For the third time this season, Northern Kentucky’s Tayler Persons has been named the Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week. He earned the distinction this week for his efforts on the road against Jacksonville and North Florida.
“Tayler has had such a tremendous impact for us this entire season,” said head coach Dave Bezold. “Last weekend was no different. He was absolutely masterful against Jacksonville and it is great to see his achievements be honored by the conference.”
In Thursday’s game at Jacksonville, Persons connected on 14-of-25 shot attempts en route to 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. His scoring and rebounding outputs in the game were both career-highs.
The double-double versus Jacksonville was the second-straight for the Kokomo, Indiana (Kokomo High School), native, who also posted a 16-point, 11-rebound effort in the previous game against Stetson. It marked the first time since January 2011 in which a men’s basketball player recorded consecutive double-doubles and the first time since December 2007 for a Norse to score 30 or more points as part of a double-double.
Malcom Eleby posted back-to-back double-doubles at Wisconsin-Parkside (13 points, 12 rebounds) and at Bellarmine (13 points, 12 rebounds). Travis Rasso tallied 31 points and 14 rebounds in a December 2007 game against Indiana-East.
Persons followed with 10 points, three boards and a pair of assists in a 4-for-8 shooting effort at North Florida.
NKU’s starting point guard was also tabbed A-Sun Newcomer of the Week and Mid-Major Madness Freshman of the Week after scoring 30 points against Chattanooga and posting 16 points and eight boards at Morehead State. Persons collected his first A-Sun Newcomer of the Week Award following NKU’s road trip to Eastern Washington and Idaho.
The Norse travel to Kennesaw, Georgia, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to play Kennesaw State in its last A-Sun road game of the season.
Text, photo from NKU Athletics