Tuesday, March 16, 2010

5 Student-Athletes from Long Beach State Men’s, Women’s Basketball Teams Earn All-Big West Conference Recognition

Five players from the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Long Beach State (LBSU) have been named to the Big West (BWC) All-Conference teams for their performances during the 2009-10 season in a vote of the conference’s coaches.

On the men’s side, sophomore forward T.J. Robinson led the way with his selection to the first-team squad while teammate Casper Ware, a sophomore guard, was named second-team All-Big West.

Robinson garnered first-team recognition after leading the 49ers in scoring (15.7 points per game) and rebounding (10.3 rebounds per game). He finished the regular season as just one of a handful of Division I players to average a double-double while leading the BWC with 17 double-doubles. The 49er forward scored more than 20 points seven times during the season and finished the regular season with 28 double-digit scoring games and 17 double-digit rebounding games.

Robinson led the BWC in rebounding while finishing seventh in scoring and second in field goal percentage. He ranks in the top 20 in the country in both rebounds per game and double-doubles. His 308 rebounds are the most by a 49er in the last 30 years and the sixth most all-time, and his 197 free-throw attempts rank seventh in school history. He was an honorable mention all-conference last year as a freshman and was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

Ware earned second-team accolades after averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He finished the regular season with three 20-point games, 18 double-digit scoring games and one double-double. Ware led the conference in assists while finishing second in steals, seventh in free-throw percentage (.764) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.60). His 147 assists are tied for the eighth most in a season at LBSU, and his 57 steals rank ninth on the single-season list. As a freshman he was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

From the women’s team, senior Karina Figueroa was a first-team All-BWC selection, and her teammates Lauren Sims and Ally Wade were honorable mentions.

Figueroa, a 5-foot-8 guard, has had a stellar senior season, averaging a career-high 17.8 points, 5.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her 162 assists on the season rank her first in the conference and 10th in the 49er single-season record books. She has reached double figures in scoring in 27 of 29 games and has hit the 20-point mark 12 times. She also has a team-best four double-doubles.

Figueroa, a four-time all-conference selection, surpassed the 1,000-point barrier after scoring 23 in the season-opener against Prairie View A&M. She now ranks seventh in school history with 1,499 points. She also is among LBSU's career leaders in scoring average (14.7 ppg), 3-pointers made (114), 3-pointers attempted (330), 3-point field goal percentage (34.5 percent), free throws made (359), free throws attempted (455) and free-throw percentage (78.9 percent). This is Figueroa's first time being named to the All-Big West first team.

Sims earned honorable-mention recognition for the second year in a row after averaging a career-best 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. She set a school single-season record and ranks first in the BWC with 67 3-point field goals made. She also tied a 49er single-game record with seven threes en route to a career-high 25 points at Miami (Fla.). In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Sims has racked up the academic accolades as well. She was recently selected as a second-team Academic All-American and is a three-time Academic All-District pick.

Wade, a 5-foot-11 forward, garnered her first all-conference award after averaging a career-high 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season. Her 178 rebounds on the year is tops on the team and ranks her sixth in the conference. She has hit double figures in scoring in 17 games. She also pulled down a personal-best 14 rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 23.

-- Todd Miles

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