UT Martin women’s basketball standout Chelsey Perry made OVC history Monday by claiming her eighth OVC Player of the Week honor this season after strong outings against SIUE and Southeast Missouri.
The Middleton native has been simply electrifying this season helping her team to the program’s sixth OVC championship by averaging 28.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game for the week.
Perry began the week with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks against SIUE. Then in a critical matchup against Southeast Missouri, Perry tallied her ninth 30-point outing of the season with 38 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks to clinch the OVC title.
With her eighth OVC Player of the Week honor, Perry set a new OVC record for weekly honors in a single season, surpassing former standout Jasmine Newsome’s seven in the 2012-13 campaign.
Perry finished the regular season with 479 points scored (26.6 ppg) in OVC play which ranks as the highest single-season scoring output in league play in the past 20 years, surpassing Murray State’s Ashley Hayes who held the previous mark with 450 points back in 2009.
Perry currently leads the country in points (686) and field goals made (263) while ranking second in points per game (23.7 ppg). Meanwhile, Perry ranks amongst OVC leaders in numerous categories including scoring (26.6 ppg, first), blocked shots (53, second), three-point field goal percentage (41.1 percent, second), free throw percentage (88.5 percent, third), defensive rebounds (6.3 rpg, third), field goal percentage (52.3 percent, fourth), minutes played (34.2 mpg, fifth), rebounds (8.2 rpg, seventh) and steals (32, seventh).
UT Martin opens play at the OVC Basketball Championship on Wednesday against Murray State. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 in the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. Airtime is 12:30 on WCMT.
