Eastern Michigan Athletics
McKinney Named MAC West Player of the Week
2/20/2006 1:34:10 PM | Women's Basketball
This marks the first time in her career she has won the weekly honor.
CLEVELAND, Ohio –- Sophomore guard Patrice McKinney (Lansing, Mich.-Everett (Michigan State)) was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 19, 2006. This marks the first time in her career she has won the weekly honor.
McKinney averaged 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals as EMU went 2-0 on the road and clinched a share of the West Division title. In a 63-37 win at Northern Illinois, McKinney had 11 points, three boards and four assists. She followed with a monster game at Toledo when she posted a team-high 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, added five assists and five steals in a 73-49 triumph. She made 13-of-26 shots (50.0 percent) on the week.
McKinney has been making heads turn throughout the Mid-American Conference this season. After struggling to begin the season, the Lansing native is averaging 8.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 24 games for the Eagles.
McKinney is playing only her second season of college basketball in four years and her first in an Eastern Michigan uniform. A Nike All-American finalist in high school, she redshirted the 2002-03 season at Michigan State after suffering a torn ACL before the season started. McKinney returned in 2003-04 to play in all 30 games for the Spartans, as MSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. Following the season she elected to transfer to EMU and due to NCAA transfer rules, had to sit out the 2004-05 campaign.
The Eagles are next in action Wednesday, Feb. 22, when they battle the Western Michigan University Broncos. With the WMU loss Saturday evening to Ball State, Eastern can capture the outright West Division championship with a victory. Tip-off is scheduled of 7 p.m. at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
