2019-20 Season
An honorable mention all-Big Sky Conference selection after starting all 28 games in which he appeared…missed two games with injury…averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 32.6 minutes per contest…shot 37% (58-157) from the 3-point line and 80% (36-45) from the free throw line…a premier on-ball defender, his average of 1.8 steals per contest ranked second in the Big Sky…over the final 10 games of the season, he averaged a team-high 14.4 points on 47% (46-97) shooting from the field, 46% (25-55) from the 3-point line and 87% (13-15) from the free throw line…of those 10 games, he scored in double figures eight times including three games with 20-plus points…had his second career double-double, recording 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the Hornets’ win over Weber State in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament…over 60% of his shots from the field came from the 3-point line during the season, and he shot 37% (58-157) from long range…average of 2.1 made 3-pointers per game ranked sixth in the Big Sky…scored in double figures 13 times this season, and 43 times during his career…had a career-high tying 23 points at Pepperdine, and at Eastern Washington…ranks among the program’s top 10 career leaders in numerous categories, including second in starts (108) and minutes (3,509), tied for fourth in steals (149), sixth in 3-pointers made (187), seventh in games played (117) and eighth in assists (302)…his 941 career points scored rank 20th in program history…for the second straight season, he was a Big Sky all-academic selection and NABC Honors Court choice for academic excellence.
2018-19 Season
Played in 30 games, including 26 starts…one of the best defenders in the Big Sky Conference, Mauriohooho-Le’afa was a finalist for Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year…missed the final game of the season (Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal vs. Montana) because of an injury he suffered in the Hornets’ first round win over Northern Arizona…averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 31.2 minutes per game…the steals were the fourth best mark in the Big Sky…averaged 1.4 steals in conference play, which was the sixth best mark in the league…scored in double figures 11 times, including eight games with at least 15 points…over his last five games of the season, he averaged 13.8 points…that included 17 points in the Hornets’ Big Sky Tourney win over Northern Arizona…went 5-for-8 from the 3-point line in that game…had at least two steals in nine of the last 14 games of the year…had a season-high 18 points on a pair of occasions - at home vs. Southern Utah, on the road at Idaho…a Big Sky all-academic selection and NABC Honors Court choice for academic excellence.
2017-18 Season
Played in 30 games, including 26 starts…a back injury severely limited him during the final four games (not playing in two, and playing 11 minutes in the other two)…finished the season averaging 8.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 31.0 minutes per game…shot .403 (91-226) from the field, .407 (48-118) from the 3-point line and .722 (26-36) from the free throw line…also had a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (107 assists, 54 turnovers)…bumped his scoring average to 9.9 points in league play on .446 (37-83) shooting from the 3-point line…started the year 0-for-14 from the 3-point line, but went 48-for-104 (.462) from distance the rest of the way…was averaging 36.5 minutes per game in Big Sky play (second best mark in league) prior to suffering the injury with four games left in the season…scored in double figures in 13 of his final 23 games of the year after scoring in double digits four times in his first 36 games as a Hornet…scored a career-high 23 points in the Big Sky-opening win against Portland State…had a career-best 12 assists vs. Cal State Fullerton…posted first double-double with 14 points and 10 assists in a home win over Portland State…in Big Sky play, he ranked among the league leaders in numerous categories, including fourth in assists (3.8 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.9), tied for fourth in steals (1.4), sixth in 3-point percentage (.446), seventh in 3-pointers made (2.3) and 10th in minutes (34.4).
2016-17 Season
Played in 29 games, including 28 starts as a true freshman…started each of the Hornets’ final 28 games of the season…often times, he was called upon to guard the opponent’s top scoring threat…finished with season averages of 4.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 25.1 minutes per game…shot .368 (46-125) from the field, .346 (28-81) from the 3-point line and .857 (12-14) from the free throw line…committed just 31 turnovers in 728 minutes played, or one turnover per 23.5 minutes…raised his numbers in conference play to 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 27.9 minutes per game on .427 shooting (35-82) from the field, .396 (21-53) from the 3-point line and .900 (9-10) from the free throw line…scored in double figures four times, including a season-best 16 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 3FG) in a road win at Southern Utah…also had 11 points at Portland State, and 10 vs. both Northern Colorado and Idaho State.
High School
Graduated in December of 2014 from St. Patrick’s College (high school) in Wellington, New Zealand…last name is pronounced Mo-dee-oh-ho-ho Lee-ah-fuh… becomes the first New Zealand-born player in men’s basketball program history…spent three years playing professionally for the Wellington Saints of the National Basketball League (NBL), which is the top league in New Zealand…had numerous professional stops in New Zealand, including being selected to play as a 16-year old for the New Zealand national team in 2013 when he was the youngest player on the squad…that team is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, and selects only the top players from the New Zealand NBL…also in 2015, he was selected to play for the Tall Blacks’ Olympic qualifying team…was the captain for the U-19 Junior Tall Blacks national team in 2014…represented New Zealand at a 3-on-3 tournament at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games where his team reached the 16th round of the competition…as a prep, he played four years at St. Patrick’s College, where he was the starting point guard each of his final three seasons…averaged over 20 points per game during his last two years and was named the school’s Sportsman of the Year and team MVP during each of those seasons…helped St. Patrick’s to a league championship in 2013…has plenty of rugby-playing experience, including a stint with the rugby squad at St. Patrick’s.
Personal
Born in 1996…parents are George and Dana…a communication studies major who will graduate in the spring of 2020…has basketball in his bloodlines as his father, George, was a point guard and won multiple NBL championships as a player for the Wellington Saints…his father was also an assistant coach for Wellington during Izayah’s final two seasons with the club.
