In the final week of the fall semester, the Cougars played hockey, volleyball and basketball, but the best performances came on the hardwood as two MRU hoopers earned Players Bench Athlete of the Week honours.

Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week: Jenika Martens

Jenika Martens is one of the most inspirational stories in the Cougars athletics program. Having battled injuries over the course of her career, Martens's passion for the game of basketball and relentless work ethic make her an unstoppable force on the court and this week, she absolutely dominated against the University of Regina Cougars.

In two games against Regina, Jenika put up a remarkable 41 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Her contributions were essential in making Friday night's match as close as it was and in securing MRU's Saturday night win against the division-leading Regina Cougars.

On Friday, MRU hosted the first-ever Iniskim Student Game on Kenyon Court. In front of a season-high 1300 fans, Martens rose and shone, scoring a team-high 20 points on robotic efficiency. Swishing home nine of her 11 field goal attempts, including shooting 1-1 from downtown, Martens also racked up three rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block in MRU's heartbreaking 76-78 loss.

Martens led her team in scoring again on Saturday night, scoring 21 points on 9-13 shooting, including 1-2 from downtown. She also tallied nine rebounds, one assist and one steal as MRU blew Regina out 79-45. Her defense was superb all night as she spent significant time guarding reigning MVP Jade Bellmore, helping hold her to just 12 points on 13 shot attempts.

The MRU Cougars women's basketball team will return to the hardwood on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at 5 p.m. in Saskatoon and live on Canada West TV.

Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week: Avnoor Bhullar

The new acquisitions on the Cougars men's basketball team have been showing off their array of skills to MRU fans all season long. Avnoor Bhullar joined the party and had his breakout weekend, putting his marksmanship on display in MRU's two games against the University of Regina Cougars. Stepping up in the absence of Keivonte Watts to secure a Saturday night victory, Bhullar totalled 33 points and four rebounds over the weekend as MRU went 1-1 against Regina, swishing home six three-pointers in two games.

Friday night's matchup between MRU and Regina was a closely fought affair, with MRU conceding a 65-69 loss. Despite the result, Bhullar absolutely balled out, leading the team in scoring with 14 points on 5-13 shooting, including 2-6 from three-point range and 2-2 from the free throw line. He also racked up a rebound and a steal, but after seeing Watts leave the game early with an undisclosed injury, Bhullar knew he would need to bring something special to the court on Saturday.

Bhullar stepped up to the plate with confidence and, in Saturday night's matchup, was instrumental in helping MRU exact revenge against Regina without Watts. With a game-high 19 points on 7-14 shooting, including 4-8 from downtown, Bhullar was a man possessed in MRU's 75-71 victory over Regina. He also racked up three rebounds and a steal, contributing in multiple categories in his best weekend of the season for MRU.

The MRU Cougars men's basketball team will return to the court on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 to face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at 7 p.m. in Saskatoon and live on Canada West TV.