JWF Nets 4th Weekly Honor; Chapman (Bloomfield), Leifer (Yeshiva) Share DII-DIII

2/13/2019 8:00:00 AM

MBWA Players of the Week (2-4 to 2-10) 2018-19 / Week 9

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

Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
   
NEW YORK (Feb. 13, 2019) --- Justin Wright-Foreman of Hofstra in Division I for the fourth time this season, and Rich Chapman of Bloomfield and Gabriel Leifer of Yeshiva as co-winners in Divisions II-III, have been named Men’s Players of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
 
The MBWA designations, for games played Feb. 4-10, are unique in that they encompass players from 73 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
 
A 6-2 senior guard from Queens, NY, Wright-Foreman --- who also was named the Colonial Athletic Association player of the week and previously captured the MBWA designation on Dec. 4, Jan. 15 and Jan. 29 --- led the Pride in a pair of victories last week that represented the team’s 18th triumph in its past 19 games and improved its overall record to 21-4.
 
Wright-Foreman opened the week with a leisurely 16-point output in Hofstra’s 102-61 win over Elon on Thursday, adding four assists and two steals.
 
Next, at home, Wright-Foreman erupted for a 48-point effort in a 93-87 win over William & Mary. The total tied the program’s scoring record, set by Bill Thieben against Wilkes in 1954-55. It was a career-high, a Mack Sports Complex record and a CAA record in a conference game. Wright-Foreman shot 66.7% (16-of-24) from the field and drained seven 3-pointers.
 
A 6-6 sophomore forward from Newark, NJ, Chapman --- who also was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference player of the week --- averaged a double-double with 24.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, along with totaling five blocked shots, in leading the Bears (13-9) to a 108-98 homecourt victory over Felician and an 85-82 win at Holy Family.
 
He began his week with 29 points and 12 rebounds in the high-scoring triumph over Felician. Chapman then produced 20 points and 13 rebounds, and buried a last-second game-winning 3-pointer in the win at Holy Family.
 
A 6-5 junior forward from Lawrence, NY, Leifer --- who also was named the Skyline Conference player of the week --- averaged 20.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in leading the Maccabees (17-5) to three victories last week.
 
He began with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, along with 12 rebounds and seven assists, in an 88-66 homecourt win over Old Westbury. Leifer then produced his 14th double-double of the season with 22 points and 15 rebounds in a 99-84 triumph at St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn. He concluded with 20 points and a game-high eight assists, plus canned a late free throw that put Yeshiva ahead to stay, in a 75-72 win at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
 
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: E.J. Crawford, Iona; Aleksandar Dozic, Marist; Nick Honor, Fordham; Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s; Myles Powell, Seton Hall; Mustapha Traore, Monmouth.
 
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Ty-Ler Banks, CCNY; Kendall Francis, Mount Saint Mary; Andre Harris, Baruch; Domenic Mignone, William Paterson; Kameron Murrell, St. Thomas Aquinas; Daraja Rodwell, Dominican; Sean Smith Jr., Manhattanville; Sam Toney, NJCU; Zamir Wright, Felician.
 
Previous MBWA 2018-19 Men’s Players of the Week: Dec. 4, Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra, Div. I; Elijah Lott, Purchase, Divs. II-III ... Dec. 11, Myles Powell, Seton Hall, Div. I; Andre Harris, Baruch, and Sean Smith Jr., Manhattanville, Divs. II-III ... Dec. 18, Shamorie Ponds, St. John's (Div. I); Kendall Francis, Mount Saint Mary, and Curtis Jenkins, Molloy (Divs. II-III) ... Jan. 8, Shamorie Ponds, St. John's (Div. I); Enike Anyia, Sarah Lawrence, and Andre Harris, Baruch (Divs. II-III) ... Jan. 15, Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra (Div. I); Conor McGuinness, Adelphi (Divs. II-III) ... Jan. 22,  Eli Pemberton, Hofstra (Div. I); Enike Anyia, Sarah Lawrence (Divs. II-III) ... Jan. 29, Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra (Div. I); Bryan Griffin, Mercy (Divs. II-III) ... Feb. 5, Myles Powell, Seton Hall, Div. I; Brandon Jacobs, Pace, and Alan McDonald, Old Westbury (Divs. II-III).