RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Jamal Hartwell II has been named the Big West Men's Basketball Player of the Week, it was announced on Monday by the conference office. 

Hartwell averaged 23.0 points per game last week in a pair of historic, yet crucial victories for the Highlanders. The Inglewood native kicked things off with a career-high 30 points on UC San Diego last Wednesday, adding three assists and just one turnover. The performance ultimately helped UCR erase an 18-point deficit for the second time this year and move to 4-1 in Big West play for the first time since 2011-12. 

On Saturday at UC Santa Barbara, Hartwell went for 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting as UCR scored its first win ever in Santa Barbara while handing a Big West opponent its first conference loss for the second straight year. Hartwell has now shot over 50 percent in all six Big West contests this season and over 50 percent from three in five of six, leading conference play with 2.8 made triples per game and a 60.7 three-point percentage while ranking 10th with 14.3 points per game. 

UC Riverside has now claimed three Big West men's basketball weekly honors this season for the second time in program history and first since 2008-09. Hartwell's honor comes after Flynn Cameron's award-winning performance at the Vegas 4 and Zyon Pullin's win on December 12. It's also the fourth overall for Highlander hoops the season and second straight after Matehya Bryant's win last week on the women's side. 

UC Riverside is back in action tonight at the SRC Arena for a 5:00 p.m. tilt with Cal Poly on ESPN+. Tickets are still available for purchase at highlanderstickets.universitytickets.com.