The Mountain West Conference announced on Monday that redshirt senior guard J.D. Paige has won Player of the Week honors for the first time in his collegiate career.
Paige led all CSU scorers in a thrilling 81-77 victory over Montana State last Wednesday with 23 points on 9-16 shooting from the floor. The Denver, CO native matched career-highs in both points and converted field goals against the Bobcats in that game.
Paige scored only nine points in the first half before leading the Rams to victory in the final 20 minutes. The guard tied the game at 69 after completing a 3-point play with under three minutes remaining in the contest.
Paige’s two-point jumper and production in the paint was close to automatic against Montana State. The redshirt senior made 8-9 shots inside the arc. Paige also tied the game again with under two minutes left by sinking a two-footer.
Overall, the redshirt senior is averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists per game in two games played thus far. Paige sat out CSU’s first game of the season, as he was serving the final game of a suspension appointed near the end of last season.
Paige scored 14 points on 5-6 shooting in his 2018-19 season debut against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 10. The guard also matched a career-high six assists against the Golden Lions, and chipped in four boards.
The Rams are back in action today at 3 p.m. MST against the University of Louisiana as bracket play of the Gulf Coast Showcase commences.
Louisiana hung tight with No. 2 Kansas on the road last Friday before suffering an 89-76 defeat. The 1-2 Ragin’ Cajuns returned over 60 percent of their scoring from last season and currently stand as 6.5-point favorites over CSU.
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Listen to the preview podcast for the Gulf Coast Showcase here.
