Austin grad Zach Wessels, a junior on the University of Sioux Falls men’s basketball team has been named the Northern Sun Conference South Division Player of the Week.

He averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds as the Cougars won their sixth game this past week.

Wessels, an exercise science major at USF, earned the honor for the first time in his career. This weekend, he helped lead the Cougars to a road sweep against Bemidji State (78-71) and Minnesota Crookston (69-60). Against Bemidji State, he became the first player in the NSIC this year to record 20 points and 10 assists in a game. In the win over Minnesota Crookston, he finished with 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Overall, he was 10-of-15 from the field for 66.7 percent, made his only three-point shot, and knocked in 10-of-14 free throws. In addition, he had just two turnovers with 19 total assists in 71 minutes of action. Wessels’ play enabled USF to extend its winning streak to six games, which is the longest by a Cougars’ team since winning nine straight in the 2011-12 season.

Wessels, who accounted for 51 percent of the points scored by USF (75-of-147), became the first USF player in the D2 era (since 2011) to record at least nine assists in back-to-back games.

In the win against Bemidji State, Wessels recorded his first career double double while making 7-of-10 shots from the field, including his only three point shot, as USF took a 78-71 win. He also became the first USF player in over 15 years to record 20 points and 10 assists in a game.  He made 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute as part of USF’s game-deciding 7-0 run over the last 1:40 of the USF-BSU contest.

Against Minnesota Crookston, the junior guard made 3-of-5 field goals and 5-of-7 free throws in the 69-60 victory. He had two steals and two offensive rebounds.This season, Wessels is averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while hitting 52 percent from the field (65-of-125).

Wessels and his teammates will begin a four-game home stand on Jan. 20 when they host Minnesota State at 8 p.m. at the Stewart Center.