Make it three awards in nine weeks for Alex Herrera.
The Fort Lewis College junior center made it a trio of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors Monday when he again was noted for his performance on that end of the floor in wins over Chadron State and Black Hills State on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Herrera also was honored for his work on Dec. 16 and Nov. 11 after being tabbed the league’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year after winning the postseason award a season ago.
Herrera made his case emphatically in Friday’s victory over Chadron State. He blocked a career-high nine shots and pulled down eight rebounds to go with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
On Saturday, the Ignacio High School alumnus poured in 22 points, blocked three more shots and snared nine rebounds in a victory over Black Hills State.
Hererra is off to a blistering start through the first 11 games of the season. He leads the conference in rebounds per game with 9.2, field-goal percentage at 61.5 and is third in scoring at 19.5 points per game.
But as proficient as he is in all of those categories, none is more impressive than what Herrera’s been able to accomplish in the blocked-shots department. He leads the nation in blocked shots per game, averaging 4.75 rejections per contest.
Herrera also sits just 44 blocks away from matching Rich Hillyer’s all-time Fort Lewis record of 204. He has 48 blocks through 11 games so far this season and appears poised to set a new school record in the category with a full senior season left to go.
Derrick White of UC-Colorado Springs scored 27 points in a win over CSU-Pueblo on Saturday to claim the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honor.
FLC is 8-3 and is tied for third place in the RMAC at 5-2 heading into Friday’s game at New Mexico Highlands.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
