Pettaway Takes Weekly HCAC Honor

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Anthony Pettaway was named as the HCAC Player of the Week on Monday after helping Defiance to a pair of road victories. Pettaway registered the tenth and eleventh double-double performances of his career and led the Jackets to 16-point victories at Bluffton and Hanover.

Pettaway began the week by turning in his first double-double of the season with 13 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in an 86-70 victory over Bluffton on Wednesday. The Jackets led from the opening tip and handed Bluffton its first home loss since Feb. 4, 2005.

Pettaway followed that up with a 16-point, 11-rebound, three-block performance on Saturday, as DC bounced Hanover, 70-54, to secure the top spot in the HCAC standings. The six-foot, eight-inch center hauled in 10-or-more rebounds for the third-straight game and set a new career high with three blocks in the victory.

For the week, Pettaway averaged 14.5 point, 11.5 boards, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals in 33.5 minutes per game. The junior connected on 12-of-17 attempts from the floor for a 70.6-percent clip.

The weekly honor is the second in the career of Pettaway, who is currently averaging 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game and ranks 13th in the league in scoring and fourth in rebounds. The Preseason All-American is netting 12.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in HCAC action and is hitting 69.7 percent of his shots from the floor.

Defiance (5-3, 3-0 HCAC) stands alone atop the HCAC standings with its unblemished record and is off to its best start in league play since joining the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2000-2001. The Jackets have led or shared the lead in all 120 minutes of their three league victories.