RIchardson-Smith Named BIG EAST, MBWA Player of the Week
1/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK - Women's basketball senior guard Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks, the league announced on Monday (Jan. 18). It is the seventh career Player of the Week nod for Richardson-Smith and the fifth time this season she has received a weekly accolade (two Player of the Week, three weekly Honor Roll) from the conference, including the last three weeks since league action has begun. On Tuesday (Jan. 19) Richardson-Smith added a Player of the Week laurel from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Assocation, the first MBWA award for a Pirate this season.
Richardson-Smith averaged 24.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in The Hall's 1-1 week, pushing her scoring average to 23.3 points per game in conference play to lead the BIG EAST. After a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in a setback at Villanova on Jan. 15, Richardson-Smith reeled off 29 points and added eight rebounds in an 83-75 victory at Georgetown on Jan. 17. With the 49 combined points on the weekend she moved into fourth on Seton Hall's all-time scoring list with 1,658 career points.
During league play, Richardson-Smith ranks first in the BIG EAST in scoring and sixth in the league with 7.6 rebounds per contest. Her full-season averages of 18.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game rank third and seventh in the league, respectively. She also checks in at second in the conference with an 83.5 percent mark from the free throw line and went 10-for-10 from the stripe last week.
The Pirates return to action on Friday, Jan. 24 to host Xavier at Walsh Gymnasium. Tip-off with the Musketeers, who share a 14-4 record with The Hall, is set for 7 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network and FOX Sports GO.
