Lurken Earns Third MAC East Player of the Week Honor
2/21/2017 3:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Senior Larissa Lurken has been named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Lurken delivered yet another big game to lead Kent State past Ohio, 83-77 in overtime, for the biggest win of her collegiate career. The high-scoring guard had 10 of her game-high 31 points in the overtime period to lead the Golden Flashes into a tie for first place in the MAC East. Trailing by three with under two minutes left in the extra session, Lurken scored two baskets to put Kent State ahead and then drew a charge before connecting on four straight free throws as part of a 9-0 run to pull away from the Bobcats. She added three rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
During the contest, Lurken set a MAC single-season record for free throws made. Her 223 conversions from the charity stripe are 10 more than any other player in the country has even attempted this season and 52 away from former Drake star Lori Bauman's NCAA Division I record.
Lurken is on pace to break Kent State's single-season scoring average record and currently ranks sixth in the country at 23.2 points per game. She is the only Division I player averaging at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 block and 2.0 three-point field goals per game.
Kent State will go for a pair of sweeps against MAC East opponents this week, beginning Wednesday night at Bowling Green. The Flashes return to the M.A.C. Center to host rival Akron on Saturday at 2 p.m.
