by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
For an unprecedented sixth time, Kansas City Kansas Community College forward Nija Collier is the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (NJCCC) Player of the Week.
A 6-foot sophomore from Detroit, Collier not only scored 25 points and hauled down 11 rebounds but her 3-point field goal with 1.8 seconds remaining gave the Blue Devils a 79-76 overtime win over No. 10 ranked Johnson County in the Region VI DII semifinals last Saturday.
For one player to be selected Player of the Week two or three times in a season is rare but to be selected six times is almost unheard of, according to KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry.
“This shows her consistency throughout our season,” McKinstry said. “She’s been great all the way back to November until now. She’s very deserving.”
The only player to rank in the top four statistical categories in the Jayhawk Conference, Collier is second in scoring (17.2), rebounding (9.8) and field goal percentage (.598) and third in 3-point shooting accuracy (.398). She also has 20 double-doubles this season.
In addition to six NJCCC Player of the Week selections, Collier was named NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Player of the Week on two occasions.
