SJU's Ponds (DI), SLC's Anyia (DII-III), Baruch's Harris (DII-III) Take First Weeklys of 2019
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
Ponds, Anyia, Harris Named MBB Players of the Week
NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2019) ---
Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s in Division I for the second consecutive week, and
Enike Anyia of Sarah Lawrence and
Andre Harris of Baruch as co-winners in Divisions II-III, have been named Men’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 6-1 junior guard from Brooklyn, NY, Ponds --- who also was named the Big East player of the week and was selected as the MBWA Player of the Week on Dec. 18 prior to a two-week holiday break --- averaged 31.5 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in two victories last week by the No. 24-ranked Red Storm (14-1). He shot 52.8% (19-of-36) from the field and 58.8% (10-of-17) from 3-point range as St. John’s secured conference wins at home against Marquette (89-69) and on the road at Georgetown (97-94 OT).
Ponds opened the week with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 20-point clipping of No. 16 Marquette. On Saturday, Ponds exploded for 37 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field that included six 3-pointers in the overtime defeat of Georgetown. He also handed out six assists and made four steals against the Hoyas.
A 6-5 sophomore forward from Los Angeles, CA, Anyia --- who also was named the Skyline Conference player of the week --- became the first player for Sarah Lawrence (7-6) to score 30 points in more than one game, accomplishing the feat in back-to-back fashion last week as the Gryphons won 98-96 at Farmingdale State and then lost at home 88-81 in overtime to Old Westbury.
Anyia began the week with a career-high 32 points, nailing 12-of-14 shots from the floor and hitting 7-of-10 free throws, in Sarah Lawrence’s first-ever win over the Rams. He tied the school record for points in a game while setting a new standard for made field goals, and also contributed a team-high nine rebounds along with four steals.
Anyia came back to tally a game-high 30 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field along with 15 rebounds in the OT loss to Old Westbury, while setting school records for made free throws and free throw attempts (14-of-20) in the contest.
A 6-6 senior forward from Melville, NY, Harris --- who also was named the CUNY Athletic Conference player of the week --- averaged a double-double of 20.0 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 52% (13-of-25) from the field as Baruch (11-3) collected league wins at John Jay (68-55) and at home against Medgar Evers (81-59).
Harris registered his seventh double-double (20 points, 13 rebounds) of the season in the win at John Jay and narrowly missed another double-double by one rebound (20 points, 9 rebounds) against Medgar Evers as the Bearcats stretched their home winning streak to nine games dating back to last season.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: E.J. Anosike, Sacred Heart; Rickey McGill, Iona; Myles Powell, Seton Hall; Diago Quinn, Monmouth; Romone Saunders, Wagner; Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Justin Alleyne-Washington, Old Westbury; Frank Brasile, St. Joseph’s-LI; Bryan Medy, St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn; Kameron Murrell, St. Thomas Aquinas; Sam Toney, NJCU.
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).