Pinkney Dubbed USC Aiken Athletic Department Student-Athlete of the Week

AIKEN, S.C. - University of South Carolina Aiken women's basketball player Nakia Pinkney was selected as the USC Aiken Athletic Department Student-Athlete of the Week on January 25, 2010.

Pinkney averaged 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game in USC Aiken's three games last week. She concluded her week shooting 53.6 percent (15-for-28) from the field. She shot 60 percent (9-for-15) from beyond the arc.

In USC Aiken's road Peach Belt Conference win over North Georgia on Jan. 18, Pinkney concluded the Pacer victory with a career-best 21 points. She was 7-for-13 (54 percent) from the field in the victory. She was 5-8 (63 percent) on her three-point attempts in the game. The junior guard also had one block, three steals and two rebounds in the win. The 21 points bested her previous career high of 14 set in USC Aiken's home victory over Tusculum in the 2008-09 season.

Two days later, Pinkney (Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg-Wilkinson) scored seven points and dished out three assists in USC Aiken's home win over Flagler on Jan. 20.

Pinkney closed out one of the best weeks of her career by nearly collecting her first double-double in USC Aiken's game with nationally-ranked Lander at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 23. Pinkney scored 13 points and brought down nine rebounds in the game. Amazingly, seven of Pinkney's nine boards in the game came on the offensive glass.

The nine caroms in the Lander game tied Pinkney's career high in the category.

The USC Aiken Student Athlete of the Week award is a newly created award for the 2009-10 athletic year. Each week the USC Aiken athletic department is going to honor one individual from an in-season sport for their hard work and effort.

Check www.PacerSports.com throughout the course of the 2009-10 athletic year to learn more about USC Aiken's Student-Athlete of the Week award.