1/30/2006 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Clark Leads Belmont To First, Named Player of the Week

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Macon, Ga. -- In a week of great individual performances around the league that caused a shakeup in women's hoops, Belmont's Alysha Clark (Mt. Juliet, Tenn./Psychology) was named Atlantic Sun Player of the Week today by the conference office.

The rookie forward displayed why she is 10th in the nation in scoring after leading the Bruins to a 2-0 week against Jacksonville and UNF. She made light work of the Dolphins, scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and amassing 17 rebounds in only 24 minutes of play.

Two days later, she exploded for 24 points and seven boards against the Ospreys. Clark shot 11-of-18 from the floor in that outing and 2-2 from the charity stripe. For the week, she shot 19 ppg and pulled 12 rpg, shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor.

The two wins bumped the Bruins up to first place, tied with Florida Atlantic. Belmont will be back in action when they host Mercer, who recently upset ETSU, knocking them down from the top spot to third.

The Atlantic Sun Conference announces the Player of the Week every Monday during the 2005 women's basketball campaign.

The 11-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Atlantic, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.

Other Top Performers

Jennifer Lodge, CAM (Sr. - F- Port Moody, B.C. - Kinesiology) -- Lodge had the best all-around week of her season finishing with 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Lady Camels. She scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds against Florida Atlantic and had 12 points and eight rebounds against Gardner-Webb.

B.J. Banjo, ETSU (Sr. - G - Baltimore, Md. - Public Heath) -- Banjo exploded for 26 points against Stetson, including 19 in the first half; went 9-for-15 from the field against the Hatters, including a 6-for-8 showing from behind the arc. She also posted a 17-point, 11-rebound performance against Mercer; her second double double of the season.

Amanda Bulin, FAU (Sr. - F - Lincoln, Neb. - Marketing and Real Estate) -- Bulin posted a career-high with 14 points to go along with five steals, four rebounds, and three assists in the Owls 73-63 win over Campbell on Thursday night. She followed up that performance by dropping in 10 points on a 5-for-8 shooting effort as FAU beat Gardner-Webb, 64-55 on Saturday.

Ashley Williams, JU (So. - F - Jacksonville, Fla. - Marketing) -- Williams continued her consistent play for the Dolphins as she produced two double-doubles and her sixth 20 point performance of the season. For the week, she averaged 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals while also shooting 52 percent from the field (13-25), 85 percent from the line (12-14), including her first three point field goal.

Shavonder Clarke, KSU (Sr. - F - Euxema, Bahamas - Sports Management) -- Clarke averaged 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the Lady Owls two losses at Mercer and Stetson. Against the Bears, the senior forward netted a game high 21 points while going 8-of-17 from the floor, in addition to grabbing 11 rebounds. At Stetson on Saturday, Clarke dropped 22 on the Hatters, but it wasn't enough as the Lady Owls fell 72-64.

Tanya Kessenich, MER (Jr. - C - Lawrenceville, Ga. - Business) -- Kessenich tied her career high with 16 points against Kennesaw State. She also limited ETSU's Candace Gibson to just one field goal Saturday, and 1-of-10 shooting, in the Bears' upset of the first place Lady Bucs.

Jackie Beik, UNF (Sr. - F - Longwood, Fla. - Political Science) -- Beik followed up her previous player of the week award with another solid week for the Lady Ospreys, averaging 14 points a game on UNF's two-game trip to Nashville. She began the week with 13 points in a UNF victory at Lipscomb to go along with five rebounds and followed that up by leading the Lady Ospreys in scoring at Belmont, finishing that contest with 15 points and a pair of blocks.

Nefertiti Walker, STET (Sr. - G - Augusta, Ga. - Business) -- Against ETSU, Walker recorded 19 points and three rebounds. The guard then recorded a game-high 30 points against Kennesaw State while going 8-for-9 in free throws and 6-for-9 in three-point field goals.