DALLAS – UTSA sophomore Jhivvan Jackson floated in the game-winner against state rival North Texas to secure his second Player of the Week award this season and the ninth C-USA weekly award in his career. UTEP guard Nigel Hawkins garnered the weekly freshman accolade after posting career highs in a buzzer-beater win over Rice. All C-USA weekly awards are presented by Top of the World. Awards are chosen by a vote from a media panel representing the 14 member schools.

Player of the Week
Jhivvan Jackson
Sophomore, 6-0, 160, G, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Jackson paced the Roadrunners in scoring during a pair of wins last week, extending UTSA’s winning streak to seven – the seventh-longest in the nation – while leading the Roadrunners to a school-record 4-0 start to conference play. In a victory over Rice, the sophomore totaled a game-high 24 points, in addition to five rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Bayamón, Puerto Rico, native led the Roadrunners again against North Texas in a battle for first place on Saturday. Jackson went a nearly perfect 5-for-6 from the line and turned in a team-high 17 points, tallying three assists, two rebounds and two steals. With the game tied at 74 with 1.6 seconds remaining, the guard netted the game-winning jumper to secure a 76-74 win. Since he returned to the starting lineup, UTSA is 8-1, with Jackson averaging 22.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. It is the ninth C-USA weekly award in Jackson’s decorated career.

Freshman of the Week
Nigel Hawkins
Freshman, 6-4, 185, G, Houston, Texas
Hawkins posted a career night against Rice, tallying a personal-best 24 points on a career-high nine field goals in a buzzer-beating 65-64 victory. The Houston product recorded a season-high 64.3 percent shooting percentage, adding on seven rebounds and an assist. He went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. The freshman’s efforts helped surge the Miners to their first league win of the season. On Thursday against North Texas, he scored 11 points, tallied three rebounds and dished out three assists. On the week, Hawkins averaged 17.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest. This is Hawkins’s first-career C-USA weekly award.