Thornton wins SSAC Defensive Player of the Week again

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Loyola Wolf Pack junior Deniya Thornton has once again been named Southern States Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.
 

This is Thornton's third defensive honor this season in addition to one conference weekly award on the offensive end. She has now won eight SSAC Player of the Week awards in the last two seasons, five defensive and three offensive, in addition to two national awards. 
 

Thornton's defense helped the Wolf Pack (20-2, 12-1 SSAC) earn two blowout wins against conference teams from Georgia in the last week: 97-47 over Abraham Baldwin and 74-51 over Thomas. 
 

Playing just 24 minutes against Abraham Baldwin, Thornton logged two steals and a block while leading the game in points with 17. In a closer game against Thomas, she recorded three steals and two fourth-quarter blocks. She also scored her 1,000th career point late in the Thomas game. 
 

Through the team's first 22 games, Thornton is averaging a team-high 2.8 steals per game, which also currently ranks third in the conference. She also leads the team in total blocks with 17, and her 16.4 points per game are tied for the team lead with Alissa O'Dell. 
 

With four games left in the regular season, Loyola has two SSAC road matchups this week. First, the team will travel to Mobile on Thursday before heading to Montgomery, Alabama, to play Faulkner on Saturday. 
 

Previous Winners (Offensive, Defensive) 

Week 1: Shakiria Chaney (ABAC), Shaneal Corpuz (William Carey)
Week 2: Ashley Dickey (UT Southern), Silkiari Vazquez-Troche (UT Southern)
Week 3: Silkiari Vazquez-Troche (UT Southern), Shaneal Corpuz (William Carey)
Week 4: Ramie Reid (UT Southern), LaTarius Montgomery (Thomas)
Week 5: Kennedy Collins (Thomas), LaTarius Montgomery (Thomas)
Week 6: Lamaria Jones (Mobile), Deniya Thornton (Loyola)
Week 7: Alissa O'Dell (Loyola), LaTarius Montgomery (Thomas)
Week 8: Lauren Smith (UT Southern), Ruthie Smith (Faulkner)
Week 9: Reese Riddle (ABAC), Shaneal Corpuz (William Carey)
Week 10: Ashley Dickey (UT Southern), Silkiari Vazquez-Troche (UT Southern)
Week 11: Deniya Thornton (Loyola), Deniya Thornton (Loyola)
Week 12: Alissa O'Dell (Loyola), Ruthie Smith (Faulkner)
Week 13: Ashley Dickey (UT Southern), Ashley Dickey (UT Southern)
Week 14: Ella Jane Connell (Faulkner), Cierra Highland (Mobile)

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