While neither team is going to the playoffs, men’s and women’s basketball seem to have gotten the attention of the conference.
Both starting guards for the men’s team and three starters and a substitute on the women’s squad were picked for the All-UAA squad, the league announced Tuesday. Second-year guard Nofi Mojidi was the sole Maroons representative on the first team. Third-year guard Korry Schwanz and fourth-year forward Susie Gutowski for the women and third-year guard Brandon Woodhead for the men were recognized on the second team, while men’s third-year guard Jesse Meyer and women’s first-year swing Alex Leach earned honorable mentions.
The team’s leader in scoring (14.5 per game) and steals (50), Mojidi was among the league’s best in scoring and field goal shooting percentage. She had five 20-point performances on the season, including a career-best 26 in the season finale against Wash U. Her speed and drive made her the focus of opposing defenses all winter long.
Schwanz buttressed Mojidi’s penetration with sharpshooting on the perimeter. Holding down the two spot, the starter led all UAA comers in three-point field goal percentage and hit 44 of 47 free throw attempts on the season. Schwanz averaged 11.9 points per game, third most on the team; recorded the second-most assists on the squad; and led the team in minutes played with an average of 30.3 per contest.
An All-American pick last year, Gutowski had something of a down year in her final season. Players across the league would kill for such a down year, as the team’s presence inside averaged 12 points and 5.9 rebounds a game over 25 starts. She set a new program record for most career free throws made with 297, and climbed to third all-time on the career scoring charts with 1,180 points.
Woodhead demonstrated an admirable tendency to take over games throughout the season, in which he established himself as one of the best point guards in the UAA. He had 113 assists on the year, the fourth-best single season total in program history, and stood second in the league with 4.5 assists per game. He scored 10 or more points 14 times to average 10.8 per game on the year. His slashing style established him as a threat to go inside, while he maintained solid outside shooting to make himself dangerous everywhere on the court. He hit a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds left to help the Maroons upset a 14th-ranked Carnegie Mellon squad in overtime January 27.
His backcourt compatriot seemed to reinvent himself as the season went on, hustling under the basket to lead the team in rebounds during UAA play. Meyer didn’t neglect his shooting, however, pacing the squad both throughout the season (12.5 PPG) and against league opponents (13.8 PPG). His 68 treys on the year tied a 12-year-old program record.
The only bench player recognized, Leach contributed 7.5 points and 3.5 boards per game as the team’s seventh player. Her career-high 18 points helped lead the Maroons to victory at NYU for the first time ever. She will be in the thick of the competition for a starting job next year, with three spots coming open.
Gutowski’s selection was the fourth of her collegiate career, while Schwanz and Mojidi continued to match her pace with their third and second appearances on the squad. Both Meyer and Woodhead were honorable mention picks last year, while the rookie Leach was recognized for the first time.
