Wright Named Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year; Trio Earns All-Conference Honors

TOWSON, Md. --- Moravian College graduate student forward Alexis Wright has been tabbed as the Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season, and she earned a spot on the 2016 Landmark All-Conference First Team while senior forward Alesha Marcks and junior guard Camille McPherson were named to the Landmark All-Conference Second Team.

The trio has helped the Greyhounds to a 19-7 record this winter, and the Blue and Grey received an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament on Monday, the program's 10th NCAA appearance. The group also led Moravian to a berth in the Landmark Conference Semifinals before an overtime loss ended the quest for a conference title.

Wright captured her third major award from the Landmark Conference as the Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight winter, and she was the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year in 2011-12. Wright is a now a three-time member of the Landmark All-Conference First Team with selections in 2016, 2015 and 2013. This year, Wright is averaging in double figures in both points and rebounds for Moravian at 13.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest, and she leads the squad with 71 blocked shots to go along with 52 assists and 38 steals while posting 16 double-doubles in 26 games. In her career of 119 games for the Greyhounds, Wright owns the school record with 1,251 rebounds, and she is third in scoring with 1,686 points, second in blocked shots with 275 and seventh in steals with 209. Wright is one game shy of tying the record for games played in a career.

"Alexis has established herself as one of the best to play at Moravian and in the Landmark Conference," stated Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk. "Repeating as the Landmark Defensive Player of the Year is a huge accomplishment for her, as well as a repeat First Team All-Conference player. Alexis rebounded as well as anyone in the country this year. She can take over a game on both ends, which makes her such a dangerous player.

Marcks earns Landmark All-Conference honors for the second time in her career after being on the First Team last winter, and Marcks was also the Landmark Conference Co-Rookie of the Year in 2012-13. This winter, Marcks is averaging 11.4 points per games for Moravian, and she leads the Blue and Grey at the foul line at 85.9 percent (67-of-78). She is second on the team on the boards, pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game, and Marcks also has 48 assists, 34 steals and 24 blocked shots. She joined Wright in the 1,000-point club and sits 16th in school history with 1,117 points, and Marcks is 11th in rebounds with 630, and seventh in blocked shots with 105 in 110 games.

"The heart and soul of our team, Alesha often played against bigger post players, but never backed down," noted Spirk. "She figured out how to use her strength as a player and developed into one of the best over her four years in the conference."

McPherson is on the Landmark All-Conference Team in her first season with the Greyhounds. She is leading the squad in scoring this year at 14.0 points per game. McPherson also has a team-high of 35 three-pointers to go with an average of 5.3 rebounds per outing, 35 assists, 13 steals and five blocked shots. McPherson is shooting 81.7 percent (85-of-104) at the foul line for the season.

"The addition of Camille to our team this year gave us the needed fire power to propel us into the NCAA Tournament," Spirk said. "Camille is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached and it is evident out on the court. She is a scorer who can rebound, a guard who can post. Camille established herself immediately as someone the opposing teams had to game plan around."

The Greyhounds will begin their 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament appearance on Friday, March 4 when Moravian plays host the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine at a time still to be announced.