Mary Markaryan Earns SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week Honors

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Mary Markaryan of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team captured the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week for games through Sunday, Jan. 1, the conference office announced today.

Markaryan had a key role in helping CMS rally from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to capture a 54-51 win over Wheaton (Ill.) on Saturday. She finished the game with three steals, including two in the last two minutes to help the Athenas come back to win at the buzzer. 

Her steal with 1:26 to go came when she swiped the ball away from a Wheaton dribbler and leaked out for a fast break lay-up to pull the Athenas within 51-49. After CMS tied it on a jumper from Tanya Ghai, Wheaton had a chance to hold for the last shot when it inbounded from the CMS baseline with 4.8 seconds left. However, Markaryan stole the ensuing inbounds pass, and after CMS called timeout, the ball moved to the other end of the floor, where Ghai won it with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. 

Markaryan earns the award for the second time in her career, after also being named the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week after a win over Chapman last season. 

CMS will be back in action tomorrow, when it returns to SCIAC play with a road game at Redlands at 7 p.m.