., native started the week with 24 points and 11 boards along with two steals in a 69-60 victory over Vanderbilt, making 9-of-15 shots overall and connecting on 5-for-6 at the free throw line. He followed that with 11 points and 10 caroms at Middle Tennessee in a 69-63 triumph.

The junior registered 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in a 93-88 home win over Houston Baptist, hitting three 3-pointers and making 8-of-10 attempts at the foul line. Windler took just one shot in a 90-77 victory against Seattle but grabbed 14 boards while recording three assists and three blocked shots.

He is averaging 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds through five games for Belmont.

2017-18 TSWA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Devin Whitfield, Trevecca University

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman’s Price garners TSWA weekly honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Haris Price earned Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday, netting 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in three victories for the Eagles.

The Gatlinburg, Tenn., native posted 10 points and three assists in 23 minutes of action at King University and the junior guard followed that with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes at North Georgia. She made a pair of 3-pointers and hit 13-of-14 at the foul line in the 94-90 victory.

Price recorded 22 points, five boards and six assists in just 20 minutes in a win over Georgia College. She connected on 18-of-34 shots and was 22-for-25 on free throws over the three contests, averaging just 25.0 minutes per outing. Price is averaging 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists through five games this season.

2017-18 TSWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
November 14 – Mika Wester, Carson-Newman

Weekly winners announced by TSWA

November 14, 2017 Forrest Freeman

FOOTBALL: Austin Peay’s Oatsvall, Tusculum’s Brown earn TSWA weekly awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay’s Jeremiah Oatsvall and Tusculum College’s L’Keith Brown were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sportswriters Association for their efforts in contests from November 6-12.

Oatsvall accounted for 307 yards of total offense in the Governor’s 31-24 victory at Eastern Kentucky, erasing a 17-point halftime deficit en route to the win. The Brentwood, Tenn., native completed 11-of-15 passes for 203 yards with scoring throws of 59 and 17 yards, both in the second half. The freshman quarterback also rushed 18 times for 64 yards, including an eight-yard TD run with 53 seconds remaining in the contest for the winning points.

Oatsvall is completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,070 yards with seven touchdowns while rushing for 404 yards and five TDs.

Brown recorded 10 tackles and an interception in Tusculum’s 25-17 victory over 12th-ranked Wingate University to end the season. The Athens, Ga., native helped the Pioneers defense hold Wingate running back Lawrence Pittman, the South Atlantic Conference’s leading rusher, to just 24 yards in the contest, over 100 yards below his season average entering the contest.

The senior linebacker’s interception ended a Wingate drive at the TC13 late in the first quarter. Brown finished with five solo stops and 0.5 tackles for loss in his final collegiate game, ending his career with 336 tackles, third-most in program history.

VOLLEYBALL: Belmont’s Person named TSWA Player of the Week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University’s Arianna Person was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Volleyball Player of the Week, becoming the program’s all-time leader in kills while registering a pair of double-doubles in two victories for the Bruins.

The Lenexa, Kan., native posted 24 kills and 10 digs with five blocks in a 3-1 win over Jacksonville State. The senior collected 20 kills, 11 digs and two solo blocks in the regular season finale against Tennessee Tech. She has a team-leading 398 kills, 3.83 per set, along with 261 digs, 2.51 per set, this season for Belmont.

2017 TSWA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Ashley Slay, Austin Peay
September 6 – Rylee Milhorn, East Tennessee State
September 12 – Rylee Milhorn, East Tennessee State
September 19 – Cassie Born, Tusculum College
September 26 – Megan Fair, UT Martin
October 3 – Cathy Scaniffe, King University
October 10 – Arianna Person, Belmont
October 17 – Nia Haller, Maryville College
October 24 – Bre Carlton, Union University
November 7 – Carlyle Nusbaum

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Trevecca’s Whitfield named TSWA award winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Trevecca University’s Devin Whitfield earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades on Tuesday, posting 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two contests to begin the season for the Trojans in the G-MAC/GLVC Challenge in St. Louis, Mo.

The Lipscomb, Ala., native connected on just 3-of-13 shots but made 13-for-14 at the foul line in the regular season opener against Truman State, finishing with 21 points along with five rebounds and two steals. The sophomore guard collected 22 points with three 3-pointers at Maryville University, adding eight rebounds and three assists for the Trojans.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman’s Wester garners TSWA weekly honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Mika Wester averaged 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in a pair of victories for the Eagles to open the season, earning Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors on Tuesday.

The Newport, Tenn., native made 9-of-15 shots for 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds while handing out four assists in a road win at USC Aiken. The junior followed that with 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting with three 3-pointers in a 90-87 road victory at Lander University. She added four boards and five assists as well.

TSWA honors weekly award winners

November 7, 2017 Forrest Freeman

FOOTBALL: Carson-Newman’s Evans, Coats earn TSWA weekly awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Derrick Evans and Temoris Coats were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sportswriters Association for their efforts in contests from October 30-November 5.

Evans passed for 149 yards and rushed for 109 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 victory at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Macon, Ga., native completed 12-of-16 passes for 149 yards and rushed 18 times for 109 yards, tying the school single-game record with five rushing TDs.

