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 WCU senior Laura Echols was named Southern Conference Player of the Week, after scoring 29, 18 and a career-high 33 points in three contests. |
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Dec. 10, 2001
ASHEVILLE, NC - The Southern Conference announced today that Western Carolina senior Laura Echols has earned the Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played December 3-9.
A center from Conyers, GA, Echols led the team to a 2-1 record last week. Echols started the week scoring 29 points in a 70-45 win over Gardner-Webb, including 23 second-half points after the Catamounts only led by one at the break. She was 8-for-8 from the floor in the second half and recorded eight rebounds and three steals in the win.
Echols tallied 18 points and seven rebounds in a 72-47 loss to Furman on December 6 before scoring a career-high 33 points in an 83-66 win over Radford on December 9. She also had seven rebounds and scored 23 points again in the second half to lead the team from an eight-point halftime lead to a 17 point win.
On the week, Echols averaged 26.7 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and shot .633 (31-49) from the floor. She was also 18-of-22 (.818) from the free throw line.
The honor is the first for Echols this season and the third of her career. She has picked up where she left off last season as the league's top scorer, 20.0 points per game. She additionally ranks fourth in overall rebounding (8.1), seventh in field goal percentage (.532), 11th in blocked shots (0.56), 13th in free throw percentage (.698), third in offensive rebounds and fourth in defensive boards.
Echols has led WCU to a 7-2 start, which is Western's best since opening the season with an 8-1 record in 1980-81. The Catamounts will resume action on Dec. 19 (Wednesday at 7 pm) when they open their SoCon home schedule versus Davidson.
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