Heffernan Named Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week
Feb 3, 2014 | J.Crane
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that University of Dubuque basketball player Gage Heffernan (Dubuque, Iowa / Hempstead) and Loras basketball player Kaitlin Phillips have been named IIAC Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 2, 2014. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in six sports.
In addition to being named Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week, Heffernan earned Men's Basketball Performer of the Week. He averaged 23.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in two games as UD improved to 18-1 on the year. Heffernan opened the week with his fourth double-double of the year with 23 points and 15 rebounds (five-offensive/ten-defensive) versus Simpson on the LIVE telecast on KCRG 9.2. The Spartan junior finished the week with a career high 24 points against Coe as UD improved to 11-0 on Jon Davison Court.
Heffernan leads the IIAC with 35 steals including a conference best 14 in league action. He is also eighth in points per game (14.3), sixth in rebounds/game (6.8), second in free throw percentage (82.8%, 77-93), and eighth in field goal percentage (52.5%, 93-177). In eight Iowa Conference games, Heffernan is averaging 17.1 points/game and 7.6 rebounds/game. As a team, UD leads the IIAC in scoring margin (+10.8, 40th in Division-III), free throws made (363, 20th in D-III), three-point field goal defense (28.6%, 11th in D-III), steals (134), turnover margin (+2.68), and home attendance (8,620). The Spartans 94.7 winning percentage is the third best in Division-III.
The Spartans junior forward is the second UD student-athlete to earn Men's Basketbll Performer of the Week with Andre Norris (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) earning the honor four times. Dubuque sits alone at the top of the IIAC with a 7-1 record in conference action. Heffernan has scored double figures in seven straight games.
The complete list of IIAC Performers of the Week can be found at: IIAC Honors
UP NEXT: The Spartans will hit the road on Wednesday, February 5th with a trip to Wartburg College (10-9, 4-4 IIAC). Game time in Waverly is 8:00 pm. UD received votes (49) in the latest D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 - Week 9 released on February 3rd, one spot out of the Top 25.
Follow all UD Athletics action on Twitter at: @UDubuqueSports