The sophomore posted scoring runs of 76, five, one, one and two yards, including three touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. Carson-Newman recorded the final 21 points of the game, all in the final period. Evans has 17 rushing touchdowns this season, which leads all quarterbacks in NCAA Division II. He has 498 rushing yards and 1368 yards passing along with eight touchdowns in 10 contests.

Coats led the Carson-Newman defense with nine tackles, including two for loss, and one pass breakup, as the Eagles limited Lenoir-Rhyne to just 207 yards of total offense. The Greenwood, S.C., native posted six of his nine stops in the second half, helping the Eagles overcome a seven-point deficit en route to the victory. Carson-Newman collected 11 tackles for loss in the game.

Coats has 39 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interceptions, one pass breakup and two pass deflections this season.

2017 TSWA FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Sam Castronova, Bethel University (Offense); Alex Campagne, Cumberland University (Defense)
September 6 – Dezmon Huntley, Cumberland University (Offense); Chris Collins, Tennessee State (Defense)
September 12 – Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt (Offense); Jordan Early, Maryville College (Defense)
September 19 – Riley Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Matt Simon, Tusculum College (Defense)
September 26 – Brad Anderson, Middle Tennessee (Offense); James Gilleylen, UT Martin (Defense)
October 3 – Elijah Chenier, Maryville College (Offense); Jaison Williams, Austin Peay (Defense)
October 10 – Tyler Ferguson, Memphis (Offense); Vincent Sellers, Tennessee State (Defense)
October 17 – Alex Ogle, Tusculum College (Offense); L’Keith Brown, Tusculum College (Defense)
October 24 – Kentel Williams, Austin Peay (Offense); John Cleveland, Sewanee (Defense)

MEN’S SOCCER: Cumberland’s Williams named TSWA award winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cumberland University’s Daniel Williams earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Soccer Player of the Week honors, scoring a pair of goals in a quarterfinal victory in the Mid-South Conference Championships for the Phoenix.

The London, England, native netted the first and last goals in CU's 3-0 win against Georgetown College in the quarterfinals of the MSC Championships. The junior scored on an assist from Tyler Watson in the 32nd minute, tracking down a long pass and beating the Tigers keeper to the ball near the penalty spot, finishing low and right into the back of the net.

Williams finished an assist from Daniel Picken in the 70th minute, his 15th goal in 15 matches this season. He ranks third in the Mid-South Conference in goals and third nationally with six game-winning goals.

2017 TSWA MEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Brad Spooner, Bryan College
September 6 – Daniel Williams, Cumberland University
September 12 – Carlos Saavedra, King University
September 19 – Charlie Clarke, Bryan College
September 26 – Tyler Watson, Cumberland University
October 3 – Johnny Rakhmonberdiev, Maryville College
October 10 – Tobias Karslen, Carson-Newman
October 17 – Charlie Clarke, Bryan College
October 24 – Edgar Cervantes, Tusculum College

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Carson-Newman’s Wade garners TSWA weekly honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Lauren Wade netted a hat trick in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship match, helping the Eagles to a victory and garnering the Tennessee Sports Writer’s Association Women’s Soccer weekly honor.

The Coleraine, Northern Ireland, native netted a goal in the 38th minute, finishing a rebound for a 1-0 lead in a 2-0 victory against Newberry College in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The senior got the Eagles on the board in the 12th minute in the semifinals versus Tusculum College and then assisted on the game-winner in overtime in the 93rd minute.

In the championship match, Wade scored twice in the first 13 minutes at Wingate College, helping the Eagles build a 3-0 lead. She finished the hat trick with another score in the 63rd minute, earning Tournament MVP honors. Wade has 16 goals in 18 matches this season for Carson-Newman, which is 17-0-1 in 2017.

2017 TSWA WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
August 31 – Sydney Cason, Belmont University
September 6 – Magda Mosengo, Carson-Newman
September 12 – Rebecca Holloway, Cumberland University
September 19 – Makena Giles, Bryan College
September 26 – Bailey Sipos, Maryville College
October 3 – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
October 10 – Bailey Sipos, Maryville College
October 17 – Chloe Arnold, Chattanooga
October 24 – Shannon Reagan, Maryville College

VOLLEYBALL: Lipscomb’s Nusbaum named TSWA Player of the Week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lipscomb University’s Carlyle Nusbaum was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Volleyball Player of the Week, recording a pair of double-doubles in a pair of outings for the Bisons.

The Overland Park, Kan., native posted 28 kills and 13 digs in a four-set outing against Jacksonville University, hitting .333 and adding three blocks. The junior followed that with 24 kills and 16 digs in a sweep over North Florida, hitting .400. She committed just 13 errors in 108 attacks in the two matches.

She registered 20-plus kills and for seventh and eighth times this season and 17th and 18th times in her career. Nusbaum recorded her 12th and 13th double-doubles of the year as well.

She leads the Bisons with 431 kills, 5.01 per set, and has 242 digs, 2.81 per set, and second-most on the club this season.