Pair of Phantoms Garner All-Conference Honors
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • February 19, 2020)—The Delaware County Community College Men’s Basketball Team was well-represented when the Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (EPAC) announced its all-conference team late Monday. Forward Shawn Mendez earned first-team all-conference recognition, while guard Mike Mallon picked up second-team honors.
Mendez, a graduate of Upper Darby High School, proved to be an indispensable presence in the middle throughout the regular season for the Phantoms as he led the team in overall shooting percentage (51.1), rebounds per game (15.4), and blocks per game (1.6). Surpassing 400 points in his first year of collegiate action, Mendez averaged 17.4 points, which included a season-high outburst of 28 points in a 97-72 victory over Harcum College’s junior varsity squad in late January. Mendez was a model of consistency as he authored seven 20-plus rebounding efforts and 12 multi-block performances on his way to ranking among the national Division-III leaders in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in rebounds per game (second), offensive rebounds (third, 164), total rebounds (third, 354), and total blocks (25th, 37). A member of the Fall 2019 Dean’s List, Mendez was previously recognized by the EPAC when he was named athlete of the week on Feb. 4.
An all-conference honoree for the first time in his career, Mallon made his final season in a Phantoms uniform a memorable one as he topped the EPAC with a scoring average of 19.5 points per game. Starting all 23 regular-season games, Mallon eclipsed the 20-point mark in 12 of the contests including a season-high 31 points in an early-season 97-92 victory over Luzerne Community College where he shot a scintillating 6-for-10 from behind the arc. The Penncrest High School graduate, who connected at a team-high 38.2 percent from distance, went on to match that six three-pointer achievement in a 96-90 win over Delaware Technical Community College in the final home game of his career. Mallon’s 73 total three-pointers on the season ranked him among the national leaders (tied for 18th). Not just a scorer, Mallon filled the stat sheet on a consistent basis as he tied for second on the squad in steals (2.3 per game) and assists (1.7 per game), and chipped in with 4.6 rebounds per contest. Mallon’s 449 total points on the season surpassed the 316 points he scored as a first-year player when he averaged 13.2 points per game and registered career-highs of eight three-pointers and 32 points in a victory over Lehigh Carbon Community College in February of 2019.
Justin Gans was the program’s most recent first-team all-conference selection in 2018, while the last time the Phantoms had two all-conference selections was in the 2016-17 season when Gemil Holbrook and Sean Havink were named to the first and second team, respectively.
The season continues for Mendez, Mallon and the rest of the Phantoms as they eagerly await the announcement of the NJCAA Region XIX playoff bracket on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Phantoms will be taking part in the regional playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
