SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Appalachian State's Donald Sims has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for all games January 5-11 the league office announced Tuesday (Jan. 12).  Sims averaged 33.0 points and shot better than 61 percent from the field last week.  The player of the week is selected by the league office.

A junior guard from Gaffney, S.C., Sims scored 22 points in ASU's 62-58 loss to The Citadel last Wednesday.  He then scored 44 points in a 78-68 win at Davidson Saturday afternoon.  Sims' 44 points was the fourth highest single-game total in Mountaineer history and was the highest point total in Davidson's Belk Arena.  It was the most points scored by a Mountaineer in 35 years.  Sims made 8-of-16 from three-point range last week and added three assists, two steals and five rebounds over the two games.

Last week's scoring outburst vaulted Sims into the No. 1 position among all SoCon performers with 19.1 points per game.  He is averaging a league-best 27.0 points per contest in conference games.  Sims also leads the league with 3.5 made three-pointers per game.  After going 16-of-16 from the foul line last week, he now leads the nation in free throw shooting, connecting on 95.9 of his attempts from the charity stripe this season.

The Mountaineers (8-7, 2-2 SoCon) host Elon Wednesday night.  ASU will then entertain UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon.

Other top performers in the Southern Conference included College of Charleston's Andrew Goudelock, The Citadel's Cameron Wells, Georgia Southern's Willie Powers, Chattanooga's Ty Patterson, Western Carolina's Jake Robinson and Wofford's Noah Dahlman.

SoCon Men's Basketball Player of the Week
Nov. 17 - Josh Bonney, Elon
Nov. 24 - Amu Saaka, Furman
Dec. 1 - Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Dec. 8 - Jeremy Simmons, Coll. of Charleston
Dec. 15 - Mike Williams, Western Carolina
Dec. 22 - Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Jan. 5 - Andrew Goudelock, Coll. of Charleston
Jan. 12 - Donald Sims, Appalachian State