Big South Announces Men's Basketball Players of the Week - Feb. 5

Big South Announces Men's Basketball Players of the Week - Feb. 5

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – High Point guard Kezza Giffa (Paris, France) and UNC Asheville forward Drew Pember (Knoxville, Tenn.) have been named the Big South Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week, while HPU guard Titas Sargiunas (Kaunas, Lithuania) is the Freshman of the Week for games played Jan. 29-Feb. 4, it was announced today.
 
Giffa averaged 25.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 92.9 percent from the free throw line in two Big South wins.  He opened with a team-high 24 points, seven assists and a steal in the Panthers’ 93-76 win over Longwood last Thursday night on ESPNU.  Giffa then tied a Big South single-game record with 22 made free throws en route to a team-best 26 points in HPU’s home victory over Presbyterian on Saturday.
 
Pember averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games last week, while shooting 59.3 percent from the floor (16-of-27) and 50.0 from beyond the arc (7-of-14).  He matched his season-high of 36 points in Asheville’s victory over Winthrop on Saturday to complete the season sweep of the Eagles.  Pember also grabbed 11 rebounds, made six threes and dished out seven assists in Saturday’s win.
 
In two games off the bench, Sargiunas averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and was 6-of-12 from the field ( =50.0 percent).  He played a season-high 27 minutes against Presbyterian Saturday and scored a season-high 13 points.  The freshman knocked down two big shots at the end of the game to help the Panthers secure the win over the Blue Hose.  His three-pointer with 1:50 remaining broke a 62-62 tie and gave High Point the lead for good, while his traditional three-point play with one minute left put HPU ahead by four.
 
Also nominated for Player of the Week: A’lahn Sumler (Charleston Southern), Caleb Robinson (Gardner-Webb), Elijah Tucker (Longwood), Marquis Barnett (Presbyterian), Trae Broadnax (USC Upstate) and Kasen Harrison (Winthrop).
 
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: Jaiden Thompson (Charleston Southern), Emanuel Richards (Longwood) and Eduardo Placer (USC Upstate).