By Nicholas Huenefeld/OCCAC Sports Information
Springfield, Ohio---Darian Carter, Allyse Rutter, Dante Battle and Matthew Gierhart have earned OCCAC player of the week recognition for games played between Jan. 9-15.
NJCAA Division II OCCAC WBB Player of the Week
Darian Carter, Cuyahoga C.C.
Carter, a sophomore guard, averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting a combined 16-for-21 from the field (2-for-2 from 3-point range) and 15-for-18 from the foul line as her team split a pair of games against Hocking College (W 74-62) and Cincinnati State (L 71-65). She opened up the week with 24 points and six rebounds against Hocking, and then she closed it with 25 points and nine rebounds on 7-for-9 shooting, including an 11-for-12 finish from the foul line.
Carter is now averaging 18.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Cuyahoga, who enters this week with an 11-4 overall record (2-2 OCCAC play). In OCCAC play, she is averaging 20.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
NJCAA Division III OCCAC WBB Player of the Week
Allyse Rutter, Columbus State C.C.
In her team's lone game of the week, Rutter poured in 18 points, while adding five rebounds, three steals and two assists in her team's loss to No. 3 Owens. She finished 6-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3-point range and 4-for-6 from the foul line.
Rutter, who joined the team on Nov. 16 due to also playing volleyball, is averaging 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game over seven contests for Columbus State. After scoring just three points over her first three games, the freshman guard has scored at least 16 points in three of the past four games and is averaging 14.5 points during that stretch. Columbus State is now 4-9 overall and 1-3 in OCCAC play.
NJCAA Division II MBB Player of the Week
Dante Battle, Cincinnati State Technical and C.C.
Battle, a sophomore guard, averaged 28.5 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 steals and one assist in a pair of big double overtime wins over No. 11 Sinclair Community College and No. 4 Cuyahoga Community College. He finished 17-for-39 from the field, 11-for-18 from 3-point range and 12-for-21 from the foul line. In a 106-99 win over Sinclair, Battle shot just 6-for-20 from the field, but finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and one assist. Then, in the team's 92-86 win over Cuyahoga, the guard had 37 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals and a block. He finished 11-for-19 from the field, including a 9-for-11 performance from 3-point range.
Battle is now averaging a team-high 24.6 points per game for Cincinnati State (12-5 overall, 4-0 OCCAC). On top of that, he is also averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Through four games of conference play, he is averaging 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
NJCAA Division III MBB Player of the Week
Matthew Gierhart, Columbus State C.C.
In his team's lone game of the week, Gierhart finished 11-for-17 from the field and totaled 30 points, five rebounds, two steals and one assist in his team's loss to Owens. He also made 8-for-9 from the foul line.
Gierhart, who was also named the OCCAC player of the week on Dec. 11, is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for Columbus State (3-9 overall, 1-3 OCCAC). In OCCAC play, he is averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.
Congratulations to all five student-athletes!