STATESBORO - Fifth-year senior center Leah Johnson has been named the Sun Belt Conference's Women's Basketball Player of the Week, announced Tuesday by league officials.

Johnson excelled for the Eagles at the GCU Christmas Classic last week, averaging 17.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game over the three games in Phoenix. The Ewing, N.J., native began the week with 16 points and 18 rebounds against FAU on Wednesday, recording the most rebounds in a game for an Eagle since 2004. She followed that up with 24 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's 88-82 win over Wright State, a game in which the Eagles overcame an 18-point halftime deficit. Johnson then finished off the week with 11 points and seven rebounds on Saturday against host Grand Canyon. She hit 20-of-32 shots from the floor for 62.5% shooting and also blocked three shots.

She is the first Eagle to earn Player of the Week honors this season. It is also the first Sun Belt honor for Johnson, who was previously a three-time Heart Conference Player of the Week honoree at Central Methodist University.

Johnson and the Eagles will be next in action on Sunday, December 29, hosting Louisiana in its Sun Belt Conference opener. The game will be at 1 p.m. at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.