Basketball's DeDe Cotten Named UNCP Athlete Of The Week

PEMBROKE - After posting a pair of solid performances, including booking a new career high with five three pointers in a key home victory over Armstrong Atlantic, junior guard DeDe Cotton has been named this week's UNCP Athlete of the Week, athletic department officials announced Monday.

Cotton, a Fayetteville native and Seventy-First High School product, came off the bench in both games last week, but still averaged 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in pacing the Lady Braves to a pair of wins en route to clinching a spot in the 2011 Peach Belt Conference Tournament. As if the aforementioned numbers were not enough, the point guard connected also connected on 57.1 percent (12-of-21) of her shots from the field, including a blistering 57.1 percent (8-of-14) average from the perimeter.

Cotton began her week by connecting on five of her seven attempts from downtown en route to a 17-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist night against Armstrong Atlantic on Wednesday, but followed it up with an equally impressive day on the road against Flagler. In the regular season finale in St. Augustine, Fla., Cotten was just a basket off of her career-high point total, but still managed to pour in 20 points in the 71-51 victory on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. She also drained 3-of-4 from the perimeter against the Saints.

On the way to her third letter as a member of the UNCP women's basketball team, Cotten has played in 78 games over the course of her career, included in which is 27 starts. Through 26 games this season, she is averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per outing.