LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky?s Carly Ormerod (Louisville, Ky.) was named the Southeastern Conference?s Freshman of the Week after leading the Wildcats to wins at South Carolina and Arkansas last week, the league office in Birmingham, Ala., announced Monday.
Ormerod averaged a team-high 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a crucial two-game stretch, scoring a team-high 18 points at Arkansas and 12 points at South Carolina. The 5-foot-8 point guard hit 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe vs. the Lady?Backs.
She also tied a career-high with seven rebounds, helping UK defeat Arkansas by a 29-point margin, 79-50. It was UK?s first win in Fayetteville and the largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent in school history. Against the Gamecocks, Ormerod charted 12 points and three assists in the 75-71 win.
Ormerod, the 2005 Kentucky Miss Basketball, has started each of the team?s 23 games at the point guard position. With Ormerod as the floor general, UK is sporting its best record (17-6, 6-4 SEC) since the 1999 season. That year the Cats went 21-11 overall, 7-7 in the SEC and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
This is the first year the SEC has recognized a Freshman of the Week award. The weekly award is the second for Ormerod this season. She also was named the Freshman of the Week on Dec. 12. She is the first UK player to be named Player of the Week more than once in a season.
At 6-4 in league play, UK is currently fourth in the SEC standings behind nationally-ranked LSU, Tennessee and Georgia. The Cats return home for their next to last home game vs. Ole Miss on Thursday, Feb. 16. Game time is set for 7 p.m. EST at Memorial Coliseum. The Cats? final home game is Feb. 26 vs. Alabama in Rupp Arena at 1 p.m. EST.