Reports From LBSU
Three Long Beach State women’s basketball players earned All-Big West Conference honors the league office announced Monday. Senior Karina Figueroa was a first-team selection, while classmates Lauren Sims and Ally Wade garnered honorable mention recognition.
Figueroa, a 5-foot-8 guard, has had a stellar senior campaign, averaging a career-high 17.8 points, 5.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her 162 helpers on the season rank her first in the conference and 10th in the 49er single-season record books. The Corona, Calif., native 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 is also 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 (Fullerton, Calif.) 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 Big West 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 as she is averaging a career-high 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Her 178 rebounds on the year is tops on the team and ranks her sixth in the Big West. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native 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.
Long Beach State opens the Big West Tournament as the No. 4 seed on Thursday, March 11. The 49ers, who received a first-round bye, will play the highest remaining seed in the second quarterfinal game at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center.