Feb. 18, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Announced by the conference today, the Atlantic 10 has named La Salle University Women's Basketball player Carlene Hightower Player of the Week for the third time this season, thanks - in part - to her 30-point performance against Fordham, Saturday.

Hightower helped the Explorers to their second straight victory in an 84-67 victory over Fordham. She registered her second 30+ point game of the season - which leads the conference - on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, including hitting a career-high six three-point baskets on eight attempts. She added four rebounds two steals and two assists to her totals, while playing just 21 minutes in the contest.

This was the third time in her career that Hightower has scored at least 30 and she becomes the first player with three or more 30+ games since Chrissie Donahue (1993-97), who also had three in her career. This is the 10th time this season she scored at least 20 points - which is also tied for tops in the A-10 - and the 26th time in her career.  She has now scored 80 points in the last three games, while also hitting 12 three pointers.

This is Hightower's second straight A-10 Player of the Week nod - also getting it last week - third of the season and fifth of her career. Only Massachusetts' Kate Mills has more honors this season than Hightower and only two other players - Sabrina Gregory of Charlotte and Nikki Oakland of Dayton - have been named twice.

Joining her as A-10 Player of the Week was Temple's Lady Comfort, while Saint Joseph's Sarah Acker and Xavier's Ta'Shia Phillips shared the A-10 Rookie of the Week honor. This is the second straight week that all three Philadelphia A-10 schools have been honored on the conference's weekly release despite it not happening in the previous 12 years that all three had been in the league.

La Salle (11-14, 3-7 A-10) will look to make it three in a row when the Explorers travel to Rhode Island Wednesday night for a game with the Rams tipping at 7 PM.