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Phoenix, AZ – Among the recently released Pacific West Conference weekly awards from the first six weeks of the year, a total of four Urban Knights were honored, headlined by Jasmin Guinn and Zoie Sheng as the first two PacWest Player of the Week recipients. Additionally, Molly O'Brien appeared twice on the Weekly Final 5 while Alisa Griggs and Guinn each picked up a Final 5 selection as well.

Starting off Academy of Art's 2013-14 campaign by helping the Knights defeat Saint Martin's and Western Oregon on back-to-back days, Guinn emerged as the first PacWest Player of the Week this season. She averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest, leading her to be ranked ninth in scoring and sixth in rebounding in the PacWest for the week in addition to being ranked second in steals per game (3.5).

Versus SMU in a game ART U won 69-55 on Nov. 8, Guinn went for 11 points and four rebounds along with a career-high seven steals that was just one shy of tying the program's single-game record. She followed that up with a 12-point, 13-rebound performance in the Knights' 64-50 victory over WOU (Nov. 9), earning her second career double-double. Guinn would remain a beast on the boards for the rest of the calendar year to the point where she currently leads the PacWest in offensive rebounds (3.9) and is fourth in rebounding (8.4 rpg) overall.


That same opening week, O'Brien and Griggs each picked up placements on the PacWest Final 5. O'Brien averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 92.9 percent (13-for-14) from the free throw line. She ranked seventh in the conference in field goal percentage (46.7 percent) and ninth in free throw percentage for the week. After scoring primarily from the foul line in her ART U debut (seven of her nine points were there) against Saint Martin's, O'Brien displayed her dynamic scoring ability with a game-high 18 points at Western Oregon.


Griggs played a major role in the Knights' 2-0 week by averaging 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She also shot 66.7 percent from the floor after making 6-of-9 field goal attempts (second in the PacWest for the week). A very strong season opener matching up with SMU, Griggs went for 14 points (5-of-8 FG) and nine rebounds. She has not looked back since that start and currently averages the highest field goal percentage in the conference (.522).


In a week that featured ART U's home debut and the PacWest/CCAA Challenge (Nov. 11-17), Sheng took home her first PacWest Player of the Week honor with two stellar performances. She averaged 18.5 points per game (3rd in the PacWest for the week), topped the conference in assists per game (8.0), and ranked third in field goal percentage (58.8%) after making 10-of-17 shots from the floor. Sheng was tied for 10th in the PacWest in steals per game (2.0) and posted the 11th-highest in free throw percentage, going 11-of-12 (91.7%) at the line.

Sheng was outstanding from beyond the arc, tying for second in both three-point shooting (6-of-9, 66.7%) and 3-pointers made per game (3.0). She also topped the PacWest in assist-to-turnover ratio (16.0) after totaling 16 assists while giving up the ball just once.

An unquestioned member of the PacWest/CCAA Challenge All-Tournament Team, Sheng exploded for a career-high 22 points to go with eight assists, six rebounds, four steals, and no turnovers in a loss to Humboldt State on Nov. 16. She was 11-of-12 from the foul line and 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc. The following afternoon against Cal State East Bay, Sheng was at it again, delivering 15 points with another eight assists and three more 3-pointers made. Much of her efforts that week led her to crack the nation's Top 25 in assist-to-turnover ratio for a early part of the year.


A two-game week in Canada (Nov. 25 - Dec. 1) saw O'Brien capture her second PacWest Final 5 selection after she averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in back-to-back contests at Simon Fraser. She was tied for fourth in the conference for steal average and ninth in scoring for the week. Additionally, O'Brien led the league in shooting after making 11-of-17 field goal attempts (64.7%).

The first game on Nov. 26 was O'Brien's second breakout offensive performance of the year as she offered 20 points along with three assists and four steals while shooting an impressive 7-of-9 from the floor. Making the second start in her Academy of Art career the following day, Nov. 27, the junior transfer from Wichita State turned in 10 points with seven rebounds.

Guinn was a repeat winner of PacWest weekly honors after posting her third double-double of the year in ART U's 59-43 win over Dominican on Dec. 14. The sophomore was named to the PacWest Final 5 for her 11 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals amassed in the Knights' lone game of the week. After a very solid first half on the offensive end, Guinn crashed the boards in the second period to notch the double-double.


Overall, this is the first PacWest Player of the Week honor for Guinn and Sheng. It is the first PacWest weekly honor for O'Brien and the 14th in Griggs' career.