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Leigh named Southern Conference Player of the Week
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG guard Amanda Leigh has been named the Southern Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for games Feb. 8-14, the league office announced Tuesday.
Leigh averaged 21.0 points per game in two UNCG wins last week.
The Charlotte, N.C., native scored 12 first-half points in the Spartans' 71-66 road win over Elon on Thursday, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes in helping UNCG avenge a last-second January loss to the Phoenix.
Against College of Charleston on Saturday, Leigh went off for a career-high 30 points in UNCG's 76-64 overtime win, scoring all of her points after halftime. She had 21 in the second half as UNCG erased a 10-point second-half deficit, and was nearly unstoppable in overtime, scoring nine points in UNCG's 14-0 run to start the extra frame.
Leigh scored a whopping 16 straight points for UNCG in the second half, personally doubling up CofC in a 16-8 run that tied the game at 53 with 2:37 left.
Playing in front of a school-record women's crowd, Leigh set a new Fleming Gym scoring record for a UNCG player with her 30 points. She also became the first UNCG player to hit the 30-point mark in nearly 11 years.
In the two games, Leigh shot an impressive 54.2 percent from the field. Even more impressively, she was 9-for-17 from 3-point range, good for 52.9 percent. She was also solid at the free throw line, going 7-for-9, all against CofC on Saturday.
The award is the second of Leigh's career, as she was also the league's player of the week on March 2, 2010. Leigh is the second UNCG player to earn the award this season. Monique Floyd took the honor on Dec. 21.
UNCG (13-12, 10-7 Southern Conference) returns to action Saturday when it hosts Chattanooga for Senior Day at 2 p.m. at Fleming Gymnasium. The game will also serve as UNCG's Pack the House contest, where the Spartans will try to set a new attendance record for the second straight game.
2010-11 Women's Basketball Player of the Week
Nov. 17 Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Nov. 23 Ashlen Dewart, Appalachian State
Nov. 30 Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Dec. 7 Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Dec. 14 Emily London, Samford
Dec. 21 Monique Floyd, UNCG
Jan. 4 Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Jan. 11 Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Jan. 18 Ashlen Dewart, Appalachian State
Jan. 25 Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Feb. 1 Kelsey Evans, Elon
Feb. 8 Meredyth Frye, Georgia Southern
Feb. 15 Amanda Leigh, UNCG
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