Two Highlanders receive Big South honors
Redshirt freshman guard Carlik Jones was named Big South Freshman of the Week for the fourth time in the last five weeks and sixth time overall, the conference office announced Monday afternoon.
With the honor Jones set a program record for weekly conference awards, surpassing Anthony Walker who was named Freshman of the Week five times during the 1993-94 season. Charleston Southern’s Christian Keeling owns the conference record after earning the title seven times in 2016-17.
Jones averaged 13.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 33.6 minutes per game in those three games and has tallied a team record of 8-4 since he joined the starting lineup back in December.
Putting together a strong comeback season after missing a majority of the Radford University women’s basketball season last year with a knee injury, redshirt sophomore Lydia Rivers was rewarded with her first Big South Player of the Week award as announced by the league Monday afternoon.
In two Radford wins on the week, Rivers tallied 27 points on 12 of 14 shooting, while pulling down 18 rebounds and blocking five shots. On the season, Rivers is 52 for 103 from the field.
Rivers had a low-key strong showing in Tuesday’s 52-33 win over Longwood. Despite scoring only six points on three of three shooting, she grabbed nine rebounds, matched a career best in blocks with four and added two steals.
Rivers was also named the College Sports Madness Big South Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.
Hokies softball adds a catcher
Head coach Scot Thomas announced Monday the addition of freshman catcher Mackenzie Lawter to the Virginia Tech softball program.
Lawter, an early graduate of Halifax County High School, is eligible to play immediately this spring.
Although she isn’t a prototypical catcher physically, she is quick and efficient with a strong arm. I really think she will have an immediate role in our catching staff.”
Lawter was a first-team Conference 16 selection, all-region, all-distirct and Piedmont District Player of the Year as a junior in the spring of 2017. She also helped lead Halifax to the 2017 Region 5A North semifinals. Along with new teammates Keely Rochard, Jordan Dail, Casey Barrett, Sammi Miller, Darby Trull and Cana Davis, Lawter played travel ball this past season for the Williamsburg Starz.