SUNY Potsdam sophomore Curtis Pierce has received the State University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men’s basketball for the week of Jan. 3-9, the league announced Monday, Jan. 10.

Pierce, a sophomore wing, averaged 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field in three games last week, helping the Bears move to 3-1 in SUNYAC play. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was Potsdam’s top scorer and rebounder while playing at least 33 minutes in each contest.

Despite being relatively undersized at 6-foot-2, Pierce has shown consistency playing in the frontcourt against taller opposing players.

“Curtis’s intensity and determination allow him to rebound against bigger guys … he just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Potsdam coach Sherry Dobbs said. “Offensively, he uses angles and is very efficient. It doesn’t take him many shots for him to score 13-14 points per game.”

In Saturday’s 55-54 victory over Geneseo in Potsdam, Pierce totaled 18 points and eight rebounds and converted five free throws in the second half to help the Bears hold off the Blue Knights. One day earlier, in Potsdam’s 74-60 home win against Brockport, Pierce recorded his second double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

For the season, Pierce leads the team in scoring (13.3 points per game), rebounding (8.5 per game), field goal percentage (53.6 percent) and minutes (31.9 per game).

Each week, SUNYAC sports information directors nominate student-athletes from their respective institutions for each sport and each player of the week is selected by the league's administration.

To see a complete list of this week's winners, visit: www.sunyac.com.