COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Senior Richelle van der Keijl of The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team has been named Mountain West Player of the Week for the first time in her career, the league announced Monday.
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The senior center led the Lobos to a 1-1 record this week with a close home loss to Minnesota, 69-65, which featured an 11-1 Lobo comeback run that fell just short. Following the narrow loss, van der Keijl helped the Lobos to their home victory against UTEP on Sunday, 79-66.
van der Keijl averaged 17.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field for the week. Against Minnesota, van der Keijl recorded 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and one assist while shooting 42.1 percent from the field.
In Sunday’s home matchup against UTEP, van der Keijl scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out two assists while shooting an outstanding 72.7 percent from the field. In addition, she tied her UNM career-high with four blocked shots.
Her double-double on Sunday marked her third of the season and she now ranks second in the Mountain West in the category.
So far this season, van der Keijl leads the Lobos with 16.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She leads the conference in field goal percentage (61.4) and also ranks 16th in the nation in rebounds per game. Her rebound performance has helped the Lobos to rank first in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (34) and sixth in rebounds per game (48.22).
van der Keijl and the rest of the Lobos will return to action at home on Sunday, December 18 as they host Eastern Illinois for a 2 p.m. tip off at WiesPies Arena – The Pit.