Nov. 13, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State senior guard Brandon Heath has been named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week to open the 2006-07 campaign. The award extends his school record for most weekly awards to six after he earned the honor three times as a junior and twice as a sophomore.
Heath, the Shamrock Invitational most valuable player, hit the game-winning shot in each of the first two nights and averaged 22.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals, while playing 117 of a possible 120 minutes in the process. The Los Angeles native led the team in scoring, was second in assists, third in rebounds, and produced three consecutive 20-point scoring games.
With three double-digit scoring games over the weekend, Heath has produced double figures in 28 consecutive games, which times him with Marcus Slaughter for the third-longest streak in school history (four short of SDSU record-holder Zack Jones). He has 82 double-figure scoring games and 41 20-plus scoring efforts in 95 career games.
More impressive, Heath has made seven shots in his career that have given his team a lead it did not relinquish with less than 1:45 to play in the contest (he also has one other clutch shot that tied a game using the same criteria). In addition, he had four or more rebounds in all three games, lifting San Diego State's record to 16-0 since the beginning of the 2005-06 season when he records at least four rebounds in a game.
Heath also passed the 200 career three-point field goal plateau (202) with his eight three-point makes over the course of the three opening games.
Heath helped San Diego State open the season 3-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season and for just the second time without the benefit of a home game in 86 seasons of basketball at the Shamrock Invitational in Moraga, Calif. The Aztecs recorded three wins against teams that combined to go 67-25 last season, including a win over defending Ohio Valley champion Murray State, the West Coast Conference runner-up from last season Saint Mary's and the fifth-ranked team in the Division II preseason poll, Seattle Pacific. The perfect weekend allowed SDSU to claim the Shamrock Invitational, its first in-season tournament title since SDSU won the Holiday Bowl Classic in 1987.
Heath at the Shamrock Invitational
vs. Murray State - W, 87-84 (Fri., Nov. 10): Heath lifted San Diego State to victory over a Murray State squad that won 24 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament a year ago by scoring a game-high 27 points, adding a team-high five rebounds, making a steal with four seconds left and nailing a three-point field goal from midcourt at the buzzer to give SDSU a three-point victory... He connected on 8-of-17 attempts from the floor and 5-of-10 from three-point range... The senior also was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line... He added three assists, one steal and had just one turnover in 39 minutes of action.
at Saint Mary's - W, 74-73 (Sat., Nov. 11): San Diego State needed help disposing of the West Coast Conference runner-up from last season and once again it was Brandon Heath to the rescue... Trailing by a point with 17 seconds remaining, Heath stepped to the line and sank two free throws that proved to be the difference as SDSU won 74-73... Heath scored 20 points, added a game-high six assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes of action... He went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, extending his consecutive free throw streak to 17 consecutive makes dating back to last season.
vs. Seattle Pacific - W, 76-73 (Sun., Nov. 12): With only eight scholarship players in uniform, San Diego State needed another big night from its captain to close out a perfect week against a top Division II program, and it got one... Heath scored 20 points and added four rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Aztecs... The senior connected on 6-of-12 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 from bonus distance... It marked his third consecutive 20-point effort during the Shamrock Invitational.