Nov. 14, 2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State men's basketball junior guard Chase Tapley has been named the Mountain West Co-Player of the Week, the league announced Monday morning. The award, which is the first of his career, comes after he earned Most Valuable Player accolades as the Aztecs captured the title at the Basketball Travelers Classic this past weekend with victories against Bryant, Southern Utah and UC Davis.
A native of Sacramento, Calif., Tapley averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 5.0 steals per game, while shooting 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range (7-of-14), and 77.8 percent from the free-throw stripe (14-of-18). He also committed just four turnovers over 95 minutes of action.
Tapley registered his first career double-double with 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in Friday's 75-63 victory against Bryant, adding six assists and three steals. On Saturday, he chipped in 16 points, four assists, five steals and two rebounds as SDSU posted a 70-37 win against Southern Utah. In Sunday's 89-74 triumph against the Aggies, Tapley recorded his second 20-point outing in three days, netting 23 points and a career-high seven steals along with two rebounds and one assist. Prior to last weekend, Tapley had scored 20 points only once in his career.
San Diego State will now play its fourth game in five days as it faces off against No. 12 Baylor on Tuesday. The game is set for 11 a.m. PT on ESPN and is a part of the network's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.