Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Already with a list of accolades following a stellar junior season, Wilmington University men's basketball guard Tyaire Ponzo-Meek can add another one as the City of Basketball Love placed him on the All-Area Second Team.
Ponzo-Meek (Wilmington, Del./Howard) led the entire East Region in scoring this season, pouring in 23.6 points per game. Southern Connecticut State's Michael Mallory finished second in the region in averaging 23.0 points per game on the year. Ponzo-Meek was also second in the CACC with 57 steals, fourth with 107 assists, 10th overall with 207 rebounds (seventh with 159 defensive rebounds, and 10th overall in grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game). He averaged 39.2 minutes per game against CACC opponents, ranking second in the league.
The junior guard scored in double figures in all 28 games, including 20 or more points in 21 games. He topped 30 or more points six times this season, including a career high 37 points at West Chester on New Years Eve. Ponzo-Meek scored back-to-back 30-point games twice this season, adding a 34-point performance against Bloomfield on January 6 and then 30 points and 36 points against Georgian Court and Concordia, respectively. He was named the CACC Co-Player of the Week on January 4 following the games against West Chester and Bloomfield.
He also became the first Wildcat to earn First Team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference honors since Corye Payton during the 2011-12 season. Ponzo-Meek is also the first Wildcat to earn any All-Conference recognition since Brandon Fox was named Honorable Mention during the 2012-13 season.
City of Basketball Love named CACC rival Holy Family's point guard Reggie Charles as the area's Player of the Year while naming West Chester's Matt Penecale the Rookie of the Year. Kutztown's head coach Bernie Driscoll was named the Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Bears to Atlantic Regional Championship game.
AGATE
City of Basketball Love's 2016 Division II All-Area Awards:
First Team:
Peter Alexis – Sr. – F – Philadelphia University
Reggie Charles – Sr. – G – Holy Family University
Josh Johnson – Sr. – F – Kutztown University
Dustin Sleva – So. – F – Shippensburg University
Matt Wisley – Sr. – F – West Chester University
Second Team:
Sho Da-Silva – Sr. – G – University of the Sciences
Christian Mortellite – So. – F – Bloomsburg University
TJ Huggins – Sr. – F – Philadelphia University
Rasheed Moore – Jr. – F – East Stroudsburg University
Tyaire Ponzo-Meek – Jr. – G - Wilmington University
Third Team:
Avery Brown – Sr. – F – West Chester University
Ryan Connolly – R.Jr. – F – Kutztown University
Marvin Crawford – Sr. – F – Holy Family University
Wes Kerr – Sr. – F – University of the Sciences
Derrick Stewart – Sr. – F – Holy Family University
Rookie of the Year: Matt Penecale – Fr. – G – West Chester University
Coach of the Year: Bernie Driscoll – Kutztown University
Player of the Year: Reggie Charles – Sr. – G – Holy Family University