Area Roundup: Long Beach State basketball earns Big West honors

LONG BEACH >> Seven Long Beach State men’s and women’s basketball players were honored by the Big West on Monday when the conference released its year-end awards.

Senior Nick Faust was a double wier, eaing first-team All-Big West honors as well as being named the Newcomer of the Year. Travis Hammonds eaed Best Sixth Player honors while sophomores Justin Bibbins and Gabe Levin were on the second-team and honorable mention list, respectively.

Faust led the Big West with 18.4 points per game in conference play, best in the Big West. Hammonds was among the top 3-point shooters in the conference, shooting over 40 percent on the season. Bibbins had a team-high 143 assists on the season and the award means the 49ers have had their point guard on either first or second-team in each of the last seven seasons. Levin had a team-high 15 blocks in conference play.

Long Beach State begins postseason play against UC Riverside in the quarterfinals of the Big West Touament on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at Honda Center.

On the women’s side, Jewlyen Sawyer was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Year while fellow junior Raven Benton were first-team selections. Junior Aa Kim and Sawyer also got honorable mention recognition. Benton is the first 49er to receive first-team all-conference honors in six years after averaging a team-best 13.5 points in Big West play. Sawyer, who averaged a team-best 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals, is Long Beach State’s third Big West Defensive Player of the Year, and first since 2003. Kim averaged 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in conference action. Long Beach State starts the Big West Touament at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center on Wednesday.

College Baseball

LONG BEACH STATE 4, FRESNO STATE 3 >> The Dirtbags handed the Bulldogs just their second loss of the season on Monday night at Blair Field. Third baseman Zach Domingues sparked the Long Beach State offense with four hits and the game-wiing RBI in the seventh iing from the seventh spot in the lineup. Domingues, Garrett Hampson and Brock Lundquist had the RBIs while Dave Smith gave up nine hits and three eaed runs on the mound. Ty Provencher, Joshua Advocate and Chris Rivera each pitched a scoreless iing out of the bullpen. The Bulldogs (11-2) starting the season with 11 consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents 76-40 this year. The Dirtbags (8-4) head to Oklahoma for a weekend series against the Sooners.

High School Boys Golf

LONG BEACH WILSON 186, SANTA MARGARITA 192 >> Senior Hunter Epson was the low finisher for the Bruins (1-0) in this non-league contest at Tijeras Creek Golf Course with an even-par round of 36.

Long Beach State Women’s Golf

In Irvine on Monday, the 49ers came away with their third consecutive Black & Blue Rivalry title by beating UC Irvine by two points at Strawberry Farms Golf Club. In match play, Long Beach State had 3.5 points to the Anteaters’ 1.5 points.

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