Victory Udechi is GCAC Player of the Week for third time this season

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana’s Victory Udechi is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women’s basketball for the third time this season.

The award was for games played Jan. 4-10. Udechi was selected over two other nominees.

Udechi — a 5-foot-10 junior forward from Manhattan, N.Y., a graduate of Boys and Girls High School and a transfer from SUNO — had 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals in XULA’s 69-53 home victory Jan. 6 against Southeastern Baptist. Udechi became the first XULA woman in the last 17 seasons to reach 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals in consecutive games

Udechi is the third XULA women’s basketball athlete to win three GCAC weekly awards in one season. The others were Brittany Powell (2009-10) and Christina Warren (2010-11).

Udechi is averaging 13.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in five games this season. A injury kept her out of XULA’s three home games this week: a loss to Rust and victories against Philander Smith and Edward Waters. XULA is 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the GCAC.