College Basketball
Skyhawks’ Herrera, Kuchar win weekly RMAC honors
COLORADO SPRINGS – This is getting familiar for Fort Lewis College center Alex Herrera.
Herrera, the Ignacio High School alumnus, won his fifth Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors this season. On Monday, he was selected after the Skyhawks’ weekend sweep at home over N.M. Highlands and Western N.M.
Herrera had 13 points, four blocked shots and three rebounds in the Skyhawks’ 30-point win Friday night over Western N.M., and he had 22 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a six-point win Saturday night over N.M. Highlands – an average of 17.5 points, 6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.
Herrera has 76 blocks this season, eight shy of the FLC single-season school record, and he leads the RMAC with 3.8 blocks per game. He ranks second in rebounding (9), third in field-goal percentage (59) and fifth in scoring (19).
Kuchar, coming off a career weekend and another Skyhawks’ sweep at home, was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week in women’s basketball. She averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal per game this weekend.
Kuchar matched her career high with 25 points in Friday’s win over Western N.M., then set a new career high with 28 points in Saturday’s win over N.M. Highlands. She had a career-high 13 rebounds Friday.
Kuchar ranks fifth in the RMAC with 16.5 points per game. She’s also third in 3-pointers (2.3), fourth in assists (4.5), free-throw percentage (88.7), minutes (34.8) and steals (2.1).
Westminster College makes it a Sweet 16 in the RMAC
COLORADO SPRINGS – Westminster College, an NAIA school from Salt Lake City, accepted an invitation to become the 16th member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The move is pending NCAA approval.
The RMAC Presidents Council unanimously voted to extend the invitation to to Westminster while attending the NCAA Convention in January at San Diego, and the colleges’ Board of Trustees unanimously approved the move early February.
If the NCAA signs off, then the Griffins would enter a three-year membership process, beginning RMAC competition as soon as the 2015-16 academic year.
Durango Herald
Syracuse remains unanimous at No. 1 in the AP Top 25
Syracuse is a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll for the second consecutive week, while Southern Methodist moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time in almost three decades.
The Orange (23-0) received all 65 first-place votes from the national media panel Monday. Arizona, Florida, Wichita State, San Diego State and Villanova remained second through sixth. Wichita State (25-0) is the only other unbeaten team in Division I.
SMU, which beat then-No. 7 Cincinnati last week, moved in at No. 23, the Mustangs’ first ranking since the penultimate poll of 1984-85, a season they were ranked as high as No. 2.
No. 1 UConn remains No. 1 after 31 wins in a row
Connecticut remained No. 1 in The Associated Press poll Monday after two more wins.
The Huskies routed SMU before beating No. 4 Louisville by 17 points Sunday and have won 31 in a row overall dating back to last season’s title run. UConn improved to 25-0 this season and is idle until visiting South Florida on Sunday.
Notre Dame, Duke, the Cardinals and South Carolina rounded out the top five.
NFL
Lions hire Broncos’ Cooter to coach Stafford, QBs
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Jim Bob Cooter was hired as quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions.
Cooter was an offensive assistant for the staff that led the Denver Broncos to the AFC championship last season.
Associated Press
