Durham, four players named to All-MD JUCO
Published on March 23, 2020
NORTH EAST, Md. – Cecil College is proud to announce that Ed Durham, the men’s head basketball coach, along with four players from the men’s and women’s basketball programs were selected for 2019-2020 All-Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference (MD JUCO) honors.
Durham was named the MD JUCO Coach of the Year. After coaching the Seahawks to the NJCAA National Tournament last year, Durham continued his success as the men’s program finished with a 23-7 overall record and went 12-1 to win the MD JUCO regular-season title.
“Working at Cecil College gives me an opportunity of giving back and helping the community that supported me when I was growing up. Not only students but anyone on this campus. We are a community of people who have the same goal of helping people succeed,” said Durham.
Durham was born in Elkton, raised in Middletown, Del., and spent his summers in Chesapeake City with his mother’s family. He graduated from Cecil College in 1983 before going on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wilmington College.
Jacob Falko, a native of North East, Md., and a product of Tri-State Christian Academy was the first of two players to be recognized for their excellence on the hardwood. Along with being named First Team All-MD JUCO in his sophomore year, Falko was named this season’s MD JUCO Offensive Player of the Year.
During his second season with the Seahawks, Falko averaged 23.7 points per game while shooting an impressive 62 percent from the floor. From beyond the arc, he shot 43 percent. This shooting accuracy, along with his 5.7 rebound average and 4.2 assist average, earned him Player of the Month honors twice during the season. Falko is an accounting major.
Joining Falko on the awards podium was freshman forward Justin Cohen as a Second Team All-MD JUCO player. Cohen is a native of Marion Station, Md., where he attended Crisfield Academy and was named All-Bayside Player of the Year. Over a 30-game season, Cohen averaged 13.8 points with an impressive 48.6 percent shooting average. Under the boards, he averaged 6.9 rebounds. He is a general studies major.
The Cecil College women’s basketball team also had two of its players recognized for outstanding performances. Freshman guard Jayla Smith and sophomore guard Kayla Thompson were both selected to the Honorable Mention Team of All-MD JUCO.
Smith, a native of Smyrna, De., averaged 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds to go with her 2.2 assists per game. A computer engineering major, she helped the Seahawks record the MD JUCO playoffs for the first time in two years.
Thompson averaged 15.2 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists. From the field, she shot 36.2 percent and 27.8 percent from beyond the three-point line. A native of Chesapeake City and graduate of Bohemia Manor High School, where she had a 1,000-point career, Thompson is an exercise science major.
To learn more about Cecil College athletics, visit www.cecilathletics.com.