Feb. 16, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson earned her league-record tying fifth SEC Freshman of the Week selection of the season, the league office announced today. Wilson is the sixth in conference history to receive five Freshman of the Week nods, joining teammate Alaina Coates, who earned the distinction last season. Wilson averaged 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds last week, making her the Gamecocks’ top scorer and second-leading rebounder.
At No. 2/2 UConn, Wilson was efficient on the big stage, shooting 50 percent from the field and the free throw line. Later in the week, the freshman led South Carolina as they bounced back, netting a career-high 26 points against LSU in just 25 minutes. The Hopkins, S.C., native scored eight of her 26 points in a 16-4 run that broke the game open midway through the first half. She was also stellar from the free throw line, hitting 11-of-15, tying the South Carolina freshman record for free throw attempts in a game. Her 11 made free throws are second most by a freshman in program history.
On Sunday, the versatile player needed just 20 minutes to pour in 20 points in a win over Vanderbilt, becoming the first Gamecock freshman to record back-to-back 20-point games in SEC play. Wilson again helped break the game open in the first half, scoring seven unanswered points to turn a three-point lead into a 10-point margin in a one-minute span.
For the season, Wilson is averaging 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in each statistic. She is the only freshman to rank in the SEC’s top 20 in both scoring and rebounding, landing a top-10 spot in both categories. In her rookie season, Wilson has posted four 20-point games while reaching double figures 21 times in 25 contests and has led the Gamecocks in scoring a team-high 12 times.
South Carolina hits the road to face Arkansas on Thu., Feb. 19, at 9 p.m. on the SEC Network. The Gamecocks return to Colonial Life Arena for their final two home regular-season contests, starting with their Play 4 Kay game presented by Academy Sports against Tennessee on Mon., Feb. 23, followed by Mississippi State on Thu., Feb. 26.
