McCollum earns ECAC Player of the Week
Posted: 01/17/2012 | Last updated: January 17, 2012 at 10:43 PM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - One day after breaking the Patriot League record with his ninth Player of the Week honor, Lehigh junior guard C.J. McCollum was recognized by the ECAC on Tuesday as its Player of the Week. It marks McCollum’s third-career ECAC weekly honor after being recognized twice a season ago. He scored 26 points against American and 32 points at Colgate to lead Lehigh to a pair of crucial Patriot League victories.
McCollum was also named College Sports Madness’ Patriot League Player of the Week on Monday. These three honors come two weeks after he earned recognition from the Patriot League, CollegeHoops.net and College Sports Madness.
The Canton, Ohio native has turned it on with 159 points over his last six games to up his scoring average from 18.8 to 21.2 (good for fifth in the nation). He has averaged 26.5 points per game in that span, eclipsing 25 points on four occasions. McCollum is averaging 28.3 points per game in his first three Patriot League contests.
McCollum began his week by scoring 26 points vs. American Wednesday in a battle of the Patriot League’s top two scorers. McCollum outdueled the Eagles’ Charles Hinkle, finishing with 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting in a 71-60 Lehigh win. He also hit 8-of-9 free throws and tied a season-high five steals.
After being held scoreless for the first 14:28 on Saturday at Colgate, McCollum broke out for 32 points the rest of the way in a 78-56 victory. Fourteen of those points came in a 2:50 span late in the first half as he helped Lehigh stage a 22-3 run to turn a nine-point deficit into a 10-point lead heading into halftime. McCollum finished 11-of-21 from the field and 7-of-12 from three-point range (tying a career-high for made three-pointers).
With 58 points on the week, McCollum moved from 11th to ninth in Patriot League history with 1,711 career points; he remains seventh in Lehigh history. McCollum is averaging 21.2 points per game (leading the league), 5.9 rebounds (fifth), 3.1 assists (fifth) and 2.4 steals (first).
The Mountain Hawks return to Stabler Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 18) to host Bucknell at 7 p.m. in a matchup of preseason number one against two. Tickets for all home games are now on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by calling the ticket office at (610) 7LU-GAME.