ATLANTA – After helping lead Austin Peay State University's basketball team to a pair of home wins over the week, graduate student DeMarcus Sharp has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week for the second time in his career, the league announced Monday.
Sharp averaged 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field in 35.5 minutes per night.
An 18-point, 10-rebound double-double by Sharp helped guide the Govs to their best offensive and defensive performance of the season in a blowout, 98-44 victory against Fisk Tuesday at F&M Bank Arena. The Govs' 98 points, 56.1 field-goal percentage, 44 points allowed, and 28.6 defensive field-goal percentage in the 54-point win all are season-best marks.
Sharp's double-double was his ASUN-best fourth of the season, while his 3:0 assist-to-turnover ratio marked his fourth time of at least doubling his assists over turnovers.
The Columbia, Missouri native followed his performance against the Eagles with a 20-point, nine-rebound, four-assist, 40-minute outing in a 53-49 victory against long-time rival Murray State, Saturday.Â
Sharp led a Govs' defensive unit that posted the lowest points-allowed total in the 82-year rivalry. It also is the first time Austin Peay has held back-to-back opponents under 50 points since Nov. 2001.
His 20 points led the game and marked his fifth 20-point performance of the season, as Austin Peay ended a three-game losing streak to their biggest rival in front of a sellout crowd of 5,808.
Sharp enters the sixth week of the regular season ranked top 25 nationally in nine categories, including made and attempted field goals (88-201, first), steals (29, eighth), points (210, 10th), minutes per game (37:01, 10th), steals per game (2.6, 16th) double-doubles (four, 21st), assists (55, 23rd) and defensive rebounds per game (6.8, 25th).
Austin Peay hits the road for a pair of games this week, beginning with a 7 p.m., Tuesday contest against Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Illinois, before then traveling to the Bluegrass State for a 2 p.m., Saturday game against Western Kentucky.Â
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