FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WALKER NAMED NESCAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

LEWISTON, Maine -- First-year forward Ed Walker of Roxbury, Mass., has earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Rookie of the Week honors for Dec. 13.

Walker averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds a game as the Bobcats went 1-1. Walker shot 61 percent from the field (14-of-23), including five-for-10 from 3-point range and six-for-seven from the free-throw line. In the Bobcats' home opener, a 97-79 loss to Bowdoin College, Walker had a career-high 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and four rebounds. Against Maine Maritime, Walker was one of six Bates players to score in double figures with 16 points and a game-high eight assists in Bates's 125-80 rout.

Walker is one of five Bobcats averaging double figures in scoring, at 14.9 points per game, fourth best on the team. He is second on the squad with four assists per game and third with 5.7 rebounds per game.

As a team, Bates is second in the NESCAC in team scoring (89 points per game) and team field goal percentage (49.6 percent, 239-of-482), while leading the conference in 3-point percentage (42.3 percent, 52-of-123). With four of the top 13 scorers in the conference, the Bobcats boast the highest percentage of players among the leaders. With three rookies in the starting line-up, second-year head coach Joe Reilly has led the Bobcats to a 5-2 record, their best start in four years and nearly doubling their win total from a year ago.

"Ed is a terrific all-around player," Reilly said. "He will be a big part of the success of the program for the next four years."