News

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Phil Argento, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team, has been selected as the American Mideast Conference, NAIA Region IX, and National Christian College Athletic Association Player of the Week for his performance during the week of January 20-26.

Argento, a 6-foot-2 senior guard from Grafton, Ohio, averaged 29.7 points over three games as the Cougars went 1-2. The former All-Ohioan at Lutheran West High School shot 46.4 percent from the field (32-of-69), 40.5 percent from three-point range (17-of-42), and 80 percent at the charity stripe (8-for-10). He also grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists, and recorded seven steals.

Argento began the week with 23 points and three steals in an 87-78 loss to Tiffin University. In that game, he became only the fourth player in school history to top the 2,000-point mark in career scoring. He followed that performance with 26 points, three steals, and two assists in a 93-76 setback at Malone College. In that contest, he nailed five three-pointers to become only the second collegiate player in Ohio history to make 400 career treys. Then, Argento closed out the week with a career-high 40 points in a 78-77 win at Walsh as he scored 30 points in the second half to rally MVNU from an 18-point halftime deficit.

On the season, Argento leads the Cougars in scoring with a 22.5 points per game average that ranks him among the top 15 in NAIA Division II. He has made 97 three-pointers this season and is shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. He has also recorded 44 assists and a team-high 39 steals. For his career, Argento now ranks second on MVNU's all-time scoring list with 2,093 points.

The Cougars are currently 14-8 overall and 3-7 in AMC South Division play. MVNU will return to action on Saturday when the team will travel to Cedarville University for a conference game against the 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets at 7:30 p.m.