HAMILTON, Ont. - Matthew Fennell of the Mohawk Mountaineers has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association's men's basketball player of the year.

Fennell received the award this evening at the 2015 CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont.

Fennell led the Mountaineers to a 15-3 record and second-place finish in the OCAA's west division. Mohawk then went on to defeat Humber in the OCAA championship final.

The 6-foot-5 guard was the OCAA's west division scoring champion averaging 28.4 points per game. He also averaged 8.3 rebounds per game.

"He is an explosive scorer who remains poised in all situations," said Mohawk coach Brian Jonker. "His easy-going nature trickles down to everyone and provides a positive learning environment day-in and day-out."

Fennell averaged 33.3 minutes per game with Mohawk this season and shot 46.3 per cent from three-point range, second in the OCAA. He also shot 82 per cent from the free-throw line, the fourth-best total in the conference.

The fifth-year senior at Mohawk collected gold medals and MVP honours at the George Brown and St. Lawrence Kingston invitational tournaments, both won by Mohawk.

When younger rep teams attend Mountaineer games at the David Braley Mohawk and Athletic Centre, Fennell is one of the players who takes the time to speak about his experiences with the next generation of basketball stars.

"I believe Matt is the hardest-working person in the gym every day," said Jonker. "As a result, he leads by the greatest example."

Player of the year recipients receive a CCAA customized ring provided by Jostens Canada.

Other nominees for the award were Justin King of the VIU Mariners (PacWest), Donathan Moss of the NAIT Ooks (ACAC), Jordan Aquino-Serjue of the Dawson Blues (RSEQ) and D.J. Wright of the Holland Hurricanes (ACAA).

The CCAA is a national sport organization enriching the academic experiences of student-athletes through intercollegiate sport.

Source: CCAA Communications