NEWPORT NEWS, VA - Richmond senior ShawnDre' Jones and Saint Joseph's junior Shavar Newkirk were named Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Co-Players of the Week while Duquesne Mike Lewis II was chosen as the league's Rookie of the Week. The awards, announced Monday and presented by Come Ready Nutrition, are for games played Nov. 11-14 and are the first weekly awards of the season.
Jones scored 31 points on 9-of-13 (.692) shooting, including 4-for-5 (.800) from three, to lead Richmond to a season-opening win over VMI. A guard from Houston, Texas, Jones scored the game-winning free throws in the final three seconds to give UR the win. Jones, who also dished out three assists and had three steals, became the first Spider to top 30 points in a season opener since the 2004 season.
Newkirk set a career-high of 28 points and seven rebounds in the Hawks' 77-76 win over Toledo. The guard from New York, N.Y., scored four of SJU's crucial points in the final 46 seconds that gave the Hawks the lead and eventual win. Newkirk shot 9-for-16 from the field in the game and reached the 20-point mark for the first time in his career. He also contributed seven rebounds and three assists.
Lewis averaged 13.5 points per game in Duquesne's two games last week. A guard from St. Louis, Mo., he had eight points in the season-opening win over Loyola, Md., and followed that with a team-high 19 points in the Dukes' loss at Penn State. Lewis hit three 3-pointers and handed out a pair of assists versus the Nittany Lions. Combined, he went 6-of-8 from the foul line in two games.
NOTE: Lewis II is the first Duke to earn A-10 Rookie of the Week honors since Derrick Colter on Feb. 18, 2013.
About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
