C'ville's Ballinger named NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week

Campbellsville University senior forward Whitney Ballinger was announced as the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association’s  Division I Women’s Basketball Co-Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday after scoring 32 points against No. 1 Union University Saturday.

Ballinger led all scorers in a 66-63 loss by the then-fourth-ranked Lady Tigers to the defending national champions. In the loss, the Carrollton, Ky., native shot 53.6 percent from the floor and also grabbed 11 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist.

Joining Ballinger as a Student-Athlete of the Week selection was senior guard Katie DeWitt of Northwestern College (Minn.). Dewitt had 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in an 81-80 overtime win over the University of Wisconsin-Superior in NCAA Division III action. Her three-point basket at the end of regulation forced the overtime period.

This is Ballinger’s first NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week honor this season after winning the award a record five times last year.

Campbellsville, now ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, returns to action Thursday at the University of Rio Grande at 6 p.m.

In other area women’s college basketball:

Centre 83, Spalding 74

Centre built a 14-point halftime lead and cruised from there Tuesday to improve to 4-3 on the season.

Maggie Prewitt’s 26 points paced Centre. Angela Tronzo, a Bethlehem product, contributed nine points, five rebounds and four assists to the winning effort.