Providence, R.I.--Two current Providence College student-athletes were named the best men's and women's player of the year and a prominent alumna was chosen as the top women's coach at the recent Cox Sports/Rhode Island Basketball Media Awards presentation.

Weyinmi Efejuku '09 of Freshmeadows, N.Y., Chelsea Marandola '09 of North Providence, R.I., and Mary Burke '87 were honored at the season-ending function at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick, R.I., on March 30.

Efejuku was named co-recipient of the Bill Reynolds Award as Rhode Island's Division I player of the year. He helped the 2008-09 Friar men's basketball team post a 19-14 mark, which included a 10-8 record in BIG EAST Conference play and a berth in the National Invitational Tournament.

Efejuku led the team in scoring, averaging 15.7 points-per-game. He was second on the team in field goal percentage at 46.7 percent and second on the squad in three-point field goal shooting at 38.8 percent. Following the season, he was selected to the BIG EAST Honorable Mention Team.

Marandola was named co-recipient of the Mary Burke Award, which is given to the top Division I women's collegiate player in Rhode Island. The award is named in honor of Burke, who starred at Toll Gate High School (Warwick, R.I.) before playing at PC.

Marandola led the women's basketball team to 10 victories and paced the Friars in scoring at 12.0 points-per-game. She also averaged a team-high 1.2 steals-per-game and contributed 4.7 rebounds- and 1.9 assists-per-game.

Burke, who has coached the Bryant University women for 18 seasons, received the Vin Cullen Award as the Division I women's coach of the year. It was Burke's second consecutive coach of the year honor, having earned the Division II/III award after the 2007-08 season.

As a player for the Friar women's basketball team, Burke was a three-time BIG EAST All-Conference selection. In 1987, she was named Rhode Island Female Athlete of the Year. She was inducted into the PC Athletics Hall of Fame last year.

Cox Sports is a regional sports network that delivers professional, amateur, and collegiate men's and women's sporting events to viewers in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

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