Junior Michael Bryson collected Big West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors after averaging 23.5 points per game and leading UCSB to wins over Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge last week.
Michael Bryson led UCSB to wins over Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge
Bryson took hold of UCSB’s scoring and rebounding reins in the absence of 2014 Big West Player of the Year Alan Williams, who missed his sixth and seven straight games with a shoulder injury.
It was Bryson who helped the Gauchos improve to 5-2 without the services of Williams as UCSB knocked off Long Beach State at home, 70-55, and CSUN on the road, 65-57.
The 6-4 guard notched 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting against the 49ers. He knocked down a trio of three-pointers and hit all but one of his seven free throw attempts. Bryson also corralled a game-high nine rebounds.
In avenging an earlier loss this season to the Matadors, the Gauchos leaned on Bryson once again for offense, and he responded with a season-high 26 points and a team-high seven rebounds. He made 9-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, with the five three-point makes tying a season-best.
“Michael has really lit a fire under himself,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. “He has really stepped-up in a big way.
Bryson has scored 20 or more in three straight and four of the last five games. He has improved his scoring average to 14.3 points per game and his rebounding average to 4.8 per game, both season-highs. In the seven games that Alan Williams has missed, Bryson has averaged 18.9 points and 6.0 board per game.
