SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Donald Sims led Appalachian State University men’s basketball to a pair of road wins and into first place in the Southern Conference North division over the weekend and was named SoCon Player of the Week for the second time this season, the league announced on Tuesday.
The Gaffney, S.C. native averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field in Mountaineer wins at Western Carolina and UNC Greensboro. He sank 6-of-12 three point attempts and all 15 shots from the free throw line for the week.
Sims scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half against the Catamounts to lead Appalachian to an 89-77 win, snapping WCU’s 15-game home winning streak. He added two rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists in the game and was a solid 8-for-11 from the field.
He then scored 10 first-half points at UNC Greensboro on Monday and finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal to help the Mountaineers surpass last season’s win total and move into first place in the division, a half game ahead of WCU.
The award is the second of the season for Sims, and the third of his career. He becomes just the fourth player in program history to win the weekly award three or more times. Darryl Robinson won it five times from 1976-79, while Billy Ross (1993-94) and D.J. Thompson (2006-07) were each honored by the league three times.
Sims leads the nation in free throw shooting at 95.1 percent and ranks second in the SoCon with 19.2 points per game.
The Mountaineers (14-10, 8-4) return home to host Davidson on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. before welcoming Georgia Southern to the Holmes Center on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Other top performers in the Southern Conference included College of Charleston’s Andrew Goudelock, The Citadel’s Zach Urbanus, Davidson’s JP Kuhlman, Elon’s TJ Douglas, Georgia Southern’s Colby Wohlleb, and Wofford’s Jamar Diggs.
SoCon Men’s Basketball Player of the WeekNov. 17 - Josh Bonney, Elon
Nov. 24 - Amu Saaka, Furman
Dec. 1 - Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Dec. 8 - Jeremy Simmons, Coll. of Charleston
Dec. 15 - Mike Williams, Western Carolina
Dec. 22 - Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Jan. 5 - Andrew Goudelock, Coll. of Charleston
Jan. 12 - Donald Sims, Appalachian State Jan. 19 - Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Jan. 26 - Andrew Goudelock, Coll. of Charleston
Feb. 2 - Ty Patterson, Chattanooga
Feb. 9 - Donald Sims, Appalachian State
Courtesy: Dave Mayo (Appalachian, 1983)