Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s women’s and men’s basketball players of the week for the opening week of the 2015-16 season. Arkansas Tech’s Fatima Adams earned the women’s award and East Central’s Stirling Thomas claimed the men’s honor.
 
GAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Fatima Adams, Arkansas Tech, F, Sr., Bryan, Texas
Adams led the No. 18/22 Golden Suns to an 82-62 season-opening victory against Lane College on Saturday. Adams, an All-American last season, hit 11-of-15 shots and scored 27 points. She pulled down eight rebounds and added two steals plus a blocked shot.
 
GAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Stirling Thomas, East Central, G, Sr., Elgin, Okla.
Thomas, an All-Region selection last season, opened his senior season by helping the Tigers split at the GAC/Northern Sun Challenge. In the opener against Concordia-St. Paul, he scored a team-high 25 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining. He followed up with 20 points and six assists against Minnesota-Duluth.
 
NOTABLE WOMEN’S NOMINEES
- Kamera Bozeman, Jr., C, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Connected on 11-of-17 shots; averaged 12.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG)
- Rosa Bryant, Sr., F, Southern Arkansas (Posted a double-double – 20 points and 13 rebounds – vs Philander Smith)
- Jade Jones, So., G, Southwestern Oklahoma State (Averaged 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists; shot 57.1 percent)
- Sydney Layrock, So., F, Harding (Scored career-high 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Cameron)
- Tia Williams, Fr., G, East Central (Connected on 4-of-7 from the 3-point arc; scored 14 points against Cameron)
 
NOTABLE MEN’S NOMINEES
- Sami Bzai, Sr., G, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Hit 9-of-15 3-point tries, including 7-of-10 against Central Oklahoma)
- Martell Collins, Sr., G, Southwestern Oklahoma State (Averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds at the SWOSU Classic)
- Jaron Davis, Sr., G, Southern Arkansas (Scored at least 20 points in both of SAU’s opening games)
- Laakeem Henderson, Sr., G, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Made 10-of-18 shots in averaging 17.5 points in two games)
- Andraz Kavas, Sr., G, Harding (Earned All-Tournament honors at GAC/NSIC Crossover; averaged 27.5 PPG, shot 55.3 percent)
- Marquis Yates, Jr., G, Arkansas Tech (Assisted on GW hoop vs Northern State; scored 30 vs No. 9 Minnesota State-Moorhead)