VESTAL, N.Y. – Last winter, Mark Socoby had a solid season as a freshman on the University of Maine men’s basketball team.

This season, the Houlton native took his game to another level for the Black Bears.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward was UMaine’s only representative on the America East all-conference teams announced Friday morning during the annual postseason awards brunch in The Events Center at Binghamton University.

Socoby earned a spot on the All-America East third team after averaging a team-leading 14.0 points and 5.8 rebounds while playing a team-high 35.4 minutes per contest.

“I just want to thank God for this award,” Socoby said. “I think the opportunity to play this year more injury-free than last year was a big boost. I’ve got to thank my teammates. They were really there for me and picked us up every day.”

Socoby also led the Bears in 3-point field-goal percentage (.374) and ranked second in steals (42) and blocked shots (15).

UMaine coach Ted Woodward said Socoby’s emergence was critical, considering the Bears’ considerable graduation losses.

“We counted on him as a guy that could be a leader for our team this year,” Woodward said. “For him to jump (from 6.9) up over 14 points a game and have some really big nights – putting us on his back – even though other people knew he was kind of our go-to guy, speaks volumes about where he’s gone in the last year and to where he’s going.”

UMaine’s Junior Bernal was recognized as a member of the five-member men’s basketball All-Academic Team.

The sophomore guard from Manhattan, N.Y., averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals for the Bears, but was hampered later in the season by a bad ankle sprain.

“Junior’s a guy that has obviously done a great job for us,” Woodward said. “Unfortunately, he’s been hurt here the second part of the year and I think that people can realize how key he is to our basketball team.”

Bernal, a child and family development major, was expected to see some action in Friday night’s first-round game against Stony Brook.

“The things he’s done in the classroom, as a role model off the court, I think the whole campus community is very proud of Justin Bernal. I know we are,” Woodward said. “He continues to be a guy who demonstrates what excellence is all about.”

Marqus Blakely of Vermont took home two of the league’s top individual honors, winning both the Kevin Roberson Player of the Year Award and the Defensive Player of the Year award. Blakely, a sophomore, is the first player to earn both accolades.

John Holland of Boston University was selected the Rookie of the Year while Randy Monroe, who directed Maryland Baltimore County to the AE regular-season crown, was named Coach of the Year.

The tournament gets into full swing today with four quarterfinal contests beginning at noon.

pwarner@bangordailynews.net

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