Dec. 5, 2005

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Monday, December 5, 2005) The Ohio Valley Conference today announced that Tatiana Conceicao is the Player of the Week for the week of December 5. Conceicao is the first Southeast women's basketball player to earn Player of the Week honors since Chandra Brown on December 22, 2003. In two games against SIU and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the senior center recorded 55 points and 14 rebounds for an average of 27.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg.

Against Southern Illinois, Conceicao recorded game-high 27 points, shooting 8-16 from the field and 11-12 from the free throw line. She added seven rebounds and a steal to lead the Redhawks to a 74-63 win over the previously undefeated Salukis.

In a 73-70 loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she recorded a game-high of 28 points, 18 of which came in the second half. She was 9-16 shooting, including 1-2 from beyond the arch and 9-11 from the line. Conceicao pulled down another seven rebounds, dished out three assists, and recorded a steal.

She shot 53-percent and 87-percent from the charity stripe for the week as she extended her games streak of 20+ points to four consecutive games.

On the season, Conceicao leads the team in scoring (22.5 ppg), rebounds (6.5 rpg), three-point percentage (.500), and free throw shooting (.784) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.542). Her 22.5 points per game ranks her atop the Ohio Valley Conference.

Conceicao was named Preseason OVC Player of the Year before the start of the season. Last season, Conceicao earned OVC Player of the Year honors despite never being named as Player of the Week. She did, however, garner Newcomer of the Week honors on nine occasions in 2004-05.

This week, Conceicao will lead the Redhawks as they kick-off conference play with two home games. On Thursday, Southeast will take on Tennessee State at 5:00 p.m. at the Show-Me Center. Conceicao will then face off head-to-head with Tennessee Tech's Emily Christian, another OVC Player of the Year candidate favorite, on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.