Senior basketball players
Jacobo Diaz and
Kendall Hunter were named the IUP Athletes of the Week, announced Monday morning by the IUP Sports Information Office.
This is the ninth career IUP weekly award for Diaz and the first for Hunter.
Diaz helped the third-ranked men's basketball team to a weekend sweep as the Crimson Hawks opened conference play with wins at Kutztown (96-87, OT) and Millersville (74-73).
The senior forward averaged team-bests of 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, also leading the team in field goal percentage (.464) and free throws made (nine) over the weekend. He scored 22 points with six rebounds and five assists in the win at Kutztown, although fouled out after 36 minutes in the foul-filled contest.
Diaz then had a team-best 17 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, including four offensive, in the win at Millersville.
Hunter was one of six players to average double-figures in scoring in third-ranked IUP's three blowout wins last week but stepped up in a big way Sunday at Millersville. The senior forward posted her first career double-double with 16 points and a personal-best 12 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.
With starting IUP post players in foul trouble early, Hunter scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in the opening half to help keep the lead in double-digits. She followed that with eight more points and eight boards in the second half, adding a block in the fourth quarter as an exclamation point to her career day.
Hunter averaged 10.0 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds and shot 52.4 percent from the field during the 3-0 week. She scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 18 minutes Wednesday against Cheyney.
