After leading the Seattle University men’s basketball team to two key conference victories last week, sophomore forward William Powell (Huntsville, Ala.) has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week, announced Monday morning by the league office.
Last Wednesday against Missouri-Kansas City, Powell shot 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line as he compiled a career-high 17 points to lead the Redhawks over the ‘Roos, 74-56. Saturday against Chicago State, he finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot as Seattle U completed the weekend sweep with a 57-31 win over the Cougars.
“He has been big all year. Maybe his numbers are a little higher right now in some categories, but he has been playing well for us all year long,” Seattle U head coach Cameron Dollar told the assembled media after Saturday’s game. “It’s good to see him continue his strong play, as he is doing a good job rebounding on both ends of the floor and finishing really well. He is a big key to us offensively, not just scoring, but also how he is playing overall.”
Powell is currently third on the team in scoring and first in rebounding, averaging 7.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He has started all 26 games so far this season for the Redhawks, reaching double figures in scoring seven times and in rebounding twice. His previous career high in scoring was a 16-point effort at Bakersfield Jan. 31, and he finished with 14 points and six rebounds in Seattle U’s 58-52 victory over New Mexico State Jan. 17, the Aggies’ only WAC loss so far this season.
Powell becomes the third Seattle U player to receive the conference’s weekly award during the 2014-15 season. Jarell Flora (Bremerton, Wash.) was named the WAC Player of the Week on Dec. 1 after collecting 23 points and nine rebounds in Seattle U’s 70-58 victory over CSUN, while Isiah Umipig (Federal Way, Wash.) earned the league’s weekly award twice in the span of three weeks, on Jan. 5 and Jan. 19.
Seattle University (13-13, 6-6 WAC) plays its final regular season home game Saturday, Feb. 28, against Bakersfield starting at 7:30 p.m. Before the game, seniors Shore Adenekan (London, England), Flora, Emerson Murray (Vancouver, B.C.), and Umipig will be honored in Senior Night ceremonies. Tickets for the game are on sale through Ticketmaster and the KeyArena Box Office.