STANDISH, Maine – The 2016-17 Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) postseason accolades have been announced and three members of the Saint Joseph's College program have been honored.
Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83 has been selected as the MWBCA Coach of the Year, sophomore guard Kelsi McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) has claimed First Team All-State honors, and sophomore forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.) has collected Second Team All-State accolades.
McDevitt, who just concluded his 25th season (24 at SJC) on the bench, guided the Monks to a 24-5 overall record with a 15-1 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play this winter. As the top seed in the GNAC Tournament, his team notched three hard-fought victories, including an 81-70 title bout triumph over Emmanuel College, en route to claiming the GNAC Championship for the second-consecutive season and third time in the last four years. With the conference crown, Saint Joseph's advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time and suffered a loss at the hands of #4 Tufts University on March 3rd.
McDevitt also earned GNAC Coach of the Year accolades and notched his 500th career victory with the championship triumph over Emmanuel on February 25th. The MWBCA top coach honor is the second of his coaching career; he last won the award following the 1998-99 campaign.
McNamara garners First Team All-State honors after leading the Monks in scoring (16.1 PPG), three-pointers made (79), free-throws made (87), free-throw percentage (.806), assists (135), steals (47), and blocked shots (10) during her sophomore season. Following the completion of the season, McNamara was selected as the GNAC Player of the Year and collected First Team All-Conference honors.
With 868 points in 58 NCAA games so far, McNamara has more points in her first two seasons than any player in program history. The previous leader, Kendra Coates '91, netted 861 points in her first 58 collegiate contests.
Benway collects Second Team All-State accolades after averaging 13.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game during the 2016-17 campaign. The second-year starter led the team in rebounding with the highest boards average since Alison Cropley pulled down 9.4 caroms per game during the 1996-97 season.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
