Feb. 21, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Senior guard Allan Ray (Bronx, N.Y.) has been named the Big East Player of the Week, the team learned today. Ray led Villanova to wins over Connecticut and Georgetown in a pair of games last week.

Ray was the Wildcats leading scorer for the week, averaging 22.5 points per game. He was 15-of-35 (.429) from the field, including 10-of-20 (.500) from three-point range, and made 5-of-6 (.833) free throws. For the week, Ray also averaged 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

In a 69-64 upset over then #1 Connecticut last Monday, Ray scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, when he made five three-pointers to help Villanova surge ahead on a 17-2 run that erased a 12-point deficit early in the second half. Ray then came back against Georgetown and scored 20 points while making five more three-pointers and dishing out four assists.

This season Ray ranks second on the team with an average of 18.9 points per game, and he leads the squad with 75 three-pointers. During the game against Georgetown, he passed Villanova great Kerry Kittles and moved into second place in team history with 280 career three-pointers.

The Wildcats, who moved up to the second spot in both national rankings this week, are back in action with two games on the road this week. Villanova will face Cincinnati on Thursday night at 9 p.m. and then take on Connecticut on Sunday at Noon.

NOTES: Ray also earned mention this week on the ESPN.com Weekly Watch as one of the "Big Men on Campus" during the previous week.