- Simba French
- Dec 13, 2023
- 0
Bahamian collegiate basketball players Garvin Clarke Jr. and Lathaniel Bastian received weekly honors from their respective conferences in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (D-II) basketball this week.
Clarke, who transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), over the summer, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. The PSAC made the announcement on Monday afternoon.
Over the week of December 4-10, Clarke was a star for the IUP Crimson Hawks, leading them to victory in their only game of the week. He had a near-triple double as they took down the Point Park University Pioneers, 74-64, on Sunday. He put up a team-high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists. The guard was also able to come away with three steals in the 38 minutes on the floor.
In that game, which was played on their home court at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Clarke went 7-for-19 from the field and made all but two of his nine free throw attempts in the win.
The Crimson Hawks were down 21-5 early in the game, but they chipped away at that lead, eventually pulling ahead 28-26 on two free throws from Clarke with 2:03 left in the first half. The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball player made a jump shot with five seconds left in the first half to put them up 34-29 at the intermission.
The second half was dominated by the Crimson Hawks. They return to action at 7:30 p.m. on Monday when they take on the Mansfield University Mounties in a PASC home game.
Bastian’s defensive prowess helped the Falcons to a perfect 2-0 win/loss record on the week, playing both games on their home floor at the Falcon Dome in Odessa, Texas. They took care of the Oklahoma Christian University Eagles, 76-73, and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Lions, 75-62.
In the win against the Lions, Bastian was disruptive on the glass, coming way with a season-high 17 rebounds that included eight offensive boards and nine defensive rebounds. He had a block and a steal each in that game in 27 minutes on the floor. He shot the ball well, going 5-for-9 from the field and he also went 6-for-10 from the charity stripe, finishing with 16 points.
Bastian posted another double-double in the game against the Eagles, scoring 10 points and pulling down a game-high 12 boards in 32 minutes on the floor. He had nine defensive rebounds and three offensive boards. The forward had two blocks in the win.
Bastian averaged 13 points and a whopping 14.5 rebounds during the week. He was the first Falcons player to win that defensive honor since January 2018.
The Falcons spent the week holding their opponents to an average of 67.5 points per game.
Bastian played against his former school, Angelo State University, yesterday, and the Falcons lost that game on the road, falling 74-65 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena in San Angelo, Texas.
Bastian played 30 minutes and finished 4-for-10 from the field. He scored 13 points and had a game-high 14 rebounds in the loss.
Bastian and the Falcons will play the Navajo Technical University (NTU) Skyhawks in their next game, Monday starting at 7 p.m. at the Falcon Dome in Odessa, Texas.