DePaul University Athletics
January Named BIG EAST Player of the Week
11/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul guard Jessica January was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week on Monday. The Blue Demon senior averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals at the Gulf Coast Showcase over the weekend.
January led DePaul to a 2-1 record at the showcase as the Blue Demons recorded wins over Western Kentucky (77-69), who was receiving votes in both national polls, and then-No. 11/18 Syracuse (108-84). January was also named to the five-person Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament team.
Against Syracuse, January nearly recorded a triple double with 18 points, a career-high 13 assists, eight rebounds and three steals. The Richfield, Minn. native's 13 assists ties for the fifth most by a Division I player this season and are the most by any player in the league this season.
In the Blue Demons' win over Western Kentucky, January tied a season-high with 25 points which included a 9-for-10 mark from the free throw line. She also added seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.
For the weekend, January went 16-for-18 (.889) from the free throw line and was 14-of-27 from the field. She played all but 23 minutes of the tournament.
This is January's second BIG EAST Player of the Week nod this season and fourth of her career.
January enters this week leading the BIG EAST in assists (7.0), is second in scoring (18.5), third in steals (3.2), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) and fourth in free throw percentage (.852). Nationally, January ranks 11th in assists per game, 10th in total assists (42) and 22nd in steals (19).
Following DePaul's third-place finish at the Gulf Coast Showcase, the Blue Demons moved up to No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll. The team's No. 15 ranking is its highest since 2011 when the Blue Demons were ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press Poll which was released on March 7.
DePaul continues its difficult non-conference schedule this week when it travels to No. 2/2 Connecticut for a 7 p.m. (CT) game on Dec. 1. Thursday's tilt can be seen live on SNY and on ESPN3.
