BYU-Hawaii's Lucas Alves earns PacWest honor

Lucas Alves claims final PacWest Player of the Week

PHOENIX, AZ - BYU-Hawaii senior forward/center Lucas Alves (Casa Branca, Brazil/Colegio Avanqo Ensino Progranado) has been selected the final Pacific West Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the 2009-10 campaign.

The award was announced by the PacWest Media Office in Phoenix, AZ, on Wednesday, March 17, for games contested March 8-15.

Alves, who claims the honor for the second straight week, led the Seasiders to a share of the PacWest title, a berth in the NCAA II Tournament, and a trip to the West Region title game for the third consecutive season. BYU-Hawaii fell to Cal Poly Pomona 78-75 in teh contest.

In the four contests to close out the year, Alves averaged 23.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7% (30 for 58) from the floor and 78.9% (30 for 38) from the line.

He ranked first in scoring, second in rebounding, and ninth in shooting in the PacWest for the week. He also averaged 1.0 blocks and 2.3 assists per game.

Men's Basketball Weekly Report (PDF)

PacWest Men's Basketball Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll

Steven Bennett - Chaminade (Jr., 5-6, 155, G, Los Angeles, CA/Dorsey)...scored 13 points, handed out four assists, recorded two steals and grabbed five rebounds in 66-63 win vs. Hawai‘i Hilo on March 8...tied for eighth in scoring for the week in the PacWest.

Tsung-Hsien (Jet) Chang - BYU-Hawaii (So., 6-4, 190, G, Yilan, Taiwan/Sing Rong)...averaged 20.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 3-1 week...helped BYU-Hawaii reach the NCAA II West Region title game...named to West Region All-Tournament Team ...ranked second in scoring and 10th in rebounding for the week in the PacWest...averaged 1.8 three’s made per game...shot 36.8% (7 for 19) from beyond the arc.

Mike Helton - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 6-6, 187, G/F, El Paso, TX/Montwood)...scored 17 points and grabbed four rebounds in season finale vs. BYU-Hawaii on March 8 - a 100-84 setback...tied for fourth in scoring for the week in the PacWest...also contributed two assists...hit a trio of three-pointers.

Jeff Ingram - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 6-4, 185, G, Queen Creek, AZ/Queen Creek)...scored 13 points and had six assists in season finale on March 8 - a tough 100-84 loss vs. BYU-Hawaii...led the PacWest in assists per game for the week...shot 50.0% (5 for 10) from the floor, tying for 10th in the league for the week...connected on 4 of 7 (42.9%) three-point attempts...ranked seventh in three-point shooting and tied for first in three-pointers made per game for the week...posted a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio to rank fifth in the conference for the week.

C.J. Jackson - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 6-8, 265, F, Buena Vista, GA/Tri-County)...closed out his HPU career with a double-double in his final game...scored 10 points and collected 12 rebounds in season finale vs. BYU-Hawaii on March 8 - a 100-84 setback...led the PacWest in rebounding for the week...shot 55.6% (5 for 9) from the floor...ranked eighth in shooting for the week...doled out three assists and recorded two steals...led the league in blocked shots per game for the week (4.0) after recording all four vs. the Seasiders.

Ray Murdock - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 6-3, 205, G/F, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle)...tallied 17 points and snagged five rebounds in season finale vs. BYU-Hawaii on March 8 - a 100-84 loss...tied for fourth in scoring for the week in the PacWest...also contributed four assists and shot 57.1% (8 for 14) from the field...tied for sixth in shooting and tied for second in assists per game for the week in the league...had a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio, good enough for ninth in the league for the week.

Chandler Pe arson - Chaminade (Jr., 6-3, 190, G, Huntington, UT/Emery)...scored 14 points, collected six rebounds, handed out two assists and recorded two steals in 66-63 win over Hawai‘i Hilo on March 8 - the season finale for both clubs...ranked seventh in scoring and fifth in shooting for the week in the PacWest...shot 62.5% (5 for 8) from the field.

Donovan Plunkett - Dixie State (Jr., 5-11, 160, G, Oroville, CA/Las Plumas)...scored 16 points in quarterfinals of the NCAA II West Region Tournament...ranked sixth in scoring for the week in the PacWest...went 4 for 4 from the line.

Justin Smith - Hawai‘i Hilo (Sr., 6-6, 205, F, Los Angeles, CA/Reseda)...scored 20 points in season finale vs. Chaminade on March 8 - a 66-63 loss to the Silverswords...also pulled down seven rebounds...tied for third in rebounding and ranked third in scoring for the week...was perfect from the field, going 9 for 9...was 2 for 2 from the line...had a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio (tied for 6th in the league for the week)...ranked second in blocked shots per game for the week (2.0).

Tom Whitehead - Dixie State (Jr., 6-6, 185, F, St. George, UT/Dixie)...scored 13 points in quarterfinals of NCAA II West Regional...tied for eighth in scoring for the week in the PacWest...went 6 for 6 from the line to lead the league in foul shooting for the week.