April 24, 2007

WILLIAM PATERSON'S CUSTIS NAMED ECAC DIVISION III
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL METRO CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NJAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORED BY THE ECAC

William Paterson senior guard Luci Custis was named the ECAC Division III Women's Basketball Metro Co-Player of the Year, earning a spot on the All-ECAC First Team.

Previously named to the d3hoops.com All-America Fourth Team, the Kodak/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III All-America Honorable Mention Team, the d3hoops.com All-Atlantic Region First Team and the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) All-First Team, Custis was selected as the 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, earning a spot on the All-NJAC First Team. The 5-7 guard led the Pioneers with 2.9 assists and 2.7 steals per contest, adding 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season. The NJAC Player of the Week Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, she became the 17th member of William Paterson’s 1,000-point club on Nov. 21 in a game against New York City Tech, finishing her time in Wayne sixth in Pioneer history with 1,357 points. Custis also owns William Paterson’s career steals mark with 279.

Custis shared the ECAC Player of the Year award with NYU’s Jessica McEntee.

The 2006 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, Custis was a first-team all-NJAC and second-team all-MBWA selection last season, and a second-team all-league pick as a sophomore in 2005.

Custis helped lead the Pioneers to a 23-6 overall record in 2006-07, as William Paterson won the NJAC North Division title with an 11-2 league mark. WPU fell just short of winning their second-ever NJAC Tournament title, falling to Kean on a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the final, but the Pioneers were rewarded for their accomplishments with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Making their sixth-ever appearance in the national tournament, and first since 1998, the Pioneers pulled off a 69-61 first-round upset of No. 22 McDaniel on March 2 in Ashland, VA. William Paterson later fell to host Randolph-Macon, 74-59, in the second round on March 3.