By: Mark Wasik
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KENNESAW, Ga. – For the second straight week, Kennesaw State swept the Conference USA Men's Basketball Player and Freshman of the Week honors, as
RJ Johnson and
Trey Simpson combined for the top three scoring performances in the league while leading the Owls to a 2-0 week. This is the first career weekly honor for Johnson, and the third for Simpson after also being named a week ago.
A redshirt sophomore guard from Huntsville, Ala., Johnson scored a then career-high 26 points in a come-from-behind victory over FIU on Jan. 14, and followed that with another new career high with a 31-point explosion in a 16-point road win at Western Kentucky on Jan. 17. For the week, he averaged 28.5 points per game, 6.0 assists per game, and shot 63.6% (7-of-11) from three-point range, all of which were tops in CUSA over the past week.
In the win over FIU, the Owls trailed by 11 points with seven minutes left before he scored 11 of KSU's final 19 points. That included the go-ahead layup with 1:49 that put the Owls ahead for good. At Western Kentucky, he helped the Owls claim their first-ever road win in Bowling Green by adding nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks to his 31-point afternoon. He finished with 18 points in the second half, helping to turn a one-point deficit into a 19-point lead.
Simpson, a freshman forward from Evergreen, Ala., scorched the nets with a 28-point night in the win over FIU. He connected on eight three-point attempts, both tying to KSU school single game record while also tying for the most by any player in CUSA this season. In the win at Western Kentucky, he made a huge impact defensively, helping the Owls hold WKU to a season-low 29% shooting from the floor. In that contest, he posted four five defensive rebounds, blocked three shots and added a pair of steals.
For the week, Simpson averaged 16 points, 5.5 rebounds and three blocks per game while shooting 44% from the floor.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls, 12-6 overall and tied for third in CUSA at 4-3, will be on the road for a five-day trip to Texas and Louisiana, starting with Wednesday night's contest at Sam Houston in Huntsville. The game will tip at 7:30 p.m. (ET) and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
