McFarland Named to Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team
WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University forward Tyler McFarland (Rockport, Maine/ Camden Hills HS) has been named to the 2012-13 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball All-Rookie Team following an outstanding first season for the Falcons.
McFarland, four times the NE-10 Rookie of the Week, became the first freshman in over 40 years to lead Bentley in scoring, finishing with averages of 15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. That's a combination of numbers not achieved by a Northeast-10 player since Le Moyne's Laurence Ekperigin in 2009-10.
The scoring average was the best by a Bentley freshman since Mike Driscoll's 16.0 during the 1965-66 season, and he became the first freshman to lead the Falcons in scoring since Al Grenfell 42 years ago.
McFarland, whose nine double-doubles is the second highest total by a freshman in Division II, ranks in the top ten in the NE-10 in rebounds (fifth), defensive rebounds (fifth), offensive rebounds (eighth), blocks (eighth) and free throw percentage (ninth).
The six-foot-five McFarland, who prepped at Cushing Academy a year ago, was playing his best basketball down the stretch, helping the Falcons end the season with four consecutive wins. He averaged 21.5 points and 10.7 rebounds over the final six games, and shot a blistering 60 percent from three (15-25) and 96 percent from the line (22-23) during that time frame.
McFarland established a career scoring best three times during the season's last 17 days with 26 points and 12 rebounds at Saint Anselm Feb. 10, 28 and nine at Stonehill Feb. 23 and 29 and 14 in the season-finale against UMass-Lowell Tuesday. The last time a Falcon matched or exceeded the numbers he put up against the River Hawks was 18 years ago when J.D. Asselta had 32 and 14 against Assumption.