Bates’ Mia Roy (2) and Meghan Graff (14) received postseason honors from D3hoops.com. Phyllis Graber Jensen photo

Bates College’s Meghan Graff and Mia Roy, who helped lead the Bobcats to the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament this season, recently earned D3hoops.com honors for their stellar performances on the court. 

Graff, a junior captain, was named D3hoops.com Region 1 Player of the Year and senior Mia Roy was selected for the third team on Tuesday.

Graff of South Portland is the first Bates women’s basketball player to earn Regional Player of the Year since Val Beckwith in 2009.

“She deserves every part of the recognition,” Bobcats coach Alison Montgomery said. “During her time at Bates, she has single-handedly carried us to success — both with her actual play on the court and her leadership and her mentality …

“As we found more team success, she also found a way to do whatever she needed. We had a more balanced team and she was able to distribute the ball more and play different roles, and her ability to meet whatever our team needed.

Graff, the 2021-22 NESCAC Player of the Year, averaged 16.2 points per game and led the Bobcats to the first NESCAC title in program history. Graff scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including a 30-point effort against Bowdoin and back-to-back 20-point games in the NESCAC semifinal and championship games. 

“Individual awards are so great, but I think I know for sure about Meghan (is) she would trade all these individual awards if we were still competing and going to the Final Four,” Montgomery said. ”I am so happy for her and for our program to get that kind of recognition.”

The Bobcats reached the second round of he NCAA tournament before falling to NYU.

Graff, who ranks 11th on the all-time scoring list at Bates with 1,150 career points, scored 18 points in an overtime thriller in the first round of the NCAA tournament, when the Bobcats defeated Roger Williams 68-64.

There it is…a shot for the ages.

Mia Roy knocks down a three at the buzzer to force overtime in a 68-64 win for Bates women's basketball over Roger Williams in the 1st round of the @NCAADIII tournament!! That's Ariana Dalia chasing down the loose ball. #SCTop10 @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/ytfXXTyf1e

— BatesSports (@BatesSports) March 5, 2022

Roy, from Bedford, New Hampshire, hit a shot to force overtime against Roger Williams in the NCAA tournament. A second team All-NESCAC selection, she averaged 12.6 points per game overall and a team-leading 16 points per game in conference games. 

“I said this about (Roy) over and over this year … she never stops,” said Montgomery, who earlier this month was named Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. “She is so committed to getting better. She is kind of non-stop, kind of a gym rat. She is always looking for any edge that she can get to be able to have success.”

Montgomery added that Roy has learned to master her go-go schedule between basketball and academics as well as keep fit.

“She has been so laser focused on how to make our program successful,” Montgomery said. “She has brought a lot of stability and focus on the end-goal for us — and she did it for four straight years.”

Roy set a NESCAC championship tournament record with 35 points in the team’s quarterfinal win over Middlebury and poured in 32 earlier in the season in a win over Wesleyan.

Players chosen to the D3hoops.com All-Region team are eligible for All-American selection. The All-American teams will be announced this Saturday.

MOSS NAMED TO NABC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

University of Maine at Farmington senior Terion Moss of Portland has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District first-team selection.

Moss is believed to be UMaine-Farmington’s first NABC All-District honoree.

“This is a tremendous and well-earned recognition for Terion, who consistently led us all season long,” UMF men’s coach Sam Leal said. “T prepares day-in and day-out to keep his game sharp. The scoring bursts he had this season are remarkable for a guy who is naturally looking to set up his teammates. I am proud of Terion and very fortunate to coach him.”

The award is the most recent accolade for Moss, who is well on his way to becoming among the most decorated players in UMF men’s basketball history.

Also an  All-NAC First Team selection, Moss was named the Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writers Association (MMBCWA) State Player of the Year on last week after a season in which he surpassed the 1,000-career point mark, set a new UMaine-Farmington single-game scoring record with 48 points against Southern Maine, and was tabbed for the D3hoops.com Team of the Week on Nov. 30, 2021.

Moss finished the 2021-22 season averaging 27.0 points and 4.2 assists while hauling down 3.9 assists per game. He shot .500 (176-of-352) from the field and was 52-of-124 (.419) from beyond the arc. Moss currently ranks second among NCAA Division III leaders in scoring, and is 26th in 3-point shooting percentage.

UMaine-Farmington men’s basketball finished the season with a 14-7 overall record, 8-2 in the North Atlantic Conference East Division, and reached the semifinal round of the 2022 NAC Men’s Basketball Tournament.