INDIANAPOLIS – The first weekend of league play is in the books as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Basketball Players of the Week honors for Lake Erie and Kentucky Wesleyan were announced on Monday afternoon.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Gabe Kynard
Guard
Lake Erie
Senior
Toledo, OH (St. Johns HS)
The dynamic, all-conference guard Kynard had a monster week in a pair of overtime outcomes on the road against Cedarville and Walsh, opponents picked first and third in the conference preseason coaches poll.
The senior absolutely lit it up from the field by averaging 29.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his first two conference contests of the season.
He also short north of 55 percent (20-36) from the field on 36 shot attempts combined.
Kynard had a game-high 25 points against Cedarville in the conference opener while also collecting seven rebounds. Kynard also shot 50 percent from distance in the game.
Two days later, the Storm traveled to reigning conference tournament champion Walsh. This game would also go to overtime and the Storm would pull out a thrilling victory with a final score of 88-85.
Kynard sank the buzzer beater to deflate the crowd in Alumni Arena and help Lake Erie secure a very notable first Great Midwest victory.
Kynard put up another game high, and also a new career best total, of 34 points and seven rebounds. He also shot 11-of-19 from the field and was 10-for-11 from the charity stripe.
He is now averaging 20.2 points per game this season, second best in the conference as the Storm stand at 6-4 overall. He is also the top rebounding guard in the Great Midwest (7.3 rpg) while ranking eighth. Kynard is also one of the best at the free throw line, sinking over 85 percent of his attempts.
Lake Erie will prepare for Ohio Valley at home this week after the Fighting Scots took Hillsdale down to the wire in a one-point loss.
Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Keelie Lamb
Forward
Kentucky Wesleyan
Senior
Livingston, TN (Livingston Academy)
Lamb helped lead the undefeated Panthers to a pair of conference wins by an impressive 20+ margin of victory in each game at the Sportscenter in Owensboro.
Lamb stuffed the stat sheet over the two games averaging 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for contest. She also contributed averages of 2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game vs. Ohio Dominican and Tiffin.
The first game of the week saw the Panthers host Ohio Dominican. The Panthers of KWC were up by 10 at halftime and closed the game out in the third quarter, doubling up Ohio Dominican 30-15, to eventually win, 83-63.
Lamb contributed a very balanced 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, as six different Kentucky Wesleyan players scored in double digits.
Over the weekend, Kentucky Wesleyan hosted another conference foe in Tiffin. The Panthers
won this game, 75-53, and outscored the Dragons in every quarter. Lamb led the Panthers with
12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
KWC had another balanced output with 11 different players able to score points.
The Panthers are now 9-0 on the year and have won all of their games by nine or more points. They look to remain perfect in a tough test ahead with the 8-1 Cedarville Yellow Jackets coming to town on Saturday.