March 3, 2008

Virginia Beach, Fla. - Senior guard Dewayne Pettus has been named as this weke's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of thew Week as announced by the conference office in Virginia Beach, Va.

Pettus, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard from Pittsburgh, Pa., has been the most electrifying player for the Wildcats the last month, undoubtedly.

On the week, Pettus averaged 30 points and 7.5 rebounds to help the Wildcats finish 1-1 last week. Against the Maryland Eastern Shore Fighting Hawks, he picked up 29 points and six rebounds. He also posted a game-high five steals in the outing. At the time, it was a career-high in scoring.

He followed that performance with 31 points against South Carolina State--setting a new career-high in the scoring category. He fell one rebound shy of a double-double against the Bulldogs grabbing down nine boards to go along with one assist and one steal.

This is his first MEAC Weekly award this year.

As for Rookie of the Week honors, it was awarded to Carrio Bennett of South Carolina State. Bennett, a Piedmont, S.C. native, posted a career-high 27 points (7-of-11) with four assists and one steal against Bethune-Cookman. He averaged 15.5 points, three rebounds and two assists in two games for the Bulldogs. He shot impressively against the Bulldogs, connecting on 7-of-11 baskets from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. He was also perfect (8-of-8) from the foul line. This is Bennett's second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor, fourth overall.

It should be no surprise that Defensive Player of the Week honors once again went to Boubacar Coly of Morgan State for the unprecedented ninth time this season. Coly averaged 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists as he led the Morgan State Bears to their first-ever regular season championship with wins against Hampton and Delaware State. Against the Pirates, Coly recorded a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds. He also blocked six shots in the win. Against the Hornets, Coly pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds along with one block and one steal. This is Coly's ninth Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.