BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Mountain East Conference announced Monday the winners of this week’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Player of the Week awards. The MEC Player of the Week awards are presented by The Health Plan.

Frostburg State’s Mike Montano and Concord’s Kraig Gilbert share the MEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor, while Fairmont State’s Leslie Huffman and Concord’s Abbie Smith share the MEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award.

Montano, a 6-foot-8 junior from Alexandria, Virginia, had career-highs of 41 points, and 18 rebounds on Nov. 19 against Clarion. Montano finished 18 of 32 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers, and also dished out six assists and collected three steals. Montano leads Division II in scoring at 33.3 points per game and is tied for first nationally at 15.0 rebounds per game.

Gilbert, a 6-8 sophomore from Grove City, Ohio, averaged 21.5 points, four rebounds, and two blocks per game in a perfect 2-0 week for the Mountain Lions. He shot 55.6 percent from the field (15 for 27), including 6-for-14 shooting from 3-point range. He scored 18 of his 19 points in the second half in Concord’s 61-50 win against Bluefield State, and netted a career-high 24 points, including a game-winning buzzer-beater, in an 81-79 win against California (Pa.).

Huffman, a 5-10 senior from Marietta, Ohio, has led Fairmont State to a 4-0 start to the season, including a pair of victories last week. In those two wins, Huffman averaged 26.5 points per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game. She also collected five steals between the two wins.

Smith, a 6-2 senior from Little Hocking, Ohio, averaged a double-double last week as Concord improved to 3-1. Smith made 18 of 24 shots from the field — 75.0 percent — and dished out three assists with a pair of steals. She started the week with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Mountain Lions’ 14-point comeback against Bluefield State, and then recorded another double-double in a win against UVa Wise.

2025 MEC MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
11/17: Mike Montano, Frostburg State
11/24: Mike Montano, Frostburg State & Kraig Gilbert, Concord
 
2025 MEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
11/17: Kenzie Dalton, Wheeling
11/24: Leslie Huffman, Fairmont State & Abbie Smith, Concord