NEWARK, Del. - - Following an illustrious playing career for the Wilmington University men's basketball team, senior guard Tyaire Ponzo-Meek will again be at the top of a list in the record books as he was named First Team Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-East Region on Monday.
It is the first time in program history that a Wildcat has been named All-Region. He will not be automatically nominated as a D2CCA All-American selection. The region's sports information directors and conference offices voted for the D2CCA All-East Region teams.
Ponzo-Meek already struck the record books by becoming the first two-time First Team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference performer in program history while also becoming the first men's basketball student-athlete to be named the CACC Player of the Year.
The senior led the Wildcats to a program best 19-10 overall record, going 14-5 in the CACC. They earned the South Division's number two seed for the CACC Tournament, hosting their first ever playoff game at the WU Athletics Complex.
Ponzo-Meek led the Wildcats and was third in the CACC in scoring 20.1 points per game, finishing his career by scoring 10 or more points in 63 consecutive games. He was also third in the league in made free throws (136) and fourth in made field goals (195). He played the sixth most minutes per game (36.9) and had the eighth best assists to turnover ratio (1.9). Defensively, he was fifth in the CACC with 51 steals while also ranking 23rd in rebounds with 5.4 per game from his guard position.
For his career, Ponzo-Meek will leave the men's basketball program as the all-time leader in points scored (1,808) and steals (174) while also finishing second in rebounds (533) and assist (336). He scored 30 points in his final game, a feat he accomplished three times as a senior and six times as a junior.
Southern New Hampshire's Devin Gilligan was named the 2016-17 D2CCA East Region Men's Basketball Player of the Year. St. Thomas Aquinas' Justin Reyes, Southern Connecticut State's Michael Mallory, and Saint Anselm's Tim Guers joined Ponzo-Meek on the region's First Team.
AGATE:
2016-17 D2CCA Men's Basketball All-East Region
First Team:
Devin Gilligan, Sr., Forward, Southern New Hampshire University
Justin Reyes, Jr., Guard/Forward, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Michael Mallory, Sr., Guard, Southern Connecticut State University
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek, Sr., Guard, Wilmington University
Tim Guers, So., Guard, Saint Anselm College
Second Team:
Matt Bonds, Sr., Forward, Saint Michael's College
Charlie Marquardt, Sr., Guard, Molloy College
Jon Feiler, Gr., Forward, New York Institute of Technology
Nick Davidson, Jr., Forward, Bloomfield College
Chris Walters, Jr., Forward, Southern New Hampshire University
Jaylen Morris, Sr., Guard, Molloy College