Bell Repeats As MASCAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
Four Falcons collect MASCAC Men's Basketball All-Conference honors
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior guard Jaleel Bell was selected the 2016-17 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Year as well as being named to the MASCAC All-Conference first-team as voted on by the league's seven head coaches.
In addition, Falcons' fourth-year Head Coach Titus Manderson was chosen by his peers as conference Coach of the Year, while senior Leonny Burgos and junior Josh Bosworth were named to the all-conference second team.
Bell, a senior from Dorchester, Mass., helped lead the Falcons to the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament and the MASCAC Regular Season Title. Jaleel earns his second straight MASCAC Player of the Year honor, after finishing first in the conference in points per contest (22.2), total points (554) and steals (54). He was also third in league in defensive rebounds (171), fourth in free throw percentage (83.0%) and fifth in total rebounds (205) and three point percentage (41.0%). During the regular season, he was named the MASCAC Player of the Week four times.
For his efforts in leading his squad to the top seed in the conference tournament and a 10.2 mark in league play repeating as regular season champions, Manderson was named the 2016-17 MASCAC Champion's Choice Coach of the Year for second straight year.
Joining Bell on the 2016-17 MASCAC first-team All-Conference squad were Salem State's Marcus Faison and Shaquan Murray, Westfield State's Jesus Sanchez and Worcester State's Paul Brooks.
The 2016-17 MASCAC second-team is comprised of Burgos, Bosworth, Bridgewater State's Rocky DeAndrade, Joseph Carty and Fawaz Mass.
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation's first Division III men's and women's playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC core member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men's ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as an affiliate member in football beginning in 2013.
Portions of release courtesy of the MASCAC media relations office