SEWARD, Neb. – Named GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Basketball Player of the Week earlier in the day, junior guard Mary Janovich was upgraded to NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Player of the Week on Tuesday (Dec. 6) afternoon. A second team all-conference selection as a sophomore, Janovich helped lead seventh-ranked Concordia to a victory over No. 1 Dakota Wesleyan last week. She has now earned the conference weekly award twice in her career. This marks her first-ever national honor.
During last week’s action, the Gretna, Neb., native filled the stat sheet with averages of 17.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. She made 14-of-22 (.636) shots from the field, 4-of-10 (.400) attempts from 3-point range and all three shots from the free throw line. Defensively, Janovich has been a force for a team that generates an average of 27.8 turnovers per game from its opponents. Janovich ranks 11th nationally with 3.33 steals per game.
The Gretna High School product has appeared in 65 games during her career as a Bulldog. She has tallied 669 points, 217 rebounds, 149 steals and 133 assists. She’s played in six national tournament games and was a member of the 2014-15 national runner-up squad.
In recent seasons, head coach Drew Olson’s program has also had two other players collect national player of the week awards. Late in the 2011-12 season, Amber Kistler broke the school single-game scoring record with 37 points and was rewarded with the national weekly award. Two years later, star guard Baily Morris earned the same recognition after shattering Kistler’s record by putting up 45 points in a win over Northwestern.
Janovich and the Bulldogs (11-1, 6-0 GPAC) will return to action on Wednesday for a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, where it will play No. 9 Morningside (7-3, 2-2 GPAC) at 6 p.m. CT. Concordia has won 11-straight games.
Other national player of the week nominees: Mackenzie Campbell, Indiana East; Candace Rhodes, Point (Ga.); Shann Sellers, Friends (Kan.); Clarissa Perez, Antelope Valley (Calif.); Sarah Miller, Ave Maria (Fla.); Keanna Gary, Indiana Tech; Haley Woodruff, Indiana Wesleyan; Kyra Dewald, Jamestown (N.D.); Autumn Durand, Southern Oregon; Jordan Giddings, St. Francis (Ill.).
