Devonne Richardson and Sam McDuffie Named February GBC Athletes of the Month
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Freshman forward Devonne Richardson of the women’s basketball team and junior guard/forward Sam McDuffie of the men’s basketball team have been named Goldey-Beacom College female and male athletes of the month, respectively for the month of February.
Richardson, a Baltimore, Md. native from Milford Mill Academy, averaged 13.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per-game, dished out 19 assists, blocked two shots and had 26 steals during the month of February. She led the Lightning to a 7-2 record amidst a contentious four-team playoff chase in the CACC South, during which she recorded five double-doubles. She was perhaps at her best when GBC visited intra-state rival Wilmington on Feb. 9 and she carried the team to a 70-67 double-overtime victory with a tremendous 25- point, 15-rebound effort. She also made the game-winning layup in a 52-51 victory over Georgian Court on Feb. 18.
In just her rookie season at Goldey-Beacom, Richardson set a school record with 285 rebounds and also tallied 316 points and a team-high 61 steals. She finished with nine double-doubles as she led the Lightning to their first appearance in the CACC semifinals since 2006-07.
Though the men’s team struggled to a 3-5 record in February, McDuffie did all he could to help the Lightning eventually secure their No. 2 seed in the CACC playoffs. In eight games, he averaged 16.8 points, a team-best 7.3 rebounds, had a team-high 10 blocks, and also added 20 assists, and seven steals. He scored in double-figures in seven of the eight games, including a 21-point performance in a tough, 82-70 loss to Chestnut Hill on Feb. 2, and a 22-point effort at Philadelphia in front of a sold-out crowd at the Gallagher Center for PU head coach Herb Magee’s 903rd win. He also recorded nine rebounds in three games during this month’s stretch.
For the season, the Bronx, N.Y. native out of Bordentown High School in N.J., finished the season with 412 points (14.2 ppg), 159 rebounds (5.5 rpg), 54 assists, 32 blocks and 32 steals. He also shot 32-for-79 (.405) from three-point range and 112-149 (.752) from the free-throw line.
A third-year player at GBC under head coach Chuck Hammond, McDuffie ranks fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list at 948 career points as he closes in on 1,000 with an entire season of eligibility left to play next year. He also ranks third on the school’s career rebounding list with 398.
