By: Chuck Stogel, MBWA, 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
NEW YORK (April 19, 2021) – Damaris Rodriguez of New Jersey City University has become the first freshman ever selected All-Met Division III women’s college basketball Player of the Year as announced Monday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
Pat Devaney of NJCU was selected Coach of the Year for 2020-21.
The rest of the All-Met team: Dayjah Anderson, NJCU; Taylor Brown, Montclair State; Sekya Campbell and Joey Meyers, Drew; Samiyah Horton, Rutgers-Newark; Shannon McCoy, Kean.
The MBWA selected a single seven-player All-Met team for this past season due to reduced schedules and the reduced number of competing schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
A 5-3 freshman guard from Secaucus, NJ, Rodriguez --- who also was named to the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference first team and the NJAC rookie of the year --- led the conference champion Gothic Knights (9-2) with 17.4 points per game (fourth in the NJAC) along with averaging 5.3 assists (second in the conference, 20th in the nation) and 2.6 steals (also second in the NJAC).
Rodriguez started and scored in double figures in all 11 NJCU games, shooting 40.9% from the floor (70-171), including 43.1% from 3-point range (25-58). Among all freshmen, she was sixth in the nation in scoring average and third in steals per game. She scored 23-plus points three times, including registering 26 points in the Gothic Knights NJAC semifinal victory over The College of New Jersey.
Devaney, who also was named NJAC coach of the year, took over a program that went 0-21 in 2017-18 and guided NJCU (9-2 overall, 6-2 NJAC) to its first conference title in the school’s 51-year women’s basketball history. The third-seeded Gothic Knights won three games in the NJAC playoffs, defeating William Paterson, No. 2 seeded TCNJ and, in the championship game, No. 1 seeded Montclair State 64-60.
A 2012 NJCU grad, Devaney, 36, resides in Bayonne, NJ, with his wife, Kelly, and their two young sons.
SUMMARY
NEW YORK (April 19, 2021) – The 2020-21 All-Met Division III women’s college basketball team announced Monday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
Dayjah Anderson, NJCU • 5-8, Sr., F • East Orange, NJ
Taylor Brown, Montclair State • 5-11, Sr., G • Trumbull, CT
Sekya Campbell, Drew • 5-8, Jr., G • Sicklerville, NJ
Samiyah Horton, Rutgers-Newark • 5-7, So., G • Newark, NJ
Shannon McCoy, Kean • 5-10, Jr., G • Barnegat, NJ
Joey Meyers, Drew • 5-10, So., G • Brookside, NJ
Damaris Rodriguez, NJCU • 5-3, Fr., G • Secaucus, NJ
Player of the Year: Damaris Rodriguez, NJCU
Rodriguez' Highlight Video • Rodriguez' Acceptance Video