Hamilton, Rennis Named to All-Conference First-Team; Sutter Earns Coach of the Year
Brendon Hamilton receives the MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year and joins Justin Rennis as All-Conference First-Team nominations. Owls head coach Rich Sutter named conference Coach of the Year.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior forward Brendon Hamilton (Worcester, Mass.) was named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year on top of his All-Conference First-Team nomination, while senior guard Justin Rennis (Springfield, Mass.) also received First-Team recognition as voted on by the seven coaches around the league.
Westfield State head coach Rich Sutter was also named the MASCAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Owls to their second consecutive MASCAC championship along with a 22-4 overall record, including a 10-2 mark in conference play. The Owls currently sit one game below their single-season win record, amounting 23 victories in the 2012-2013 season.
Hamilton secured the first ever Defensive Player of the Year accolade after a dominant season on the glass, as he currently leads Division III in rebound per game (14.8). He set the record for most rebounds in a single season for the Owls, grabbing 385 rebounds over 26 games. Hamilton also led the conference in blocks (57) while pacing the Owls in scoring at 15.2 points per game. The junior forward pulled down a season high 26 rebounds with 16 points to win tournament MVP in the conference championship game on Saturday. Hamilton remained consistent from start to finish as one of his most complete performances came early in the season against William Patterson University in the Rick Martin championship game where he collected a season-high 32 points while posting 22 rebounds. Hamilton claimed the tournament MVP as well.
Rennis earned a spot on the First-Team as the seventh leading scorer in the conference (second on the Owls), averaging 13.4 points per game including 4.9 rebounds per game. His 1.6 steals per game placed him fourth in the MASCAC. One of Rennis' most impactful games came at a crucial point in the season as the Owls were hosting Salem State, trailing by one game in the conference standings. The senior captain collected a game-high 22 points and three steals to guide the Owls to victory and put them in the top spot for the remainder of the season.
Westfield State earned the automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Division III tournament which begins on Friday as the Owls travel to Nazareth College for an opening round game on Friday at 6:05 P.M. Spectators planning to attend the game should buy tickets in advance as the host is predicting a sold out crowd. Please view the NCAA ticket information in order to reserve tickets for the game.