By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons student-athletes Vanessa Zavala (women’s basketball) and Joshua Barnett (men’s basketball) have been named the COC Athletic Department’s Women’s & Men’s Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running Jan. 15-20. Zavala and Barnett are the fourth set of honorees for the winter/spring 2024 session.

Vanessa Zavala / Women’s Basketball

Zavala earns her second student-athlete of the week nod of the month after a two-game span in which she scored a combined 42 points to go with 22 rebounds, helping the Lady Cougars improve to 3-1 in conference play.

The freshman forward from Hart High School started the week with 19 points, 12 boards, two assists and a pair of steals in COC’s 79-72 loss at Citrus College on Jan. 17.

Later in the week, Zavala stayed hot by draining seven three-pointers in the Lady Cougars’ 68-67 home win over Antelope Valley College on Jan. 20. Zavala’s final stat line for the game included 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, a steal and three blocks.

Through the first four games of the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division schedule Zavala is currently averaging 14.8 points and a team-best 11.3 rebounds, alongside 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks each night out.

Joshua Barnett / Men’s Basketball

Barnett topped the 30-point plateau for the second time this season during COC’s 84-78 home loss to Antelope Valley on Jan. 20.

The six-foot-six-inch freshman from Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida was an impressive 7-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half to finish with 30 points. He also added four rebounds, two assists and two steals while playing in a reserve role.

Earlier in the week Barnett scored 13 points with a rebound and assist in the Cougars’ 99-71 road loss at Citrus College.

For the season, Barnett is averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game with 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 17 games.