General | 2/16/2023 5:40:00 PM

Brooklyn, New York – For the first time in two years, the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) held its annual All-Star Basketball Luncheon at Giando's on the Water in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday afternoon, and BMCC women's basketball had a total of two individuals honored. The outstanding freshman tandem of Demaris Andrews (Bayonne, New Jersey) and Emily Kennedy (Brooklyn, New York) were recognized for their efforts this season, with Andrews receiving Rookie of the Year accolades and Kennedy earning CUNYAC All-Star honors.
 
Andrews is the first Panther player in program history since Kristen Merrell in 2014-15 and the fourth in school history to capture the Rookie of the Week honors. In addition, underclassman Yisneily Morales (Bronx, New York) was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
 
The Bayonne, New Jersey native made an immediate impact the moment she stepped on campus, leading the Panthers in seven different categories during the 2022-23 campaign. Andrews is one of BMCC's top scorers this season with a team-high 314 points, including a team-best 16 double-figure games, eight 20-point efforts, and seven double-doubles.
 
The freshman forward is tops on the Panthers in rebounds (158), free throws made (112), free throws attempted (171), field goals made (92), field goal attempted (340), assists (39), and blocks (7). She is also second in scoring average (16.5) points per game, (8.3) rebounding average, steals (42), and three-pointers made (18) and three-pointers attempted (97). The Hudson Catholic product got off to a hot start this season, opening up her career with a double-double scoring a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds to go along with a team-best three against UCONN Avery Point in the season opener, then followed it up with a 24 point performance on the road at Rockland Community College knocking down a career-best 11-for-14 from the charity stripe. 
 
Andrews helped the Panthers clinch the second seed in the 2023 CUNYAC CC Women's Basketball Championship with a career-high 26 points against Queensborough Community College on January 31, 2023.
 
The three-time CUNYAC Rookie of the Week also became the third Panther player in the last three seasons to join the 20-point and 20-rebound club in a single game since Lauren Malcolm and Shyasia Preston did it back during the 2019-20 season during BMCC's first victory of the season against Queensborough. She hauled down a career-high 21 rebounds in the contest. 
 
Kennedy hit the ground immediately from arrival on the hardwood in December, leading the Panthers in scoring average at 20.7 points per game which is also eighth in the country and is tops on the team in rebounding average at 8.6,while also being second in five categories points (248), field goals made (91), field goals attempted (297), free throws made (49), free throws attempted (85), steals (42), and assists (33). She is also third on the team in total rebounds with 103.
 
The Brooklyn, New York native has racked up the awards during the season and during the second half of the season, registering 11 double-figure games and five 20 points games with two 30-point scoring efforts in the last two weeks with career-high 30 points against Queensborough and Hostos. The Benjamin Banneker Academy product has racked up National and CUNYAC Weekly Awards becoming the first Panther player in almost a decade to grab NJCAA Division III Player of the Week accolades and a team-high five CUNYAC Rookie of the Week honors this season, including capturing four straight CUNYAC Rookie of the Week honors.
 
She has put up six games with 20 points or more in all nine contests in 2023 and is averaging 23.7 points per game in all of them.
 
Morales is second on the Panther's 106 rebounds and averaging 5.6 rebounds per game which is third on the team with a career-best 16-rebound effort against Queensborough Community College on January 31, 2023.

Below is the complete list of the 2022 CUNYAC Community College Postseason Awards and All-Star Selections:

2022-23 CUNYAC Community College Women's Basketball All-Star Awards
Player of the Year: Aiyana Hicks, Hostos 
Rookie of the Year: Demaris Andrews, BMCC
Coach of the Year: Dwight Shaw, Hostos
Sportsmanship Award: Fatoumata Diaby, Hostos 
All-Sportsmanship Team: Yisneily Morales, BMCC; Julia Russo, Kingsborough; Shivangi Sharma, Queensborough; Shemiah Sealey, LaGuardia

2022-23 CUNYAC Community College Women's Basketball All-Star Team
Lanasia Drain, Hostos
Hagar Elwan, Kingsborough
Brianna Edwards, LaGuardia
Dimon Walker, Hostos
Nayla Walters, Queensborough 
Emily Kennedy, BMCC
Isabella Casey, Queensborough
Starr Garcia, Hostos

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of eight varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - The official site of BMCC Athletics. Follow the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and Like Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).