FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – University of Montevallo senior Drico Hightower was named the Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball Player of the Week for the first time in his career Dec. 18.

Hightower is also the first Montevallo men’s basketball player to garner the weekly award this season after playing a key role in the Falcons’ first two Peach Belt Conference games in the first week of conference action.

Hightower, who averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds during the week, shot 78 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the free-throw line in the Falcons’ first two conference games.

Hightower, a 6-foot-7 forward, paced Montevallo with 19 points while shooting 7-of-8 from the floor in the Falcons’ 81-71 win over Columbus State University in their Peach Belt Conference opener Dec. 15 at BankTrust Arena. Hightower also grabbed eight rebounds in the victory.

The Augusta, Ga. native added a season-high 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and a 9-of-12 performance at the charity stripe in the Falcons’ 75-73 setback on the road Dec. 17 at Augusta State University in their first conference road game. Hightower also tied his season-high with 12 rebounds as he posted his third double-double of the season.

Hightower is currently sixth among the leading scorers in the Peach Belt Conference with an average of 17.6 points per game. Hightower, who is sixth among field-goal percentage leaders in the conference with his 65.2 shooting percentage from the floor, is also ninth in the conference in rebounding with an average of eight boards per game.

Hightower and his teammates return to action Thursday, Jan. 3 when the Falcons host Flagler College in a Peach Belt Conference contest at BankTrust Arena. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.