MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference has announced that Mercer University forward Brian Mills has been named as its men’s basketball “Player of the Week” for the period of February 22-27. It is the final A-Sun award of the regular season and the first for Mills in his four-year career with the Bears.

“I am very proud and happy for Brian,” MU head coach Bob Hoffman said. “There were so many times this season when he probably could have won the award, but didn’t, it seems fitting that he is finally is recognized in his last opportunity. He truly had a career season and this is just one more validation of that fact.

“Brian is a special player. It’s been fun to coach him and see him develop as a player over the years, to the point of being honored like this.”

Mills had a pair of outstanding games versus two of the A-Sun’s top teams. In last Thursday’s loss to league leader Belmont, Mills led all scorers with 15 points and al rebounders with eight boards. In Saturday’s 68-67 win over Lipscomb in the regular season finale, Mills notched a team-high 20 points.

On the week, the Douglasville, Ga., native averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 40 percent from the floor (12-30) and 85 percent (11-13) from the free throw line.

For the season, Mills averages a team-leading  15.7 p.p.g. and 5.9 r.p.g. for the Bears’ team (14-17, 11-9 A-Sun), which is heading to a 27^th-consecutive A-Sun tournament berth when it again faces Lipscomb on Thursday evening (9 p.m.) at the University Center. Mills has 25 double-digit scoring games this season – and 47 in his MU career – along with 10 games of 20 or more points in 2010-11.