Donaldson, Patterson named Applebee's Student-Athletes of month for December

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University basketball players Donovan Donaldson and Callie Patterson have been named the Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month for December.

Donaldson, a senior guard from Nashville, Tennessee, averaged a team-best 19.3 points per game in his three outings in December.  He shot a blistering 13-of-23 from three-point territory for 56.5 percent.

He opened the month with a 22-point performance against 19^th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte on Dec. 16.  Donaldson shot 8-of-14 from the floor including 4-of-8 from three-point land.  He also dished out two assists and came up with a pair of steals against the conference-leading Royals.

He followed with 18 points and scored the go-ahead basket in Tusculum's 91-87 victory at Barton on Dec. 19.  He buried five 3-pointers on eight attempts while posting four rebounds and six assists with zero turnovers.

Donaldson closed out the month with 18 points and four rebounds against Belmont Abbey on Dec. 29.

He finished the month shooting 50 percent from the floor, went 5-of-6 at the free throw line (83%) and averaged 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest.

Donaldson leads TU averaging 14.5 points per game which is 12^th in the league. He is second in the conference shooting 51.8 percent from three-point territory, which is third-best in NCAA Division II while averaging 2.6 treys per contest (6^th in SAC).

Patterson averaged 16.3 points per game and hit 13 three-pointers in 23 attempts as the Pioneers won two of their three games during December. Patterson also averaged 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals for the Pioneers in the month.

After scoring nine points on three three-pointers in a 64-51 loss to Catawba on Dec. 1, Patterson came back to score a season-high 21 points in a 94-62 victory over Queens on Dec. 16. In that game, Patterson went 8-for-12 overall from the field and connected on a career-high five three-pointers in seven attempts.

The 5-7 senior from Greensboro, North Carolina closed out the month with 19 points and a career-best nine rebounds in a 68-64 road victory over North Greenville on Dec. 19. Patterson again matched her season and career high with five three-pointers in 10 attempts, and also matched her career best with four steals in the victory.

For the season, Patterson is averaging 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and has made a team-high 22 three-pointers for the Pioneers, who entered January with a 6-2 overall record.

The Tusculum Student-Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar of Greeneville.  The Applebee's Student-Athlete of the Month Award honors one male and one female student-athlete each month from an in-season sport during the 2018-2019 academic year, recognizing their hard work, effort and performance.

2018-2019 Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month