Stephan Hicks Named Big West Player of the Week
Irvine, Calif. – Stephan Hicks, who helped lead Cal State Northridge to a spirited comeback road victory at Utah, has captured Big West Men's Basketball Player of the Week accolades.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward/guard contributed a team-high 19 points, nine rebounds and two steals as the Matadors clawed back from a 21-point halftime deficit, 48-27, to defeat the Utes of the Pac-12 Conference, 76-71, last Friday (12/21/12).
It marked the biggest come-from-behind victory in the 17-year tenure of CSUN head coach Bobby Braswell. In addition, it was the first CSUN victory over a Pac-12 school since Nov. 20, 2005, at USC (81-76 overtime win over the Trojans).
Hicks made 8 of 11 shots from the field en route to his 19 points, including eight in the deciding second half when the Matadors outscored Utah, 49-23.
Cal State Northridge also rode 14 points and eleven rebounds from Hicks in a 93-63 victory over San Diego Christian on Dec. 18, 2012. Hicks collected his fifth double-double of the season in the win. Hicks now has ten double-doubles in his two seasons at Cal State Northridge.
For the week, Hicks shot .571 (12-for-21) percent from the floor and averaged 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Hicks is enjoying an MVP season in helping the Matadors to a 9-3 overall record. The nine wins are the earliest the team has reached those numbers in the 55-year history of Matadors basketball.
CSUN's top scorer (17.8 ppg, #3 in the BWC) and top rebounder (8.5 rpg, #3 in the BWC) ... Also leads the team in steals (1.83 spg, #3 in the BWC) ... Has at least one steal in ten of the 12 games ... Hitting .532 (75-for-141, #4 in the BWC) from the floor and .864 (57-for-66, #3 in the BWC) from the charity stripe ... Earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the NUCDF Challenge at USD in helping CSUN to the team title (4-0) ... His success at the NUCDF Challenge earned him Big West Player of the Week honors ... Voted to the pre-season Big West All-Conference team ... Scored a season-high 25 points (9-for-10 from the floor, third-best for a single game in school history) and grabbed eight rebounds at USD (11/15/12) ... Added seven steals at USD (11/15/12), a career-best, and fifth-best for a single game in school history ... Also tallied 25 points along with eight rebounds at BYU (11/24/12) ... Has scored in double figures in all 12 games ... The team's top rebounder in eight of CSUN's 12 games ... Has five double-doubles (points-rebounds) this year including three of the last four games ... Has ten double-doubles in the last two seasons ... Voted the 2011-12 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year.