Mr. Hustle just wrapped up one heck of a week.
For the second time this season, Colorado State senior forward Pierce Hornung has been named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week.
Hornung is the heart and soul of his Rams, and a fierce competitor.
The 6'5” power forward is a microcosm of their team; he's too short, too slow, too unathletic, yet he won't back down from any challenge.
Last week, Hornung played like a man possessed in CSU's two home wins, leading the team in rebounding in both contests by simply playing more physically and with more effort than any other person on the floor each night.
Against Boise State Wednesday, Hornung enjoyed his best game of the season, scoring 23 points with 13 rebounds, three assists, one steal all while going 3-3 from beyond the arc. When the Rams were playing out of sync offensively, he was there to shoot with skill, going 8-11 on the night as CSU cruised to the 77-57 victory.
Three nights later, when the Rams locked horns with the Cowboys in front of a sellout crowd, Hornung's physicality was needed as his team won their 26th consecutive game at Moby Arena. When his teammates fell asleep during the middle of the first half, the senior was there to grab six rebounds, and just after halftime, his two break away layups were part of a 6-0 CSU run that pushed the lead over rival Wyoming to 15. He ended that game with 12 points and another game-high of 11 rebounds. Back-to-back double-doubles for the powerful forward, and the Rams improved to 9-1 all-time when Hornung records a double-double.
For the week, Hornung averaged 17.5 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one block per game, pushing his season averages to a near double-double of 10.1 and 9.8.
Those great rebounding efforts also means he and fellow frontcourt man Colton Iverson average 19.5 boards per game, which is best in the nation according to CSU Media Relations.
Hornung's MWC POW award was his second and the fifth time this season a Colorado State baller took home the honor, with Iverson winning twice and Dorian Green taking it two weeks ago.
Next up for the second in the MWC Rams (18-4, 5-2 MWC) is a road game in Reno against Nevada (11-10, 2-5 MWC) at 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday, February 6.
More CSU Rams:
Rams inching their way into the Top-25 polls
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. You can follow Rich on twitter or facebook for all your CSU Rams news and opinion.
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