Kentucky’s Akhator named SEC Player of the Week

University of Kentucky junior forward Evelyn Akhator was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Wildcats to two victories last week and helping extend UK’s winning streak to six games.

Akhator averaged 15.0 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in UK’s wins over No. 24 Missouri and No. 11 Texas A&M. Against the Tigers, Akhator scored 15 points with nine rebounds, shooting a season-best .750 (6-for-8) from the field with one block. She followed that performance with her 10th double-double of the season at Texas A&M with 15 points and 18 rebounds, adding three assists and two steals. The junior’s 18 rebounds and 10 offensive rebounds were season bests.

Akhator, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, is averaging 11.6 points and 9.4 rebounds game. She ranks second in the SEC in rebounds per game and among the top 20 in scoring.

Akhator has been key in Kentucky’s recent six-game winning streak, which marked the first time in program history the Wildcats have won six straight SEC games by double digits. During that stretch, Akhator is averaging 11.8 points and 10.2 rebounds, adding six assists, six steals and two blocks.

This is the first career SEC honor for Akhator, who transferred to Kentucky from Chipola Community College in Florida last summer. It is the second weekly award for Kentucky this season as Makayla Epps was named the SEC Player of the Week in December.

The Wildcats are the No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., this week and will return to the court Thursday at about 2:30 p.m. to face the winner of 12th-seeded Alabama and 13th-seeded LSU. All second-round games will be televised on the SEC Network.

View the schedule for the SEC Tournament.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Kentucky’s Akhator named SEC Player of the Week."