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By: Collin Frazier
frazierc@findlay.edu
@Collin_53
Sydney Kin earns USBWA National Player of The Week honors
The University of Findlay basketball season has been in full swing since the winter break. The UF men’s and women’s teams showed off their skills and have received various accolades since the season began, including one such individual—Sydney Kin.
Carey, Ohio native, Kin received the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Women’s Division II Player of the Week, which ended the week of Jan. 10. Over email, Kin said she didn’t even realize such an association existed, but after hearing she won, she felt it was a testament for her love of basketball.
The USBWA was formed in 1956 by then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. The site names two Division II Players of the Week every week, and also have selected an “All-America” team since the 1956-57 season, as taken from their website.
“It feels amazing for sure,” said Kin of her achievement. “I was not really expecting this at all and I did not even know that it was a thing so for me to get it. I think that it shows how much time and effort I put into this sport.”
The 6’3″ junior is averaging about 23 points and 10 rebounds per game.
With the peaks comes the valleys, and the Lady Oilers have gone 4-5 during the month of January. With some cases of COVID-19 hitting the team, Kin is hoping that the team can return to form as a single unit.
“The team chemistry could be better to say the least,” Kin stated. “I do not think that it is bad at all, but we tend to get frustrated at each other when we lose, so I think that it can only get better from here.”
Team frustration comes with these losses. However, Kin is sure there’s room for growth.
“We have been having some ups and downs but I think we are on the way up from here,” Kin commented. “I think that with most of our team being out for COVID, it hurt our system. Playing as one unit will help us succeed and that is one thing that we need to get back to doing.”
Spectators have not been allowed to attend since the fall. At first, Kin thought it was odd. However, like most athletes, she has adjusted to the way sports are right now.
“It was very different at first,” she said. “But it seems to be ‘normal’ now so I do not notice it as much. I think that sometimes when we are winning, fans definitely help the pace going and keep us excited.”
Kin then shared her hopes for the remainder of the season.
“I would like to win out the rest of the season and be able to enter the G-MAC Tournament then of course, receive some accolades for the G-MAC Tournament at the end of the year.”
The Lady Oilers continue their 2020 season at 1 p.m. Feb. 6 when they travel to Hillsdale College. They play at home at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 8 vs Cedarville University. UFTV streams the home games.
Photo courtesy of the USBWA Twitter page.
