Wheaton, Ill. - Senior guard Aston Francis was was recognized with a pair of national awards on Tuesday. Francis, the reigning CCIW Men's Basketball Player of the Week, was named the Division III Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Additionally, the senior was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for the second time this season.

Francis set a new Wheaton College single-game scoring record with 54 points last Tuesday in a 99-77 victory at UW-Platteville, breaking a record that had stood since 1954). His 54 points is the most scored in Division III in a single game this season and is tied for the most in a game at any NCAA level this year. The senior shot 16-of-27 against the Pioneers, making seven three-pointers. He also added four steals and two assists in the victory at Platteville. Francis contributed 20 points and eight rebounds last Saturday in a 69-59 loss to North Central.

Francis averaged 37.0 points per game last week, as Wheaton posted a 1-1 record. He averaged 7.0 rebounds per game with 2.5 steals per game.

Francis leads NCAA Division III in scoring with an average of 32.3 points per game and his 323 also is first. He is second in the country in made field goals (104), also ranking third in Division III in three-pointers per game (4.9 3PGM) and three-pointers made (49). He is fourth in the country in made free throws with 66.

Francis has scored 343 points in 11 games this season and now has 1,627 career points, which ranks eighth on Wheaton's all-time scoring list. His 263 career three-pointers is the most in school history and his 536 field goals made ranks 20th. In 61 career games with the Thunder, Francis averages 26.7 points per game, a mark that is on pace to establish a new school record. He has scored 40 or more points in a game six times in his career, a mark that is a Wheaton school record.

Francis' career scoring average of 26.7 points per game in his two-plus seasons with the Thunder currently ranks as the 10th-highest career scoring average in Division III history. His average of 4.31 three-pointers per game ranks seventh in Division III history.

Francis and the Thunder return to action at 7:00 p.m. on December 29 at IIT.