Through the opening two weeks of the season, Michael Auprince’s move to the Perth Wheelcats looks to be paying off as he has claimed Round 2 Player of the Week honours.
Bringing over his form from the USA college season where he won the Championship with the University of Alabama, Auprince averaged a near double-double across three victories this weekend.
Perth did not have it easy against the West Adelaide Thunder but managed to sweep Round 2 and keep pace with Wollongong Rollerhawks in the top two on the ladder.
On Friday night, Auprince had a game-high 35 points on 16-25 (64%) shooting to go with 12 rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Leading by only five at half-time, Perth benefited from Auprince’s 13-point third quarter as he equalled West Adelaide’s output as a team to put the match beyond doubt as they went on to win, 69-60.
His six offensive rebounds led him to score eight second chance points and he also connected on his one three-point attempt for the night to cap off an efficient game.
The following day, Auprince again went to work in the paint and had six points by quarter-time as Perth jumped the Thunder with a 20-4 term.
From there, the damage had been done as the Wheelcats prevailed 69-50 and Auprince recorded a comfortable 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block in 35 minutes.
In the third meeting for the weekend, West Adelaide bounced back and a strong final term made things difficult for Perth before they claimed a 75-65 win.
The third quarter was again their undoing and Auprince played a major role, collecting eight points and an assist on his way to 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists overall.
He hit 15-22 (68%) from the field, hitting all but three shots inside the paint as his height and strength proved too much for the Thunder.
After two rounds, Auprince sits second for scoring (25.6 points per game) and fourth for rebounds (ten) as one of only four players in the league currently averaging a double-double.
Michael Auprince Round 2 Stats: 29 points on 60% shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds and two assists per game.