CHICAGO -- A three-win week for the University of St. Francis sparked by the play of
Merrick Small and
Joffrey Nunnally has earned the Fighting Saints' pair Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week accord, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Small used a pair of 20-plus point performances and averages of 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 blocks per contest to garner the offensive accolades. He also shot 62.9 percent from the field (22-of-35) and registered one double-double.
The senior forward/center produced the latter feat in a 78-67 league victory over Judson University last Tuesday, where he totaled the same number of points and rebounds (13) to go along with three assists and one blocked shot.
Small's big offensive games came over the weekend in a pair of wins at the USF Thanksgiving Classic. He put up 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and seven rebounds in a 64-59 victory over Marian University (Ind.) on Saturday. One day later, he totaled 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 76-65 decision over Cumberland University (Tenn.).
While Small was getting things done on the offensive end, Nunnally was doing the same on the defensive side of the court. Individually, he held the three players he was in charge of defending a combined 11.0 points below their scoring averages. They also shot just 25 percent overall (5-for-20) and made only one three-pointer in six attempts.
As a whole, Marian was limited to 14 points below its scoring average and Cumberland 13 points under its regular numbers.
The senior guard also got things done on the offensive end with his 15.3 points per game, topped by his 22 markers in the win over Judson. He supplied another 10 points and 14, respectively, versus Marian and Cumberland, while totaling six rebounds, six assists and three steals for the week.
USF has opened the season with five straight wins, including three in the conference.
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