Nov. 30, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Boston College’s Carolyn Swords and Maryland’s Diandra Tchatchouang were named Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for the week ending Nov. 29. Swords led the Eagles to a 3-0 record en route to SMU Tournament MVP honors, while Tchatchouang helped the Terrapins pick up three wins at home.

Swords averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds, while shooting 71 percent from the floor in three games. The junior center had 20 points and 8 rebounds, while playing a season-low 21 minutes in a win over Holy Cross on Tuesday. In the SMU Tournament, played in Dallas, Texas, Swords notched two double-doubles, scored 44 points and grabbed 30 rebounds, while shooting 72 percent from the floor on her way to being named the Tournament MVP. Swords shot 11-for-14 from the floor, scored 24 points, and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds in a win over Fresno State. In the championship game against host SMU, Swords notched 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, her third double-double of the year.

In three must-wins games for the Eagles, Swords scored 64 points and had 38 rebounds, four blocks and five assists. The Sudbury, Mass., native currently ranks fifth in the league in scoring (17.2 ppg), third in rebounding (10.3 rpg), second in field goal percentage (69.5), and is tied for sixth in blocked shots (1.8).

Tchatchouang posted double-figure points in the last two games, including the second highest points against Drexel. The rookie from La Courneuve, France, was perfect from the charity stripe through the last two contests (Drexel and Howard), hitting 5-for-5, and was a flawless 2-for-2 from beyond the arc against Drexel. She only missed one free throw in three games on the week and has scored at least one three-pointer in every single game this season, including five this week alone. The 6-foot-3 forward grabbed a career-best four defensive boards against Samford and added one assist, one block and one steal. In addition, Tchatchouang was 5-for-10 in three-pointers, helping the Terps reach a season-high eight treys in a single-game twice this week (Samford and Howard).

Through seven games this season, Tchatchouang is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.7 points a game. She leads all ACC freshmen in scoring and ranks 12th among all ACC student-athletes. Tchatchouang also currently ranks 10th in the league in field goal percentage (53.1), second in three-point percentage (52.0) and sixth in three-pointers made (13).

ACC women’s basketball action continues on Wednesday, Dec. 2, as the third-annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge opens. The 2009 Challenge, which will take on a two-day format this year, will open with Wake Forest hosting Illinois, Boston College traveling to Iowa, and Georgia Tech taking on Penn State. Last season, the ACC boasted an 11-6 record over Big Ten teams, including a 7-4 mark in the 2008 Challenge.