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 David Berghoefer was named SoCon Player of the Week after averagin 25 points and 10.5 rebounds in two games. |
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Jan. 13, 2004
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina sophomore David Berghoefer has been named Southern Conference Player of the Week, the league announced today, sharing the weekly honor with Appalachian State's Noah Brown and Wofford's Howard Wilkerson.
Berghoefer (Cross Plains, Wis.) averaged 25.0 points and 10.5 rebounds as WCU split games with the College of Charleston and Elon this past week. Entering the Charleston game, the 6-10 center had never scored more than 19 points in a game. However, versus the Cougars, he poured in a career-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and added 14 rebounds, which was his best total in a SoCon game. He backed that performance up with a 21-point, seven-rebound effort in a win over Elon this past Saturday. He was 8-of-11 from the field in the game and ended the week by making 66.7 percent of his field goals (20-of-30).
While All-America candidate Kevin Martin scored a game-high 42 points versus Elon, it was Berghoefer's 21 points that was of interest. Martin had scored 40-plus in two other games, but WCU lost as no other Catamount scored in double figures. Martin's 42 points plus Berghoefer's 21 points proved to be the difference in the win over the Phoenix.
After averaging just 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds last season, Berghoefer is currently averaging 13.9 points (14th in the SoCon), 7.3 rebounds (third in the SoCon) and shooting 59.7 percent from the field (third in the SoCon). Berghoefer has scored at least 19 in each of his three SoCon games this season and he is averaging 23.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in his three league games this season.
This is the first ever SoCon honor for Berghoefer and the third for a Catamount this season as Martin earned the honor twice in December.
Joining Berghoefer as a SoCon honoree were Brown and Wilkerson. Brown, a 6-1, 175-pound junior, averaged 27.5 points per game in two contests last week. Brown scored a career-high 35 points on Monday in leading Appalachian State to a 94-77 win at Chattanooga. He set the school record with nine 3-point field goals against the Mocs. Brown also had 20 points on Jan. 10 in a home loss to Wofford. For the week, Brown converted 20 of 35 field goal attempts and 13 of 26 three-point field goal attempts to go with four assists and a steal. Brown's nine 3-pointers in a game is tied as the fourth-best effort in SoCon history.
Wilkerson, a 6-6, 225-pound sophomore, grabbed a conference-high 20 rebounds to go with 29 points in Wofford's 99-92 overtime win at Appalachian State on Saturday. For the week, Wilkerson converted 15 of 26 field goal attempts and averaged 23.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Wilkerson's 20 rebounds were the most by a SoCon player since VMI's Brent Conley had 20 against Richmond in January, 1996. It also marked the most boards by a Wofford player since 1979.
Western Carolina will play at Davidson tonight (Jan. 13) with tip-off set for 7 pm at Belk Arena.
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