O'Neill Named HVMAC Rookie of the Week

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) earned Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference (HVMAC) Rookie of the Week honors after helping lead the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team to a convincing win over conference foe Culinary Institute.

The freshman averaged 14.3 points, shooting 43 percent from behind the arc (9-of-21), grabbing 3.3 rebounds and swiping 1.7 steals over a three-game stretch for St. Joseph's. O'Neill's improved play has earned him a spot in the starting lineup and he delivered with a career-high 18 points, draining five three-pointers vs. Staten Island. He followed that up with a 14-point effort in 12 minutes in a league-win over the Culinary.

Sophomore David Louison (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) was recognized by the conference as part of the honor roll after leading the Bears in scoring last week and recording his eighth and ninth double-doubles of the season, a category he ranks No. 4 in Division III.

While this is O'Neill's first collegiate basketball award, he also received Rookie of the Week honors in the fall while playing on the men's soccer team. O'Neill follows fellow rookie Michael Megafu (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth Regional) as the lone winners of the award for the Bears this season. Megafu is a two-time recipient of the honor.

The Bears return to action on Thursday, January 17th when they face NYU-Poly in a non-conference road tilt. Tip-off is slated 7:00 p.m.