Grand Canyon senior guard Samantha Murphy reigns supreme again with 38-point outburst

PHOENIX, AZ - Grand Canyon senior guard Samantha Murphy (Phoenix, AZ/Xavier Prep) has been named the Pacific West Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second straight week and for the fifth time this year.

The award was announced by the PacWest Media Office in Phoenix, AZ, on Monday, Feb. 7, for games held Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

Murphy led the #12 Antelopes to a 79-71 victory over #10 Dixie State on Feb. 5 by scoring 23 of her game-high 38 points in the final 11 minutes of the contest.

The win pushes Grand Canyon into a tie for second place with the Red Storm at 6-1, while both teams trail frontrunner Hawai‘i Pacific (8-1).

Murphy, who led all of Division II in scoring entering the week, was phenomenal at the line, going 16 for 18 (88.9%) while also shooting 52.9% (9 for 17) from the floor.

She pulled down nine rebounds, doled out seven assists, hit 4 of 9 (44.4%) three-point attempts and recorded a trio of steals.

Weekly Report #12

PacWest Women’s Basketball Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll

Jazzmin Awa-Williams - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 5-9, F, Kona, HI/Konawaena)...scored 18 points in 77-69 win over BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 2...helped push the Sea Warriors alone atop the PacWest standings...was 6 for 6 from the field and also collected four rebounds...doled out six assists and pilfered four steals...posted a 6.0 assist/turnover ratio.

Johnna Brown - Dixie State (So., 6-0, F, Las Vegas, NV/Centennial)...posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in tough 79-71 loss at Grand Canyon on Feb. 5.

Courtney Buster - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., 6-3, C, San Francisco, CA/International Studies Academy)...led Sea Warriors to 77-69 win over BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 2...posted a double-double with 15 points and 19 rebounds...also had five assists.

Jallisa Butler - Grand Canyon (Jr., 6-1, C/F, Las Vegas, NV/Cimarron)...helped Antelopes to a 79-71 victory over Dixie State on Feb. 5 by scoring 16 points and grabbing four rebounds...shot 60.0% (6 for 10) from the floor and was 4 for 4 from the line.

Breann Hill - Dixie State (Sr., 5-10, F, Harrisburg, PA/McDevitt)...scored 10 points, handed out 10 assists and collected eight rebounds in 79-71 loss at Grand Canyon on Feb. 5...also had two steals.

Kirsty Imai - Hawai‘i Hilo (So., 5-4, G, Hilo, HI/Waiakea)...averaged 14.0 points, 2.0 steals and 2.5 three-pointers made per game in a 1-1 week for the Vulcans...shot 52.9% (9 for 17) from the field and 83.3% (5 for 6) from the line...shot 45.5% (5 for 11) from three-point range.

Jennica Janssen - Notre Dame de Namur (Sr., 5-8, G, Belmont, CA/Carlmont)...scored 13 points, grabbed four rebounds, handed out three assists, and hit two three-pointers in 73-66 win over Dominican (CA) on Feb.5...shot 71.4% (5 for 7) from the floor...tied for sixth in field goal percentage for the week in the PacWest.

Rosalyn Nelson - Grand Canyon (Sr., 5-8, G, Phoenix, AZ/Deer Valley)...helped lead the Antelopes to a 79-71 victory over Dixie State on Feb. 5 by posting a double-double with 11 assists and 10 points...also had four rebounds.

Jessica Nolan - Academy of Art (Sr., 5-11, F, Adelaide, Australia/Hallet Cove School)... scored 16 points and collected a dozen rebounds in lone game of the week - a 71-60 victory over Dominican (CA) on Feb. 3...also posted six assists and was 8 for 8 from the foul line.

Richelle Rieben - BYU-Hawaii (Sr., 5-5, G, Coeur d’Alene, ID/Lake City)...led Seasiders to first conference win of the season - a 72-65 triumph over Hawai‘i Hilo...BYU-Hawaii finished week 1-1...averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 three-pointers made, and 2.0 steals per game.