Tamika
Dudley named Northeast Conference Player of the Week
Jan. 14, 2002
Blackbirds forward
Tamika Dudley (Woodbridge, VA), who is putting together another
phenomenal season, today was honored as the Northeast Conference
Player of the Week for the period from January 7-13.
Dudley began her week
Monday against St. Francis (NY) with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting
and nine rebounds over 36 minutes to become the first two-time
“Battle of Brooklyn” MVP in LIU’s 70-57 victory.
Dudley also became the 12th Blackbird to reach 1,000 career points,
doing so on a layup with 6:09 left.
The unanimous preseason
All-NEC selection continued her torrid pace Saturday against Monmouth
with 19 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of
the season and 15th career. The Blackbirds trailed most of the
second half before Dudley hit 1-of-2 free throws with 3.4 seconds
left for an 81-80 lead. Dudley knocked the ball away from the
Hawks’ LaToya Thompson to preserve the win.
Dudley has scored in
double figures the last 12 games, averaging 17.9 points over that
stretch while shooting 61 percent from the floor. She is first
for the Blackbirds and fourth in the NEC in both points (17.0)
and rebounds (7.9) per game.
Thanks to Dudley’s
efforts, LIU (7-6, 4-0 NEC) has won six of its last 10 games overall,
is off to its best NEC start in school history and is 3-0 in January
for the first time since 1982.
Dudley’s accomplishments
are not limited to last week. She was named to the all-tournament
team at the Southwest Lobo Shootout in Albuquerque, NM from December
21-22, closing with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting with 17 rebounds.
Dudley has scored at least 20 points five times this season.
Last season was a breakthrough
campaign for Dudley, who averaged 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds
per game and was named to the All-NEC and All-Met teams. Her crowning
achievement came in the NEC semifinals, scoring 31 points over
45 minutes in LIU’s 80-74 come-from-behind overtime win over
Quinnipiac.
Dudley closed the tournament
with 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to capture MVP honors
as the Blackbirds clinched their first NEC championship and their
first NCAA Tournament appearance.
It is the second NEC
Player-of-the-Week award for Dudley, who was so honored on February
5, 2001.
LIU visits Fairleigh
Dickinson tonight at 7:00 and returns home Saturday to host Robert
Morris at 2:00.
