EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern sophomore Ashley Deary has been named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, the conference announce Monday. The point guard scored a team-high 18 points and handed out a season-high 10 assists in her team's 77-70 victory over Michigan State on Sunday, January 11.
Deary was instrumental in helping the Wildcats complete the season sweep of the Spartans. She secured her second double-double of the season and the second in her blossoming career. In the first half against MSU, Deary was scoring at will; the Flower Mound, Texas, native scored 16 points and handed out four assists in 17 minutes of first-half action.
With her team down 14-5 less than five minutes into the game, Deary scored eight unanswered points all by herself to pull Northwestern quickly to within one. She then assisted on Maggie Lyon's jumper that gave the 'Cats the lead for good Sunday. Deary added a second three-pointer and she scored 11 of her 18 points during NU's 20-0 run against Michigan State that spanned 5:53.
In the second half, Deary showcased her skills as a distributor. The point guard handed out six assists during the second half, all without committing a turnover. She also added two offensive rebounds, two points and her only steal during the final period. Deary, who leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA in steals per game, has notched at least one theft in 18 consecutive contests.
After handing out a season-high 10 assists Sunday, Deary vaulted into third place on the current Big Ten leaderboard with 5.1 per game. Her assist/turnover ratio is tops among all B1G players in conference games at 4.2.
Deary, who claims her first Player of the Week award, missed only one shot Sunday, shooting 87.5 percent (7-for-8) from the field. She nailed both 3-point attempts and both free throws en route to her 18-point performance.
Deary becomes the second different member of the Wildcats to earn Big Ten Player of the Week accolades this season. Nia Coffey earned the honor on Dec. 1, 2014 after helping the 'Cats down DePaul on the road in double overtime. Deary shares the honor this week with Rutgers' Betnijah Laney.
Northwestern makes its return to the hardwood on Wednesday, January 14 with a tough test at Iowa. The contest will tip-off at 7 p.m. The Wildcats will be back at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday, January 17 to host the Michigan Wolverines at 5 p.m. That game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
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