Spartan Named NAC Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week

AURORA, Ill. December 6, 2006 - The Aurora University men’s basketball team received top conference honors as senior guard Darrick Leonard (Hazel Crest, IL/Rich Central H.S.) was named Northern Athletics Conference men’s basketball Student-Athlete of the Week.

Leonard led the Spartans to a 2-0 week that included a 85-69 defeat at then No. 14 ranked North Central College and a 101-94 win at Lakeland College in AU's NAC opener.

In the win over North Central, Leonard scored a game-high 26 points off the AU bench, while also bringing down seven rebounds and dishing eight assists. He was 17-of-19 from the free throw line and four of seven from the field. At Lakeland, he scored 23 points, grabbed five rebounds with three assists, three steals and was 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.

For the week, Leonard averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists, while shooting 47.6 percent (10-of-21) and going 27-of-32 from the free throw line (84.4%). So far this season, he is averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.25 assists and 2.0 steals per game

Leonard and the Spartan men are in action next tonight, Wednesday, December 6, when they host Wisconsin Lutheran College. Game time is at 7:00 p.m. in Thornton Gymnasium. The AU men are in action again on Saturday, December 9, 2006, when they travel to Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Game time is set for 4:15 p.m. in Watertown, WI.

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