SHREVEPORT, La. - Senior Centenary Men's Basketball player James Sapp (Shongaloo, La.) was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday, January 9.
"This is quite an honor for James," said Gents head coach Adam Walsh. "We are excited about his continued production this season after his strong finish to '15-'16. He understands what he is good at, and when he stays committed to those things, he is capable of really excelling. He showed that in our games this past week, although he would say he didn't do enough. We are excited to watch his growth as a player, but more importantly, as a person."
In three games this past week, Sapp averaged 25.3 points on 30-for-52 shooting (57.7 percent), adding a 14-for-18 mark from the charity stripe. He also added 27 rebounds, nine assists, and seven steals.
In an 89-81 win Centenary win against Hendrix on January 2, he scored 29 points on a season-best 12-for 20 (60 percent) mark from the floor. He added 11 rebounds to complete the double-double. In a 90-89 Gents loss to Schreiner Friday night, He scored 31 points on 12-for-21 shooting with four assists, four steals, four rebounds, and two blocks.
Finally on Saturday, he helped Centenary pick up its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference win of the season, 79-71, at Trinity. In the contest, Sapp recorded 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Sapp leads the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and is ninth in the nation in that category.
For three consecutive games, Sapp has shot 54.5 percent or better from the field - a mark that he hit only once in the first 11 games of the season. With 20.1 points and 10.4 points per game in 2016-17, Sapp leads the conference in both categories and is the only player in the SCAC averaging a double-double.
Centenary (7-7, 1-2 SCAC) opens up home conference play this weekend when Colorado College (Friday night) and Dallas (Saturday) visit Shreveport. Both games will be doubleheaders with the Ladies and begins Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. Admission is free to all home Centenary athletic events.
