By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—Coming off a two-game, four-day road trip, Tennessee Tech junior Alliyah Smith was named Tuesday the adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week in recognition of her solid performance over Tech's games this past weekend.
Smith posted her first double-double as a Golden Eagle in the game against UNC-Greensboro Saturday when she tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds. Over the two games this past weekend, Smith posted 22 points (11 per game) and 20 rebounds (10 per game). She connected on 6-of-11 from the field and 10-of-13 from the free throw line.
On the season, Smith stands as the third leading scorer for the Golden Eagles, averaging 6.9 points per game. She is shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 57.6 percent from the line. She leads the team in rebounds grabbing 60 on the season for an average of 7.5 per game.
adidas® OVC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – Dec. 8
CO-PLAYER
Sally McCabe, F • So., 6-3 • Mt. Juliet, Tenn. • Belmont
McCabe recorded 18 points and eight rebounds against Lipscomb. She followed that up with 12 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in the road win at Wake Forest.
Shronda Butts, G • Sr., 5-7 • Des Moines, Iowa • SIUE
Butts recorded 20-plus points in both games last week, including 20 in the win over Illinois State and 23 against Southern Illinois. She shot 7-of-11 from the field against Illinois State. For the week she posted 21.5 points per game and shot 46.9% from the floor.
Others Nominated: Erica Brown, Eastern Illinois; Chloe Long, Jacksonville State; LeAsia Wright, Murray State; Samaria Howard, Tennessee Tech; Haley Howard, UT Martin
NEWCOMER
Alliyah Smith, C • Jr, 6-2 • Athens, Ala. • Tennessee Tech
Smith recorded her first double-double as a Golden Eagle in the game against UNC Greensboro where she recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 54.5 percent from the floor and 76.9 percent from the line over the two games.
Others Nominated: Bria Betha, Murray State
FRESHMAN
DaiJai Ruffin, G/F • R-Fr., 5-9 • Louisville, Ky. • UT Martin
Ruffin notched her third 20-point outing of the season with 21 points to go with eight rebounds in the win over Alabama. She followed that up with 14 points and eight boards against Samford, including scoring seven points in the final quarter and hitting a pair of free throws with 0.4 seconds left to win the game. Ruffin has scored in double figures in seven straight contests.
Others Nominated: Darby Maggard, Belmont; Kayla Steward, Eastern Illinois; Chloe Long, Jacksonville State; Imani Johnson, Southeast Missouri
