News

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Phil Argento, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team, has been selected as the National Christian College Athletic Association Player of the Week for the second time this season as he was honored for his performance during the week of January 13-19.

Argento, a 6-foot-2 senior guard from Grafton, Ohio, averaged 22 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and two steals for the week as the Cougars split a pair of games. The former All-Ohioan at Lutheran West High School shot 55.2 percent from the field (16-of-29), 40.9 percent from three-point range (9-of-22), and 75 percent from the free throw line (3-of-4).

Argento began the week with 24 points and two steals in an 82-71 loss to Ohio Dominican University. He also nailed five three-pointers in that contest as he became MVNU's career leader in that category. Then, he closed out the week with 20 points, three assists, two steals, and four more treys in an 85-69 victory over Urbana University.

For the season, Argento leads the team in scoring (21.6 points per game) and three-pointers made (81). He has also recorded 39 assists and 33 steals. He is shooting 45.5 percent from the field (147-of-323), 38.6 percent from three-point land (81-of-210), and 72.9 percent at the charity stripe (35-of-48). He became only the fourth player in school history to reach the 2,000-point mark on Tuesday night against Tiffin University, and he has now made 397 career three-pointers.

MVNU will return to action on Thursday when the Cougars will travel to Malone College for an American Mideast Conference South Division game that is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m.