PacWest Conference Weekly Awards (Jan. 6)

IRVINE, Calif. – Guiding ART U women's basketball to a 2-1 week through their extraordinary play, junior guard Pam Wilmore and forward Aari'yanna Sanders were named Pacific West Conference Player and Freshman of the Week. The awards are based on games played between Dec. 30-Jan 5.

Wilmore started with an efficient 17 points (on 8-of-12 shooting from the field), eight assists, and a season-best five steals in a 123-89 Pacific West Conference victory over Dominican that saw ART U break the program scoring record on Dec. 31. The Communications & Media Technologies major followed that up by becoming the Urban Knights' new single-game assist record holder with 15 versus No. 17 Azusa Pacific in addition to nine rebounds and three steals on Jan. 2. Wilmore then dropped a season-high 24 points along with eight rebounds and eight assists in a 96-93 overtime victory hosting Concordia on Jan. 4. She also drew a game-high seven fouls in that contest and ended the three-game week with a +23 in the plus/minus category.

Turning in season-highs in each of the three contests she played, Wilmore averaged 14.7 points, 10.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game. On the season, she now leads the PacWest with 6.5 assists per game, ranks third with 2.4 steals per contest, and sits 16th at 12.4 points per game.

Scoring in double figures for the second consecutive game, Sanders opened the week with 10 points plus seven rebounds and a season-high five steals versus Dominican on Dec. 31. In addition to hitting her first collegiate 3-pointer in the contest, the Animation & Visual Effects major made four of her five shot attempts from the field. After grabbing four rebounds and logging two steals in limited time against No. 17 Azusa Pacific, the freshman forward bounced back with a career performance, scoring a season-best 16 points on 7-of-11 from the field plus notching three steals and grabbing 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Two of those rebounds came on the offensive glass and saved the game as they each came within the final six seconds of regulation then overtime in the Jan. 4 win over Concordia.

At the conclusion of the week, Sanders had shot 55 percent from the field (11-for-20) while averaging 8.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game. She finished with a +14 in the plus/minus category. On the season, Sanders has moved up to 15th in the PacWest in rebounds per game (6.4) and is the lone freshman among that list. She also ranks sixth in the PacWest in steals per contest (2.1).

This is the first PacWest weekly award for Wilmore in her career and the second for Sanders after she was named Freshman of the Week on Dec. 23.