SPARTANBURG, S.C. – VMI’s QJ Peterson has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for all games played Feb. 23-29. Peterson averaged a 31.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games last week as the Keydets topped Mercer (91-82) and The Citadel (111-95) before falling to regular-season champion Chattanooga Monday night (67-65).

Peterson began the week with 46 points and nine rebounds in the win over Mercer.  It was the highest point total for a Southern Conference player since Western Carolina’s Kevin Martin scored 46 points against Coastal Carolina on November 22, 2002.

The senior followed that performance with a double-double against the Bulldogs as he tallied game-highs in points (26) and rebounds (11) against The Citadel.  In Monday night’s regular season finale, the Hedgesville, W. Va., native scored a game-high 21 points in the loss to UTC.

Peterson led the league in scoring with 19.6 points per game and ranked second in free throw percentage (.913) and made 3-pointers per game (2.8).

The Keydets (9-20, 4-14 SoCon) will take on Samford (13-18, 4-14 SoCon) in the opening game of the 2016 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament presented by General Shale on Friday at 5 p.m.

Other top performers in the Southern Conference included The Citadel’s Brian White, ETSU’s Ge’Lawn Guyn, UNCG’s Francis Alonso, Samford’s Christen Cunningham, Chattanooga’s Tre’ McLean, VMI’s QJ Peterson, Western Carolina’s Mike Brown and Wofford’s Fletcher Magee.

SoCon Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Nov. 17 – Mike Brown, Western Carolina
Nov. 24 – Stephon Jelks, Mercer
Dec. 1 – QJ Peterson, VMI
Dec. 9 – Mike Brown, Western Carolina
Dec. 15 – Matt Rose, Samford
Dec. 22 – Jestin Lewis, Mercer
Jan. 5 – Stephon Jelks, Mercer
Jan. 12 – T.J. Cromer, ETSU
Jan. 19 – Wyatt Walker, Samford
Jan. 26 – Ge’Lawn Guyn, ETSU
Feb. 2 – Kayel Locke, UNCG
Feb. 9 – Fletcher Magee, Wofford
Feb. 16 – Stephen Croone, Furman
Feb. 23 – Torrion Brummitt, Western Carolina
March 1 – Q.J. Peterson, VMI