RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the women’s and men’s basketball players of the week for the 11th week of the 2023-24 season. Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Faith Simpson earned the women’s accolade while the Rangers’ Brian Free and Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Brennen Burns shared the men’s award.
#theGAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Faith Simpson, F, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Sr., Palisade, Nebraska
Simpson repeated as the league’s Women’s Player of the Week after she averaged 28.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in wins against Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello. She went 23-for-41 from the floor in the two victories. She has notched 13 20-point games this season and has averaged 29.2 points per game on 60.6 percent shooting in her last five games.
#theGAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brian Free, G, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Gr., Greensboro, North Carolina
Free helped the Rangers score home wins against SAU and UAM by scoring a league-high 26.0 points per game. He opened with 29 points on 8-for-13 shooting against the Muleriders. He went 4-for-8 from the 3-point arc. He followed up with 23 points and six assists against the Weevils. He again connected for 4-of-8 3-point tries.
#theGAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brennen Burns, G, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Jr., Bethany, Oklahoma
Burns established the league’s record for assists in a game when he totaled 19 in the Savage Storm’s 99-87 win against Harding on Saturday. The 19 assists represented the most by a Division II player since February 8, 2020. He tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a win against Arkansas Tech as the Savage Storm tied the Wonder Boys atop the GAC standings.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Mackenzie Crusoe, G (East Central), Jaedyn Getman, F (Oklahoma Baptist), Sage Hawley, C (Harding), Caitlin Kobiske, F (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Laney Mears, G (Ouachita Baptist), Emily Monaghan, G (Southern Nazarene), Diamond Morris, G (Southern Arkansas), Averi Zinn, G (Southwestern Oklahoma State)
Cassius Brooks, G (Arkansas Tech), Rylie Marshall, G (Harding), Ben Smith, F (Southwestern Oklahoma State), Keyon Thomas, G (East Central), Trevin Wade, G (Oklahoma Baptist), Terran Willliams, F (Ouachita Baptist), Benno Zecic, G (Southern Nazarene)
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