Chris Horton named APSU Athlete of the Week for fourth straight week

Clarksville, TN – For the fifth time in the last six weeks, sophomore center Chris Horton, of Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team, has been named the Copies in a Flash APSU Athlete of the Week.

Horton picked up two double-doubles in three games last week, averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in three Govs victories. He also averaged four blocked shots and shot 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) from the floor.

The Decatur, GA, native set a school and Dunn Center record with eight blocked shots in the Ohio Valley Conference opener against UT Martin, while also putting together a 16-point, 12-rebound effort for his season’s seventh double-double.

He recorded his eighth double-double two days later in the Govs come-from-behind win against Southeast Missouri, scoring a team-high 21 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. He flashed some good touch from the charity stripe, hitting 7-of-8 free throws against the Redhawks.

Horton’s efforts earned him a pair of online awards last weekend. He was named CollegeSportsMadness.com’s OVC Player of the Week, and also earned a spot on CollegeHoopsDaily.com’s All-OVC team for non-league play. Horton is averaging 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game – one of just 14 Division I players averaging a double-double in 2013 – to go along with 3.2 blocks per game and 61.3 percent shooting, fourth-best in the OVC.

The Copies in a Flash APSU Athlete of the Week is selected by the APSU Sports Information staff each Tuesday during the academic year. Copies in a Flash, of Clarksville, sponsors the award.

Other notable performances by Austin Peay athletes included

• Sophomore forward Jennifer Nwokocha, of the women’s basketball team, recorded the first two double-doubles of her career last week. She scored 14 points and snagged 10 rebounds to close out 2013 against Ole Miss, and netted 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds against UT Martin.
• Junior guard Damarius Smith, of the men’s basketball team, averaged 9.3 assists in three games last week, including two double-figure efforts, to lead the Govs to three wins. He equaled his career high with 12 assists against Dalton State, and now leads the OVC with 6.1 assists per game.
• Junior guard Kristen Stainback, of the women’s basketball team, poured in a career-high 34 points in the Lady Govs loss to UT Martin, Monday. It’s the first 30-point effort by a Lady Gov since Whitney Hanley scored 38 in the 2012 OVC Tournament against Morehead State.