Columbia's Casey, Rider's Johnson Top DI; NJCU's Bacon (DII-III) Get Weekly Accolades
MBWA Players of the Week (12-31 to 1-6) 2018-19 / Week 4
FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Casey, Johnson, Bacon Tabbed for Women’s Weekly Awards
NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2019) ---
Riley Casey of Columbia, and
Stella Johnson of Rider, as co-winners in Division I, and
Marajiah Bacon of NJCU in Divisions II-III have been named Women’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
All three honorees also were named players of the week in their respective conferences.
The MBWA designations, for games played Dec. 31-Jan. 6, are unique in that they encompass players from 73 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
A 5-8 sophomore guard from Brentwood, TN, Casey --- who also was named the Ivy League player of the week --- averaged 27.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 44.4% (16-of-36) from the field, including 50% (11-of-22) from 3-point range, in a 2-0 non-league week for Columbia (4-9).
Casey began with a career-high 31 points, hitting 7-of-11 from 3-point range, in an 88-63 homecourt win over Hampton where she was one made trey shy of the program record. The victory was the Lions largest margin over a Division I opponent since 2009.
The catalyst once again, Casey recorded 20 of her 24 points in the second half along with producing six rebounds and three assists as Columbia upended 2018 Southern Conference champion Mercer on the road.
A 5-10 junior guard from Denville, NJ, Johnson --- who also was selected Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the week --- played all 40 minutes and tied a career-high with 35 points as Rider (5-7), in its only game of the week, erased a 14-point deficit to register a 62-59 homecourt win over MAAC foe Fairfield. The MAAC scoring leader (20.2 ppg), Johnson converted 68.4% of her shots (13-of-19) from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, while adding five assists, four rebounds and a steal.
A 5-3 senior guard from Neptune, NJ, Bacon --- who also was named New Jersey Athletic Conference player of the week --- played the full 40 minutes for her third game in a row and sixth time this year in helping the Gothic Knights (3-9) snap a 58-game NJAC losing streak with a 68-67 triumph over Stockton. The win was NJCU’s first in the league since defeating Rutgers Camden 72-66 on Feb. 18, 2015, and first homecourt victory over Stockton since a 51-40 decision on Nov. 28, 1998.
Third nationally in Division III scoring average (24.5 ppg) and the NCAA leader in steals per game (4.83 spg), Bacon produced 30 points, eight rebounds, nine steals and five assists in the win over Stockton. With just 0.5 seconds remaining in the contest, she was fouled on a drive to the basket with the game tied at 67-67 and subsequently sank a game-winning free throw.
Players receiving MBWA Women’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: Rebekah Hand, Marist; Jess Lewis, Army; Akina Wellere, St. John’s.
Players receiving MBWA Women’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Amber Jones, Purchase; Monique Joseph, Old Westbury; Melissa Sadler, St. Thomas Aquinas; Kristin Smith, Felician; Melinda Spahiu, Baruch.
Previous MBWA 2018-19 Women’s Players of the Week: Dec. 4, Curteeona Brelove, St. John’s, and Shorty Johnson, Stony Brook, co-winners Div. I; Lauren Hunter, USMMA, Divs. II-III ... Dec. 11, Madison Hovren, Army, Div. I; Lauren Hunter, USMMA, Divs. II-III ... Arella Guirantes, Rutgers and Alisha Kebbe, St. John's, Div. I; Meg Knollmeyer, NYIT, Divs. II-III).