CSM’s Yancey First in Nation for Assists

College of Southern Maryland point guard freshman Amaya Yancey just finished the basketball season first in the nation in assists per game with 8.0. And more, she was named to the 2018-2019 NJCAA Division II Third Team All American Team.

“Amaya has demonstrated what consistency and dedication means as a student athlete,” said the college’s women’s vasketball Head Coach Ardell Jackson. “As a freshman, she has led our team, and nation, in a lot of major athletic categories.

As a freshman, Ms. Yancey has averaged 16 points per game and shot 42.8 percent from the court as well as 50.6 percent from the 3-point range, while averaging close to 10 rebounds, and eight assists, per game. She also recorded a career-high seven triple doubles during the season and was named NJCAA Player of the Week.

The list of impressive information goes on. Ms. Yancey also topped the national leader board in 3-point field goal percentages and was named 2nd team All-MDJUCO (Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference) and All-Region.

“Our coaches pushed us hard,” Ms. Yancey said in a recent interview, passing kudos on to her team and coaches for her success. “They pushed us all to stay determined and keep focused on our goals. I couldn’t have gotten here without my Hawk’s coaches, my Hawk’s team or my high school basketball team at Parkdale High School.”

Ms. Yancey is a chemical engineering major at CSM, and her first season with the Hawks was both tough and rewarding.

“Starting as a new student at CSM and joining the basketball team, I was little iffy about what I could handle at first,” she said. “Because it was college, I knew it would be harder, and it was. So I got in the gym three times-a-day to make sure I was in shape. I worked hard. We all did.”

Ms. Yancey pointed to the team’s “newness” as leading to everyone’s overall success this year. “We had six new players,” she said. “We were building a new team and our energy was good and fresh. We gelled as a team and I think that played a part in our success.”

She said she and her teammates also made a habit out of pushing and challenging one another in practice and on the court. “When I first joined the team, the coaches laid out the expectations. I knew I would play a huge role as a point guard and that I would have to bond the team. The coaches told us what they wanted,” Ms. Yancey said. “And I think we delivered.”

When asked how she felt about the news that her daughter joined the elite 10 players from across the country named to the NJCAA Division II Third Team All American team, Amaya’s mother Joy shared that she is swelling with both pride and humility.

“Amaya has always been very determined, very focused and has always been athletic,” Joy said. “She is not going to stop until she becomes number one – though Amaya will never say that because she is too humble.”

Joy Yancey also showered the Hawks’ coaches with appreciation.

“Coach Jackson and Coach B [Assistant Coach Kim Barnes] have been excellent in helping Amaya see her potential and to see how far she can go,” she said. “And we are grateful. I am just so happy for her and so proud of her. I know she will do great things in life.”

The College of Southern Maryland’s Women’s Basketball team finished runner-up in the NJCAA Region XX Tournament on Sunday, March 10.
The intercollegiate athletics program at CSM offers an educational and competitive physical experience for student athletes, integrating training for the mind as well as the body.

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