Katie Lou Named American Player of the Week

UConn star Katie Lou Samuelson has been named the American
Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the second time
this season. (Photo by Bill Harper)

PROVIDENCE–UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson has been named Player of the Week in the American Athletic Conference for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 18. The 6-3 junior averaged 26.5 points for the week.

Samuelson, a 2016-17 first-team All-American shot 19-for-28 from the field (67.9 percent), leading the Huskies to a 2-0 week. In the UConn’s 69-58 win over No. 4 Louisville on Feb. 12, Samuelson led all scorers with 26 points, connecting on 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the field including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. On Saturday, she put up 27 points on a red-hot shooting performance (9-for-11 from the field, 81.8 percent) while dishing out five assists. She also went 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

This is the second time this season that @33katielou has been designated as @American_Conf Player of the Week.

Other weekly conference awardees:

Freshman of the Week

Emani Mayo  •  Fr.  •  G  •  Temple

Mayo collected he first conference accolade afteron averaging 16.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists for Temple last week. She put forth 15 points at Wichita State on Saturday while snagging four rebounds, before leading the Owls at UConn on Sunday with 17 points including five 3-pointers, connecting on a 50.0 percent (6-for-12) clip from the field.

Weekly Honor Roll

Zakiya Saunders • Sr. • G • UCF

Generated a career-high 31 points on Sunday at No. 22/21 USF, bettering her previous high of 23, while recording seven rebounds, two assists and five steals to lead the Knights. Saunders has reached double-figure scoring totals in 18 of her 21 appearances this season and is the first UCF player to reach 30-plus points so far this season  

 Angela Harris • So. • G • Houston

Earned a spot on the Honor Roll for the second-straight week after registering a career-high 32 points for Houston on Saturday against ECU. Harris shot a career-best 11-of-17 from the field in the Cougars’ 20^th victory of the season, going 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from beyond the arc while adding eight rebounds, six assists and five steals

Brea Elmore • Sr. • G • Memphis

Led Memphis in both games last week, averaging 20.5 points, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 rebounds per game. In Sunday’s Play4Kay win over Tulane, Elmore registered 20 points on 9-for17 shooting while totaling seven assists after scoring 21 points on an 8-of-15 performance from the field at ECU on Wednesday

Maria Jespersen • Sr. • F • USF

Averaged a double-double for the Bulls in a 2-0 week with 24.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Jespersen poured in 28 points, including four 3-pointers, with 10 rebounds in USF’s win over SMU on Wednesday, and followed with 21 points and 15 boards as the Bulls edged UCF in overtime in the War On I4 on Sunday

Rangie Bessard • Sr. • G • Wichita State

In a 2-0 week for the Shockers, averaged 27.0 points and 5.0 rebounds including a career-high 38 points against Temple on Wednesday. Against the Owls, Bessard connected for a career-high 13 field goals and went 10-for 12 from the foul line, and followed on Saturday with a game-high 16 points at SMU

—Staff Reports

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