Buffalo Basketball Sweeps MAC Scholar Athlete Awards

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo swept the weekly Mid-American Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards as junior guard Zach Filzen and senior forward Kourtney Brown earned recognition for their achievements both on the court and in the classroom. The league announced the awards from its Cleveland headquarters on Friday.

Filzen, a communications major with a 3.142 GPA, averaged 22.5 points in two games, including a career-high 30 points in UB's win over Milwaukee. Against the Panthers, Filzen shot 11-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He scored 23 of his points and had five three-pointers in the first half to help the Bulls build 41-32 halftime lead. His 89 three-pointers this season have tied him for second on the single-season list and he is five shy of Mike Martinho's 1995-96 of 94 trifectas. 

Brown, an electrical engineering major with a 3.320 GPA, averaged 33.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks in two games during the week.  Brown had a career-high 35 points against Miami (OH), while tying her career high with seven blocks on January 12.  The 35 points moved Brown into second place in school history in scoring.  In the win over Ohio on January 15, Brown finished with her second straight 30-point performance as she had 35 points and 16 rebounds, the 10th double-double of the season and the 39th of her career.  For the week, Brown shot nearly 73 percent from the field and over 80 percent from the free throw line. Brown received her degree in computer engineering last year.

The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honor is presented to a MAC male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during the week's competition. The winners are selected by a group of the conference's faculty athletic representatives.