Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s men’s and women’s basketball players of the week for the second week of the 2015-16 season. Southern Nazarene’s LB Willis won the men’s accolade while Southern Arkansas’ Rosa Bryant earned the women’s award.
 
GAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – LB Willis, Southern Nazarene, G, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Willis scored 23 points in just 18 minutes against Henderson State and followed up with 24 points against Ouachita, the defending GAC regular season champions. He made 17-of-26 shots in the two wins and grabbed six rebounds in both contests. SNU has opened 2-0 in GAC play for the second straight season.
 
GAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Rosa Bryant, Southern Arkansas, F, Sr., Bastrop, Louisiana
Bryant recorded three 20-point games and posted a pair of double-doubles in helping lead SAU to three road wins and its best start to a season since 2004-05. She averaged 21.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game and shot 55.8 percent from the field. She pulled down 18 rebounds at Texas A&M-Commerce and 19 rebounds in a comeback win at Southeastern Oklahoma State.
 
NOTABLE MEN’S NOMINEES
- Richard Benedyth, Sr., G, Arkansas-Monticello (Scored a career-high 24 points against East Central)
- Sami Bzai, Sr., G, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists; shot 41.2 percent on 3’s)
- Martell Collins, Sr., G, Southwestern Oklahoma State (Averaged 20.0 points in wins vs Arkansas Tech and Harding)
- Jaron Davis, Sr., G, Southern Arkansas (Scored a season-high 26 points in win vs East Central)
- Steven Green, Jr., G, Oklahoma Baptist (Averaged a double-double against Ouachita and Henderson State)
- Aly Hudgins, Jr., G/F, East Central (Made all seven field goal attempts vs UAM; shot 91.7 percent for the week)
- Adrian Motley, Jr., F, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Scored 28 points against Harding and 16 against Arkansas Tech)
- Lakee Westbrook, So., G, Ouachita (Made 7-of-13 3-pointers last week, including six in win against Oklahoma Baptist)
 
NOTABLE WOMEN’S NOMINEES
- Alexa Adair, So., G, East Central (Shot 53.3 percent from the floor and 55.0 percent on 3’s; averaged 24.0 points per game)
- McKenzie Cooper, So., G, Oklahoma Baptist (Scored 20 in win against Ouachita and 28 against Henderson State)
- Danielle Gaddis, Jr., G, Southern Nazarene (Recorded a double-double vs Henderson State; made 6-of-7 shots vs Ouachita)
- Jordan Goforth, Sr., F, Arkansas-Monticello (Averaged 19.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG; totaled 20 points, 10 rebounds vs Southeastern)
- Katie Kapler, Jr., F, Ouachita (Scored 19 points against Southern Nazarene; grabbed 12 rebounds against Oklahoma Baptist)
- Sydney Layrock, So., F, Harding (Grabbed career-high 15 rebounds vs SWOSU; averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds)
- Victoria Stewart, Sr., G, Henderson State (Averaged 18.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG in wins against SNU and Oklahoma Baptist)