BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- For the third time this season, Bridgewater State College junior forward Nicholas Motta has been named the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Week.  Motta shares this week's honor along with Framingham State senior forward Josue Almodovar.

Motta, who hails from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, averaged 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a perfect 3-0 week for the Bears. He also shot 67% (28-for-42) from the field and 76% (13-for-17) at the free throw line.

Motta tallied 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals in Bridgewater's 72-70 non-conference win over Trinity College. He knocked down the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left in the victory over the Bantams. Motta then poured in 29 points to go along with nine rebounds in BSC's 69-59 MASCAC triumph at Worcester State.  He capped off the week with a 22-point, six-rebound effort in the Bears' 80-62 victory over conference rival Salem State.

Through 16 games this season, Motta is averaging 18.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.1 assists per game.  He currently leads the MASCAC in steals and is second in the conference in scoring, fourth in free throw shooting (.765), sixth in field goal percentage (.495), and seventh in rebounding and three-point shooting (.333).

The Bridgewater State men's basketball team is 11-5 overall on the season and unbeaten in MASCAC play with a perfect 5-0 mark.  The Bears, who have won eight straight games, travel to North Adams on Tuesday night to take on conference rival MCLA at 7:30 PM.

In 65 games over three seasons, Motta has scored 754 points for an average of 11.6 points per game.  He is also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game and has 130 steals to his credit including a MASCAC-leading 72 in 2008-2009.

Motta also earned MASCAC Player of the Week honors back on November 30th and again on January 4th.