Kele Mkpado Earns Second SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week Honor for CMS Men's Basketball

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior forward Kele Mkpado was named the SCIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, the league office announced today.

Mkpado earned this week's honor after having a key role in helping CMS move into a tie for first place in the SCIAC with a pair of conference wins. The Stags used their defense to defeat Occidental (65-60) and La Verne (83-54), holding their two opponents to an average of just 57 points. Mkpado contributed three blocks and two steals in only 15 minutes of action against La Verne, and also had a block and a steal in the Occidental win, while tying for team-high honors with 15 points on offense. 

Earlier this season, Mkpado was named the Defensive Player of the Week after picking up four blocks in a home win over Chicago. CMS has now won the Defensive Player of the Week honor three times in all, with senior Miles President also winning it once, the same week that Jeremy Horn took Offensive Player of the Week honors after a big home win over Whittier. 

CMS now stands at 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the SCIAC, moving into a tie for first place at the midway point of the conference schedule. The Stags will try to extend their current five-game win streak when they travel to face Cal Lutheran on Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. contest.