Eastern and Central Maine student-athletes Julia Knights and Jed Johnson have been named North Atlantic Conference basketball players of the year.

Johnson, a graduate of Lawrence High School in Fairfield, set school career records with 1,411 points and 1,014 rebounds. Johnson is the fifth recorded Division III player to pass the 1,000 rebound milestone this season and the only player in Maine Maritime Academy history to surpass 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Johnson broke the previous record of 1,405 points set by Adam St. John (1982-85).

The senior center and Clinton native was named North Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2000 and was selected to the All-NAC team again the following year. He was the NAC Player of the Year in his junior season and was also voted second team All-Maine for Division III schools. Johnson holds school records for blocks in a game (six) and rebounds in a season (285). He has recorded a double-double in 16 of 17 games this season, and in 58 of his 81 career games.

MMA hosted Castleton (Vt.) State in a NAC playoffs quarterfinal Tuesday night.

Knights, a freshman forward for the Mariners, broke the MMA women’s record for points in a season (320) and earned several honors: New England Women’s Basketball Association Rookie of the Week, Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Rookie of the Week, NAC Player of the Week, and 3hoops.com Team of the Week.

The 5-foot-11 Brookton native and Woodland High grad led MMA with 18.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game this season and propelled the Mariners to a 15-9 overall record and 11-2 NAC mark. The Mariners hosted Lesley College in an NAC playoff quarterfinal Tuesday night.

Joining Johnson on the NAC men’s all-conference first team was Clinton’s Matt Clement, a junior forward for MMA.

Other Mainers on the all-NAC women’s team included honorable mention Erinne Magee of Levant, a freshman guard for the Mariners.

McCue receives honor

Hampden’s Jesse McCue has finished a solid sophomore basketball season at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

The Hampden Academy graduate started 26 of 27 games after transferring from Menlo College last year. He averaged 7.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game to earn the team’s newcomer of the year award.

The center-forward averaged 28.1 minutes per game, shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 38.7 percent overall for the Sailfish, who finished sixth with a 2-9 record and lost in the conference tournament to No. 3 seed Flagler.

Palm Beach Atlantic is an NAIA Division II program.