FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Matt Bingaya, the Mountain East Conference Player of the Year and a first All-Atlantic Region selection, was one of 25 players remaining on the 2016-17 Bevo Francis Award Watch List when the selection committee cut the list from 50 to 25 on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Bingaya, a senior from Delaware, Ohio, shot 59 percent from the field and averaged 19.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to lead the Falcons to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight following their 86-80 win over Wheeling Jesuit in the Atlantic Regional Championship Game on Tuesday evening. Bingaya has powered Fairmont's offense that averages 96.2 points per game – the third most in the country. The Fighting Falcons spent the entire season nationally ranked, including eight weeks at No. 2 and two weeks at No. 1. FSU has been in the top five in the country for 13-straight weeks.
 
The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements.  This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.
 
For more information on the Bevo Francis Award, click here.