By Tim Stried
December 27, 2002

Bluffton College senior Melissa James, a health, physical education and recreation major from LaRue, Ohio (Elgin High School), has been named the women's basketball player-of-the-week in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Last Monday, December 16, James scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Bluffton to a 53-52 win over Lake Erie College. James converted 6-of-14 attempts from the field and also added three steals. She is leading Bluffton this season in points (12.4 per game), rebounds (6.1), and blocked shots (0.5). The win over Lake Erie was Bluffton's only game of the week.

James has played in all 85 varsity games in her career at Bluffton and has totaled 531 points, 389 rebounds, 126 assists and 81 steals. At Elgin H.S. she was an honorable mention All-Mid Ohio Athletic Conference selection.