SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Western Carolina’s Harouna Mutombo has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for all games January 6-12 the league office announced Tuesday (Jan. 13). Mutombo helped the Catamounts go 2-0 last week with wins over UNC Greensboro (80-75) and Elon (74-67). He averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and connected on 65 percent of his field goal attempts. Mutombo added five steals, three assists and two blocked shots over the two games. The player of the week is selected by a vote of the league’s basketball sports information directors.
A redshirt freshman from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, Mutombo scored a season-high 29 points in the win over UNC Greensboro and added 17 against Elon. Mutombo has now scored in double figures in 11 of Western Carolina’s 13 games this season and each of his last six contests. He is seventh in the league in scoring (14.5 ppg) and is first among freshmen in the conference. Mutombo is tied for second place in the league in steals per game (2.4 spg) and ranks 13th in field goal percentage (.486).
Western Carolina (8-5, 3-0 SoCon) visits Samford Thursday. Tip off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at the Pete Hanna Center.
Other top performers in the Southern Conference included Appalachian State’s Kellen Brand, Chattanooga’s Stephen McDowell, The Citadel’s Demetrius Nelson, College of Charleston’s Tony White, Jr., Davidson’s Stephen Curry, Georgia Southern’s Antonio Hanson, UNC Greensboro’s Damian Eargle, Samford’s Bryan Friday and Wofford’s Noah Dahlman.
SoCon Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Nov. 18 ? Stephen Curry, Davidson
Nov. 25 ? Stephen Curry, Davidson
Dec. 2 ? Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Dec. 9 ? Stephen Curry, Davidson
Dec. 16 ? Stephen Curry, Davidson
Dec. 23 ? Brett James, Elon
Jan. 6 ? Stephen McDowell, Chattanooga
Jan. 13 ? Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina