ST. LOUIS - Blake Simmons of Evansville and Meredith Hamlet of Valparaiso have been selected Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Week, presented by Enterprise Bank and Trust Company, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today. The two athletes were honored for their performances during the period of December 11- December 17.
To qualify for Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.
Redshirt freshmen and first-year junior college transfers are not eligible. In addition to the academic qualifications, student-athletes are evaluated on their athletic performance during the one-week period.
Blake Simmons, Evansville, Sr., Basketball, Sport Management, 3.83 GPA
Evansville senior Blake Simmons has continued his banner season in his final year with the Purple Aces. In victories over Austin Peay and Midway, Simmons averaged 18 points per game while shooting 60% from the field (12-for-20). He started the week hitting six out of nine shots against the Governors, finishing with 18 points. The Newburgh, Ind. native was on the floor for 42 minutes in the win. He followed that performance with another 18-point effort on Sunday against the Eagles. For the week, he was 5-for-8 from behind the arc.
Meredith Hamlet, Valparaiso, Jr., Basketball, Public Relations, 3.48 GPA
Valparaiso junior Meredith Hamlet netted 23 points before halftime on Friday against IU-Northwest and finished the night 8-of-10 shooting, 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and 8-for-8 at the free-throw line for 29 points, matching a career high and reaching that total for the third straight season. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, there have been 11 occasions where a Valpo player has hit five or more three-pointers in a game. Hamlet has accounted for seven of those, with Dani Franklin and Hannah Schaub also having a pair of five five-pointer games apiece.
About Enterprise Bank and Trust Company
Enterprise Bank & Trust was founded nearly 30 years ago on the idea of serving the lifetime financial needs of privately-held businesses, their owner families and other success-minded individuals. That concept for Enterprise Bank & Trust has remained its unwavering and guiding vision. Enterprise Bank and Trust tailors its services to fit the needs of our clients and has all the capabilities of the largest financial companies with the personal relationship orientation of a community bank. Enterprise Bank and Trust offers a comprehensive array of banking, trust and financial advisory services. Member FDIC.