Melijah Sullivan, Sydney Kin Sweep SSC Honors For Frontrunner Spartans

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The University of Tampa women's basketball team received a pair of individual honors following a week that featured a pair of victories over top Sunshine State Conference opponents.

Melijah Sullivan was named the SSC Player of the Week, while teammate Sydney Kin repeated as the SSC Defensive Player of the Week.

Sullivan earns Player of the Week accolades for her performance in wins over two SSC opponents at the top of the league standings. The Bartow, Florida product tallied 18 points, and seven rebounds as Tampa defeated Nova Southeastern, 78-77, in Fort Lauderdale. The senior then posted 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds in Tampa's 56-54 win against No. 8 Eckerd. Sullivan drew a foul on a successful jump shot with the Spartans trailing by one point in the game's final possession. She hit the ensuing free throw to secure the two-point win and pull Tampa into a tie for first in the league standings at 8-1 with Eckerd. Sullivan totaled 33 points last week by shooting 58% from the field (11-19) and 92% from the free-throw line (11-12). She averaged 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while playing 64 minutes. The weekly award is the fifth of her career.

Kin repeats as Defensive Player of the Week with her efforts in wins over two SSC opponents at the top of the league standings. The Carey, Ohio native tallied two steals, a block, and six defensive rebounds in UT's 78-77 win at Nova Southeastern. Against No. 8 Eckerd, Kin tallied four blocks and nine defensive rebounds, helping the Spartans secure a 56-54 win. Kin scored 37 points and recorded six offensive rebounds in the two contests. The weekly award is the fifth of her career.

Sunshine State Conference Athletes of the Week are chosen from a pool of nominees for their performances during the week of January 9 - 15, 2023. Athletic Communication Directors of member institutions nominate athletes.

2022-23 SSC Women's Basketball Award Winners (Player; Defense)
Nov. 14: Sydney Kin (Tampa); Lauryn Vieira (Eckerd)
Nov. 21: Mya Giusto (Tampa); Sydney Kin (Tampa)
Nov. 28: Maddie Frederick (NSU); Domenica Zamora (FSC)
Dec. 5: Maya Price (Eckerd); Lauryn Vieira (Eckerd)
Dec. 12: Maya Price (Eckerd); Sofia Persson (Eckerd)
Dec. 20: Sydney Kin (Tampa); Aiste Vaitekunaite (Florida Tech)
Jan. 2: Mariyah Fletcher (PBA); Jumoke Adaramoye (Saint Leo)
Jan. 9: Ella Fiore (Lynn); Sydney Kin (Tampa)
Jan. 16: Melijah Sullivan (Tampa); Sydney Kin (Tampa)