NOFUENTE ENDS CAREER WITH OCAA'S HIGHEST AWARD
Humber women's basketball star Ceejay Nofuente was named the OCAA Female Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Courtesy of ocaa.com
TORONTO - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) proudly recognizes Humber College women's basketball student-athlete Ceejay Nofuente as its 2017-18 OCAA Female Athlete of the Year.
Nofuente (Toronto) becomes the first person to be named OCAA Athlete of the Year for three consecutive seasons after becoming the only repeat winner of the award last year. She also "three-peated" as OCAA Player of the Year and OCAA Championship MVP in women's basketball, as well as Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year and All-Canadian.
During the 2017-18 regular season, the fifth-year point guard once again led the OCAA with a personal best 149 steals and 140 assists while averaging 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Nofuente recorded 11 double-doubles and her third career quadruple-double. Her efficiency was through the roof, shooting a career-best 50.2 per cent (124-of-247) from the floor. Humber easily won the OCAA West Division title with a perfect 20-0 record.
At provincials hosted by Humber, Nofuente averaged 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 points, 7.7 assists, 5.7 steals and 2.3 blocks in three games. She also recorded double-doubles her final two games, including a 69-54 win over Fanshawe in the gold medal game as Humber won a record-tying fourth-straight OCAA title on home court.
Nofuente and the Hawks then travelled east to the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championship in Sackville, N.B. She was named Player of the Game in the opening contest of the championship, scoring a clutch mid-range jumper with 0.8 seconds left in regulation to give her Hawks a 71-69 victory over Mount Saint Vincent University, keeping their perfect season alive. Nofuente recorded a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds. She was one rebound shy of another double-double in Humber's 83-72 semifinal win over Collège Montmorency, sharing the team lead with 22 points.
Humber clinched their second national championship and second undefeated campaign in three seasons with a 68-61 win over Dawson College in the CCAA gold medal game. Nofuente scored 21 points in the finale and was named CCAA Championship MVP for the second time in her career.
Nofuente is also a two-time member of Canada's national basketball team and represented Canada at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Australia.
"Ceejay is one of the most dedicated, disciplined, and devoted student-athletes ever to represent Humber College," praised Ray Chateau, Humber Director of Athletics. "Her basketball resume is second-to-none and to win a third consecutive OCAA Athlete of the Year award further cements her legacy as the greatest player in the history of the league. By playing for the Canadian national team, Ceejay has helped to put CCAA women's basketball on the map, opening the door for the next generation of student-athletes."
Throughout the OCAA season, Humber plays host to multiple basketball camps for all ages. The first student-athlete to donate her time, give back and make a meaningful contribution to the community is Nofuente. She has been inspirational to countless young athletes, demonstrating success is a product of hard work, dedication, and determination.
Nofuente becomes the ninth consecutive student-athlete from Humber to be awarded OCAA Female Athlete of the Year. She is the fourth women's basketball player to be named OCAA Female Athlete of the Year, along with Redeemer University College's Anita Kralt and Seneca College's Ashley Docking and Natasha Thombs.
- OCAA -
ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is the recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student-athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 29 members sponsoring 12 varsity sports.