Hofstra's Wright-Foreman, NYU's Cristiano & Felician's Spaulding Share Weekly Accolades
MBWA Players of the Week (12-4 to 12-10) 2017-18 / Week 2
FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wright-Foreman, Cristiano, Spaulding Earn Weekly Accolades
NEW YORK (Dec. 12, 2017) ---
Justin Wright-Foreman of Hofstra in Division I, and
Dom Cristiano of NYU and
Terrell Spaulding of Felician as co-winners in Divisions II-III, have been named Men’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
The designations, for games played Dec. 4-10, are unique in that they encompass players from 74 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
All three players also were named players of the week in their respective conferences.
A 6-1 junior guard from Queens, NY, Wright-Foreman --- who also was named Colonial Athletic Assn. player of the week --- averaged 24.0 points in leading the Pride (6-3) to road wins over a pair of Metro Atlantic teams, defeating Monmouth 85-84 and Rider 88-82.
Wight-Foreman started the week with a game-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, in the win at Monmouth. He followed with a 30-point output, plus five assists, in the victory at Rider. It was his fifth career game of 30 or more points.
A 6-8 sophomore forward from Valhalla, NY, Cristiano --- who also was named University Athletic Assn. player of the week --- averaged a double-double with 25.0 points and 17.0 rebounds in leading the Violets to a pair of non-league homecourt victories in which NYU registered 100 points. Overall for the week, he shot 67.7% (21-of-31) from the field.
Cristiano first established career highs with 24 points and 16 boards in a 100-87 win over New Rochelle, then topped that with 26 points and 18 rebounds in a 100-93 victory over Elmira.
A 6-3 junior guard-forward from Paterson, NJ, Spaulding --- who also was named Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference player of the week --- nailed 14-of-15 shots from the floor, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range, to post 38 points in the Golden Falcons (4-6) only game of the week, a 98-77 conference triump at home over Nyack.
Spaulding connected on his first 14 shots before a miss, while adding seven rebounds and three steals in 31 minutes of play. The seven 3-pointers tied a Felician single-game record accomplished three times previously while the career-high 38 points by Spaulding fell just one shy of the school mark for a single game.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: Blake Francis, Wagner; Brian Parker, Marist; Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s; Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Jarrett Bogus, Montclair State; Derek Dorn, Caldwell; Patrick MacDonald, SUNY Maritime; Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas; Sam Toney, NJCU.
Previous MBWA 2016-17 Men’s Players of the Week: Dec. 5, Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall, Div. I; Dequawne Richards, Mercy, and Sam Toney, NJCU, co-winners Divs. II-III.