Senior center Molly Schlemer was named to the Big West Conference First Team on Monday.
Mustang News Staff Report
[follow id = “CPMustangSports”]
For the first time in five years, a Cal Poly women’s basketball player wasn’t named Big West Player of the Year, but senior center Molly Schlemer and junior guard Ariana Elegado did earn First Team All-Conference praise, the league announced on Monday.
Senior guard Jonae Ervin was named honorable mention for the third time in her career, and junior Taryn Garza hustle player of the year to round out the accolades for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly defeated UC Santa Barbara 79-68 on Saturday afternoon to secure a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed in this weekend’s Big West Conference Tournament. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Following Schlemer’s Player of the Year award last season, this year’s honor went to Cal State Northridge’s Ashlee Guay. Schlemer averaged 17.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in 2013-14, as she started every game for the Mustangs.
She was one of three players who broke the 1,000-career points barrier when she hit a record-breaking layup in a game against Hawaii this season. Ervin and Elegado achieved the same feat later in the season.
Elegado averaged 17.0 points, including a career-high 32 points against the Gauchos on Saturday, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game as she also started all 29 games for Cal Poly. Her 140 helpers this season led the Big West.
The Mustangs will play their semifinal round game on Friday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Tip-off is set for approximately 2:30 p.m.
Stephan Teodosescu contributed to this report.