Kisielius Named CAA Player of the Week

Senior forward Laimis Kisielius earned the league accolade after averaging 23 points and connecting on 56.3 percent from 3-point range during the week.

01/28/08 4:30PM

Williamsburg - Tribe senior forward Laimis Kisielius was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week, the league office announced on Jan. 28. The Vilnius, Lithuania native averaged 23 points per game in the Tribe contests at Drexel on Jan. 23 and versus Old Dominion on Jan. 26. He becomes the first W&M player to earn conference player of the week honors since Corey Cofield won the accolade in November of 2004.

“One of the keys to our recent success has been the play of our seniors, and Laimis is a big part of that,” William and Mary head coach Tony Shaver said. “It is always nice to gain recognition from the conference, and I am happy for Laimis. His overall play is an important factor in our success, and he has been special offensively the last two or three games. While his scoring numbers are up, I am most pleased with his sharing of the basketball in finding his teammates and getting others open shots.”

Along with his 23 points per game over the two-game stretch, Kisielius shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the floor and 53.6 percent (9-of-16) from 3-point range. He also added three assists and 1.5 steals per game during the week.

In the Tribe’s overtime victory at Drexel, Kisielius finished with 20 points to go along with a 4-of-6 effort from 3-point range. He canned back-to-back trifectas to start the overtime period, staking the Tribe to an early five-point lead. He also had a trio of assists and two steals in the College’s first win in Philadelphia.

Kisielius turned in a career scoring night on Saturday against Old Dominion. The 6-8, 225-pounder finished with 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor. He connected on a career-high five 3-pointers in the victory, while also dishing out three assists compared to just one turnover in 34 minutes of action.

His three helpers against ODU allowed him to reach the 200 mark in his W&M career. Kisielius now ranks 18th on the Tribe’s career assists list. With the 46-point week, Kisielius is only eight points shy of the 1,000-point milestone. He will become the 29th player in the 102-year history of Tribe basketball to score 1,000 points in his career.

Kisielius and the Tribe will look to get back on the winning track when they return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at James Madison. The Tribe knocked off the Dukes in the teams’ meeting earlier this season, 69-66, in Williamsburg. Fans can catch the action over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley, Bill McDonald and Charlie Woollum on the call. The broadcast will also be available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.

Live video for the W&M-JMU game will also be available at the Duke’s Web site via the MadiZone. The cost for the live video and audio for Wednesday night’s game is $7.95. For more information visit JMUSports.com.