Four Yellow Jackets Named All-HCAC

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Two days after capturing a berth to the NCAA tournament for winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, Defiance College placed four players on All-HCAC Teams.

Bernard Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Warren Cousino) headlined the four Yellow Jackets by being named the HCAC Player of the Year.  The senior led the conference in scoring with 23.1 points per game during HCAC play.  Edwards placed inside the Top-25 in the conference in several key statistical categories throughout season play.  He was third in total blocks (26), sixth in free-throw percentage (83.7%), 10th in total rebounds (134), 15th in three-point field goal percentage (38.7%), 17th in total assists (57), and 24th in field goal percentage (45%).  Edwards eclipsed the 20-point mark in 15 games this season, including four times going for more than 30.  He also became the 47th player in Defiance history to hit the career milestone of 1,000 points.  Edwards did so in the game against Rose-Hulman on January 31.

Joining Edwards on the first-team All-HCAC was Travis Schomaeker (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf).  The senior placed inside the Top-10 in several statistical categories of his own.  Schomaeker was second in total assists (118), third in three-point field goals made (63), fifth three-point field goal percentage (42.9%), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.4), sixth in total steals (33), and seventh in points per game (15).  He scored in double figures in 21 games this season and dished out 10 assists on three different occasions.

Mason Roth (McComb) was the third senior named to All-HCAC, being placed on the second-team.  Roth placed in the Top-10 in eight different categories.  He placed second in three-point field goal percentage (43.9%), third in total steals (38), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.5), eighth in assists (80), eighth in free-throws made (78), and 10th in each field goal percentage (51.4%), free-throw percentage (79.6%), and total defensive rebounds (94).  Roth placed 14th in points per game as well, averaging 12.7 per contest.  Roth scored in double figures in 17 straight games from December 30 to February 28.  In that streak, on February 14, Roth became the second player during the season to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a career.

Wade Wooley (Wauseon) was the final Yellow Jacket placed on an All-HCAC team as an All-Sportsmanship selection.  Wooley was a monster on the glass all season long.  He was second in total rebounds (192), second in total offensive rebounds (64), third in rebounds per game (7.1), and fourth in total defensive rebounds (128).  The junior was also always a threat on the defensive side in the lane, blocking away 35 shots on the season which was good enough for second in the HCAC on the year.

The four Yellow Jackets and the rest of the DC squad will head up to Whitewater, Wisc. for a match-up with No. 2 nationally-ranked and defending NCAA National Champion, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  The game will be played on Friday, March 6 with a tipoff time of 8:30 pm.