INDIANAPOLIS – The midway point of the league schedule is approaching as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honors were distributed on Monday morning. 
 
Nationally-ranked Findlay is on top of the standings for the second week in a row. The Oilers went from 23rd to No. 17 in the NABC Poll and are poised for another bump up in this week’s top 25. 
 
UF leads the conference in scoring (85.7 ppg) and is shooting almost 50 percent from the field as a team. 
 
One game back is Hillsdale after last year’s championship runner-up had a pair of home wins, including some redemption in a thrilling finish over last year’s tourney winner Ohio Dominican. 
 
Walsh is third despite a loss in the fierce rivalry against Malone. Lake Erie, Ohio Domincan and Cedarville, are locked in tie for fourth while Alderson Broaddus and Kentucky Wesleyan are also tied. 
 
Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week 
Gabe Kynard
Lake Erie
Guard
Junior
Toledo, OH (St. John’s HS)
 
Kynard really made a name for himself in the 2018 Great Midwest Championship, helping drive the No. 7-seeded Storm to an upset win over No. 2 Walsh in the opening round. 
 
He has carried that playoff momentum into his junior year, where the talented guard is the third-leading scorer among all Great Midwest student-athletes.
 
In home wins against Cedarville and Tiffin, Kynard blew up for averages of 25 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 20-of-36 from the field (55.6%). 
 
He also made half of his 10 three-point tries and contributed 1.5 steals, assists and a block in each contest. Kynard also nailed all five of his free throw attempts. 
 
LEC was able to grind out a gritty win over the Yellow Jackets in overtime. Kynard gave his squad 41 minutes and scored 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. He added five boards, two steals, two assists and a block.
 
Versus Tiffin, Kynard gave more of the same production, this time posting a 26 point, 11-rebound double-double. He made 11-of-20 shots as Lake Erie beat the Dragons by double digits. 
 
After losing three straight a tough mid-December stretch, the Storm have won four in a row while getting ready to host Malone and Walsh this week. 
 
Kynard has been the Storm’s top scorer in 12 of 16 games this season and is now averaging 18.8 points per contest.