Spartanburg, S.C. -- The Southern Conference today named Appalachian State men’s basketball player Nate Cranford as the TIAA-CREF Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Jan. 10.

Cranford, a senior from Harrisburg, N.C., was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Mountaineers to a 77-63 win over Chattanooga on January 6. The guard set an Appalachian State record with 10 treys in the win, shooting 71.4 percent from the floor and 90.9 percent from beyond the arc. Cranford’s 10 three-pointers ties for third in SoCon history, the most since GSU’s Elton Nesbit hit 11 in 2005. It also ranks fourth in the NCAA individual game-highs this season.  His 90.9 percent shooting from three-point range against Chattanooga is also a season-high in the SoCon this year. He was also named the Mid-Major Player of the Week by collegeinsider.com.

Off the court, Cranford boasts a 3.52 GPA and is currently pursuing his MBA.  He is a three-time member of the Academic All-Conference Team.

Other top performers include: Davidson’s Tia Washington (women’s basketball), Georgia Southern’s Ashley Melson (women’s basketball), VMI’s Tommy Cunningham (wrestling), Western Carolina’s Lauren Powell (women’s basketball) and Wofford’s Mary Jo Yee (women’s basketball).

For more than 85 years, TIAA-CREF has been helping millions of people working in the academic, medical and cultural fields plan for their retirement. The organization’s clear and long-held commitment to serve those who dedicate themselves to the benefit and enlightenment of others remains unchanged.

With a non-profit heritage, TIAA-CREF has long subscribed to a different set of guiding principles. Principles directly influenced by the people they serve. With over $380 billion in combined assets as of June 30, 2004, their approach to investing goes beyond sound portfolio management. Visit TIAA-CREF.org or call 800-842-2776.