LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has announced its Men’s Basketball Athletes of the Week. In the West, California's Bryson Lucas (Athlete of the Week) and Slippery Rock's RJ Sledge (Defensive Athlete) were selected. In the East, Kutztown's Jalen Bryant (Athlete) and East Stroudsburg's Terrell Pitts (Defensive) were honored.
Western Division Athlete of the Week
Bryson Lucas
California
Forward
Redshirt Junior
Clarksburg, W. Va. / Robert C. Byrd
Lucas averaged a double-double with 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game last week, as the Vulcans extended their winning streak to 10 games while claiming sole possession of first place in the PSAC West standings. He posted 22 points and nine rebounds on Wednesday in an 87-78 victory over Seton Hill after the teams entered play in a three-way tie for first place. Lucas then recorded a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds in a 99-88 win against No. 9 Gannon on Saturday, breaking the tie for first place in the league standings. The victory marked the first win for the Vulcans over a top-10 team since the 2013-14 season.
Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
RJ Sledge
Slippery Rock
Point Guard
Freshman
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Imani Christian Academy
SSledge helped to lead SRU to a 2-0 record with a pair of road victories at Clarion (78-71) and Pitt-Johnstown (82-68). Over two games, Sledge tallied five steals. He first pocketed three steals in The Rock’s win at Clarion followed by two more against Pitt-Johnstown. Sledge’s great on-ball perimeter defense was complemented by nine assists in the two wins. SRU’s two wins improved its record to 13-3, tying for the third-best 16-game start in school history.
Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Jalen Bryant
Kutztown
Guard
Graduate Student
Edgewood, Md. / John Carroll
Jalen Bryant averaged 22.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last week as Kutztown picked up victories over Cheyney and Lock Haven. Bryant recorded a game-high 24 points to go along with a season-high eight boards in the Golden Bears' 80-53 win over Cheyney last Wednesday. The graduate student shot 7-of-14 from the floor and 8-of-10 at the foul line. Bryant also chipped in three assists and a steal in 37 minutes. The Edgewood, Md. native led all scorers again on Saturday as Kutztown overcame a 19-point first-half deficit to defeat Lock Haven, 70-61, for its first PSAC victory. Bryant scored 21 points, including 12 in the second half, and knocked down four 3-pointers. It was Bryant's fourth consecutive 20+ point showing. The guard played all 40 minutes, finishing with three steals, two rebounds and an assist. Bryant ranks third in the PSAC in scoring at 19.9 points per game and has moved from 10th to sixth on Kutztown's all-time scoring list this season (1,550 career points.)
Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Terrell Pitts
East Stroudsburg
Guard
Redshirt Sophomore
Trenton, N.J. / St. Thomas Aquinas
Going up against two of the top teams in the PSAC East, Terrell Pitts' lockdown defense helped the Warriors go 2-0 against Millersville and Shepherd last week. The guard was tasked with defending Millersville's Day Waters and Shepherd's Marcus Banks, the now fourth- and fifth-highest scorers in the PSAC. In Wednesday's game at Millersville, Pitts shut down Waters, holding him to his first single-digit scoring game all season with nine points on 3-9 shooting from the field. Against Shepherd, Pitts guarded Banks all game, resulting in the Banks only putting up nine field goal attempts, his second-fewest on the season after averaging 13.1 in the games leading up to Saturday. Pitts' pressure earned him credit for two steals while only committing two personal fouls.