Cooper honored by NABC for third year in a row

RINDGE, N.H. (March 20, 2014) – Franklin Pierce University men’s basketball senior standout Ellis Cooper (Northampton, Mass.) recently earned three regional honors for his exemplary play throughout the 2013-14 season.

Cooper earned Daktronics Second-Team All-East Region honors, but that award paled in comparison to the other two prestigious accolades, including being named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-East Region First-Team, and being placed on the NCAA Division II East Regional All-Tournament Team.

Cooper averaged 19.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, despite missing close to two weeks with an injury. He ranks fifth in the Northeast-10 Conference in scoring, while also ranking sixth in rebounding. He shot 56 percent from the field, which is the third highest average in the league. Cooper was named to the All-NE-10 First-Team following the regular season for his impressive play.

He scored in double-figures in all but one game this season, including 12 games with at least 20 points. Cooper also recorded eight double-doubles on the year. After missing a two-week span over late-January and early-February with an injury, Cooper came back with a vengeance by scoring 20 points or more in four-straight games, including a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds in his first game back in a 76-75 win over Southern New Hampshire on Feb. 11.

The East region accolades from the NABC and Daktronics honored Cooper’s performance throughout the regular season and NE-10 Tournament, but the NCAA regional all-tournament team honor shined the light on his magnificent play in the first two rounds of the regional this past weekend. Cooper averaged 27.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in the two games, including a 30-point, 16-rebound performance in a narrow second round loss to top-seeded Southern Connecticut State.

Despite the setback, the performance was a fitting end to Cooper’s amazing collegiate career, which saw him earn a pair of First-Team All-NE-10 honors (2012 & 2014), while also being recognized by the NABC on its East Region team each of the last three seasons. He finished his career with 1,503 points, which is the 10^th best scoring mark in program history.

For more information on Franklin Pierce men’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men’s basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)