ST. LOUIS – Missouri State guard Alston Mason (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday (Dec. 27).
Mason helped the Bears to a 2-0 week, including a convincing 79-57 home victory over Lindenwood on Dec. 19 in the first-ever meeting between the schools, and a 69-64 “quad one” road win at Saint Mary’s (Calif.) on Dec. 23.
For the week, Mason led all MVC players in scoring average, pouring in 26.5 points per game, and total assists (14). He also played 37.0 minutes per game while dropping in seven 3-pointers, six rebounds and a pair of steals for the week.
His game-high 19 points at Saint Mary’s included 10 points in the final six minutes of the game and 15 points in the second half to help MSU overcome a double-figure deficit on the road. He also dished out 7 assists against the Gaels and finished 7-of-9 at the free throw line in the thrilling win.
Against Lindenwood, he notched a career-high 34 points with 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, while converting 5 threes and 7-of-8 free throws. He also shot 52% from the field for the night while posting the 25th-highest single-game scoring total in program history.
Mason’s assist (14) and scoring totals (53) for the week both ranked as the 12th-best in Division I during that period.
He is the second Missouri State player this season to earn MVC Player of the Week honors, joining teammate Matthew Lee (Nov. 27) on the elite conference list of outstanding weekly performers.
The Bears (9-4) resume MVC play on Wednesday, Jan. 3 when they host Northern Iowa at Great Southern Bank Arena at 8:00 p.m.
