RU's Scaife Earns Player of the Year, Fordham's Gaitley, Cavanaugh Get Coach, Rookie Honors

4/24/2018 7:31:50 AM

2018 MBWA Women's Division I Honors

FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com

Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
   
NEW YORK (April 24, 2018) – Tyler Scaife of Rutgers has been named the All-Met Division I women’s college basketball Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
 
Stephanie Gaitley of Fordham was selected the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year for a second time.
 
Bre Cavanaugh of Fordham was named Rookie of the Year and on the All-Met Second Team.
 
The rest of the All-Met First Team: G’mrice Davis, Fordham; Rebekah Hand, Marist; Madison Hovren, Army; Maya Singleton, St. John’s; Camille Zimmerman, Columbia.
 
The Second Team: Cavanaugh; Sierra Clark, Wagner; Samantha Cooper, Fairfield; Qadashah Hoppie, St. John’s; Stella Johnson, Rider.
 
The Third Team: Stasha Carey, Rutgers; Alana Gilmer, Marist; Kayla Grimme, Manhattan; Shania Johnson, Stony Brook; Alisha Kebbe, St. John’s.
 
The All-Met First and Second Team players, coach and rookie of the year will be honored Wednesday, April 25, at the 85th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY.
 
Zimerman, who was the Player of the Year last season, along with Davis and Hovren are repeat All-Met First Team selections from 2017.
 
A 5-9 senior guard from Little Rock, AR, Scaife --- who was the All-Met Rookie of the Year and a Third Team pick in 2014, and All-Met Second Team in 2016 --- came back from missing all of last season following open heart surgery to also earn All Big Ten Conference first team honors and WBCA All-America honorable mention status in 2017-18.
 
She helped the Scarlet Knights (20-12) to a 14-win improvement this past season by pacing Rutgers with 19.4 ppg (sixth in the conference, No. 38 in the nation), scoring 622 points overall and placing 20th in NCAA statistics with 252 field goals made. Scaife shot 45.2% from the field (ninth in Big 10), 81.0% from the free throw line (sixth in Big 10) and finished her career with 2,233 points, No. 2 all-time at Rutgers behind Sue Wicks (2,655). She was recently selected in the second round of the WNBA draft (20th overall) by the Phoenix Mercury.
 
In her seventh season at Fordham (144-86, .626 win pct), Gaitley --- who also was named MBWA Coach of the Year in 2013 --- guided the Rams to a 24-10 record and third place finish during the Atlantic 10 regular season. The team, which reached the Sweet Sixteen phase of the WNIT, ranked 15th in the nation in scoring defense (56.5 ppg), 21st in NCAA team free throw shooting (76.6%), made 186 3-point goals (No. 4 all-time for the program) and scored 2,069 points (No. 6 all-time at Fordham). A native of Ocean City, NJ, and a Villanova grad, who’s also coached at Monmouth, LIU and St. Joseph’s, Gaitley’s 31-season career record is 608-356 (.631 win pct).
 
A 5-8 freshman guard from Allamuchy, NJ, Cavanaugh --- who also was selected to the A-10 All-Rookie team and All-Conference second team --- led the Rams with 17.0 ppg (sixth overall in league. No. 41 in NCAA). She scored 578 points, shot 84.8% at the free throw line, started all 34 Fordham games, and had 67 3-point goals, 41 steals, 60 assists and 4.7 rpg.
 
SUMMARY
 
NEW YORK (April 24, 2018) – The 2017-18 All-Met Division I women’s college basketball teams announced Tuesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
 
First Team
G’mrice Davis, Fordham, 6-2, Sr., F, Philadelphia, PA
Rebekah Hand, Marist, 5-10, So., G/F, Argyle, TX
Madison Hovren, Army, 5-11, Jr., F, Spokane, WA
Tyler Scaife, Rutgers, 5-9, Sr., G, Little Rock, AR
Maya Singleton, St. John’s,  6-0, Sr., F, Indian Head, MD
Camille Zimmerman, Columbia, 6-1, Sr., G/F, Tempe, AZ
 
Second Team
Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham, 5-8, Fr., G, Allamuchy, NJ
Sierra Clark, Wagner, 6-0, Gr., F, Hughesville, MD
Samantha Cooper, Fairfield, 6-2, Sr., F, Sudbury, Ontario
Qadashah Hoppie, St. John’s, 5-7, Fr., G, Staten Island, NY
Stella Johnson, Rider, 5-10, So., G, Denville, NJ
 
Third Team
Stasha Carey, Rutgers, 6-2, Jr., F, Cleveland, OH
Alana Gilmer, Marist, 6-0, So., F, North Easton, MA
Kayla Grimme, Manhattan, 6-2, Gr., C,  Altoona, PA
Shania Johnson, Stony Brook, 5-1, Jr., G, Frederick, MD
Alisha Kebbe, St. John’s, 5-10, So., G, Philadelphia, PA
 
Player of the Year: Tyler Scaife, Rutgers
Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year: Stephanie Gaitley, Fordham
Rookie of the Year: Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham

View Previous Women's Division I All-Met Players of the Year here
View Previous Women's Division I All-Met Coaches of the Year here
View Previous Women's Division I All-Met Rookies of the Year here