Ankoma-Mensa, Francis, Burke all earn RI Cox Media honors
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off two spectacular seasons on the hardwood, the Bryant University men’s and women’s basketball programs were honored at the Rhode Island Basketball Cox Sports Media Luncheon, Tuesday afternoon.
Seniors Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) and Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) swept the Division I Player of the Year categories, while women’s hoops head coach Mary Burke was Named the Division I Coach of the Year for the second-straight season (fourth time overall).
Francis, the Division I Rhode Island Men’s Player of the Year, saw his best season yet as a senior in 2013-14 to wrap up a historic four-year career as a Bulldog, finishing the year with 595 points and 262 rebounds while shooting a career-high 57.7 percent from the field (225-390). Francis earned his second All-Northeast Conference First Team selection this season and was also named to both the USBWA and NABC All-District Teams, en route to becoming just the third player in Bryant history and sixth player in the NEC record books to surpass the 2,000-point threshold. Francis also became the first player in the NEC annals to finish in the top-5 on both the all-time scoring and rebounding lists, ending his career ranked fifth in career points (2,085) and fourth in career rebounds (990).The numbers are also good for third all-time in the Bulldog record books and stand atop of the school's Division I marks.
In total, Francis finished his career with 37 double-doubles and 108 double-digit scoring games, including 11 and 27, respectively, as a senior. He amassed 41 career 20-point outings (16 in 2013-14) with 38 double-figure rebounding games (12 as a senior). The New York native led his team in scoring 61 times and in rebounding on 92 occasions while finishing the 2013-14 season first on the team on the glass (8.2) and second in points per game (18.6).
Francis finishes his four-year career with a lifetime 54.3 shooting percentage, averaging 17.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per outing across 123 career games and 108 career starts.
Ankoma-Mensa, the Division I Rhode Island Women’s Player of the Year and two-time NEC Second Team selection ends her Bryant career as the Division I program leader in both points (1,282) and rebounds (1,137), and became just the third player in Bulldog history to score 1,000+ points and grab 1,000+ rebounds in a career ( first to so all at the DI level). Her 1,200+ points ranks 10th in Bryant history, while her 1,100+ boards are seventh all-time in Northeast Conference history. This season, the senior put up 15 double doubles (43 career), four 20+ point games and fifteen 10+ rebound games. She was one of just three players in the NEC to average double digit points and rebounds and her .486 FG pct. ranked third in the league. She closes her career averaging 11.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Capping off the trio of Bulldog award winners, 23rd year head coach Mary Burke was named the Division I Rhode Island Women’s Coach of the year for the second-straight season. In just its second year of full Division I eligibility, the Bryant University women’s basketball team put together a historic 2013-14 season behind the leadership of Burke, setting program records for Division I wins in a season (17), NEC wins in a season (11), the highest finish in Northeast Conference regular season standings, and the first Division I postseason win in Bryant basketball history.
Additionally, the Bulldogs set Division I program records for games played (32), points per game (72.2), rebounds per game (43.2), assists per game (14.6), field goal percentage (.416), and 3-point field goal percentage (.366). The Black and Gold also led the Northeast Conference in Rebounds per game, rebounding margin and offensive rebounds per game.