NEW YORK (Feb. 3, 2015) ---
Chavaughn Lewis of Marist and
Nick Smith of Dominican have been named Men’s Division I and Divisions II-III Players of the Week, respectively, by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
The designations, for games played Jan. 26-Feb. 1, are unique in that they encompass players from 74 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
A 6-5 senior guard-forward from Queens, NY, Lewis --- who also was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the week --- averaged 28.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 65.6% (21-of-32) from the field. Marist (4-18), which has been struggling this season, went 2-0 on the road by sweeping Niagara (65-61) and Canisius (75-67) in Western New York for the first time for the Red Foxes after 18 years in the MAAC.
Lewis led the Red Foxes in scoring in both games. He had 22 points plus a balanced two rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot at Niagara. Lewis celebrated his 22nd birthday against Canisius with a career-high 35 points, bulwarked by 14-of-16 shooting from the field. He also added six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Lewis' 35-point effort was the highest by a Red Fox in a single game in 12 years, since David Bennett tallied 42 against St. Peter's on Feb. 17, 2003. Lewis currently ranks 10th in the country in scoring (20.7 ppg) and 29th in steals (2.11 spg). He has led the Red Foxes in scoring for 12 consecutive games, and has totaled 1,916 career points.
A 6-7 senior center from Middletown, NY, Smith --- who was named CACC player of the week for the second consecutive week and third time this season --- averaged 26.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in a 2-0 week for the Chargers (9-12).
He scored 28 points on the road, and notched seven rebounds and four blocked shots, in a 91-85 win over first-place Post University. Smith followed that with 24 points in an 86-81 triumph over Chestnut Hill. He just missed completing the double-double with nine rebounds.
For the week, Smith shot 53.1% (17-of-32) from the floor.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: Emmy Andujar, Manhattan; Marcus Burton, Wagner.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Darian Hooker, NYIT; Evan Kupferberg, NYU; Shelby Rosenberg, Yeshiva; Chaz Watler, STAC.
Previous MBWA 2014-15 Men’s Players of the Week: Dec. 9, D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s; Dec. 16, Granville Gittens, Baruch, D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s (co-winners); Dec. 23, Darien Davis, Dowling; Jan. 13, Isaiah Williams, Iona, Div. I . . . Lorenzo Williams, Brooklyn, Divs. II-III; Jan. 20, Marcus Burton, Wagner, Div. I . . . Granville Gittens, Baruch, Divs. II-III; Jan. 27, Sir’Dominic Pointer, St. John’s, Div. I . . . Hakeem Harris, NYU, and Darian Hooker, NYIT (co-winners), Divs. II-III.