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MVNU's Falkenberg Claims Player of the Week Honors
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director

Photo of Ben Falkenberg

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Ben Falkenberg, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team, has been selected as the American Mideast Conference and National Christian College Athletic Association Player of the Week for his performance during the week of February 13-19.

Falkenberg, a 5-foot-11 freshman guard from Wadsworth, Ohio, led the Cougars to a 2-0 record for the week as MVNU closed out the regular season and earned a number one seed in the AMC Tournament. The former Wadsworth High School star averaged 27.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game off the bench while shooting 63.3 percent from the field (19-for-30), 50.0 percent from three-point range (9-for-18), and 77.8 percent at the free throw line (7-for-9).

Falkenberg began the week with a career-high 32 points in a 100-94 victory over Malone College as he went 10-for-15 from the field and nailed five three-pointers. He added 22 points, three assists, and two steals in a 96-74 win over Urbana University as he made four more treys.

On the season, Falkenberg leads MVNU in scoring at 16.7 points per game. He has also nailed a team-high 92 three-pointers and is shooting 84.5 percent from the free throw line (93-for-110). He needs just six more points to tie the school’s freshman scoring record of 523 points set by Ron Holmes during the 1988-1989 season.

The Cougars are currently 23-8 overall and ranked 15th in the final NAIA Division II poll. MVNU has also won nine straight games to advance to the semifinals of the AMC Tournament. The Cougars will host Saint Vincent (Pa.) College in the semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The winner of the AMC Tournament receives an automatic berth in the NAIA Division II national tournament in Branson, Missouri, on March 8-14.