Standish, Maine - Awards keep trickling in for the Monks. Sophomore Elbie Murphy and senior, Chad Pulkkinen earned First and Second Team All-Maine honors, respectively, and head coach Rob Sanicola (Saint Joseph's '99) was named the State of Maine Coach of the Year.
The two Monks players are two of 15 players to be honored by the Maine Men's College Basketball Coaches and Writers Association (MMCBCWA). The state's 13 men's head coaches selected the Coach of the Year, Player and Rookie of the Year, and All-State teams.
Sophomore guard Elbie Murphy had one of the best all-around offensive seasons ever by a Monk, scoring a career-best 16.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 steals, and 3.6 assists per-game, all good for first on the team. Murphy's 4.2 steals per game ranked him first not only in NCAA Division III basketball, but in all NCAA Divisions (I and II included). His 126 steals on the year broke the all-time individual season record of 111, formerly held by Allen Fields (Saint Joseph's '91). Murphy received State of Maine honors for the first time, as he was selected to the First Team by the coaches.
For the year, 6-foot-2 senior Chad Pulkkinen averaged 16.8 points and 2.9 assists per game. He shot 40.1 percent from the field, including 38.2 percent from three-point range, and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. He finished his career with the Monks with 1,123 points, which is good for 19th on the all-time scoring list at Saint Joseph's. Pulkkinen, the top 3-point shooter on the team, ranks as the second all-time leader in 3-pointers made (192), 6th all-time in free-throw percentage (.759) and 10th all-time in 3-point field-goal percentage (.341).This is the first time he has been voted to the Second Team All-State.
Rob Sanicola led Saint Joseph's College to a 22-8 overall record, including the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Northeast Men's Basketball Championship. The AD3I Coach of the Year led the Monks to an appearance in the title game of the ECAC Division III New England Championship. This is the first time that Sanicola has won the State of Maine Coach of the Year Award.
