10:20am | Senior Casper Ware has been named the Big West Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week and the College Sports Madness Mid-Major Player of the Week after leading Long Beach State to an upset of No. 9 Pittsburgh last Wednesday. The conference player of the week award is the second of his career and the second straight for a 49er this season.

Ware (Cerritos, Calif./Gahr HS) averaged 27 points, six assists and three rebounds per game in the 49ers’ two games last week. He converted on 50 percent (17-of-34) of his field goal attempts, while making 31.3 percent (5-of-16) of his 3-pointers and 93.6 percent (15-of-16) of his free throws. Ware scored a career-high 28 points, on 10-of-18 shooting, in the win over Pitt and followed with 26 points in an overtime loss at San Diego State.

Ware’s first career Big West Conference Player of the Week award came on Feb. 14, 2011, when he earned the honor after averaging 22.5 points per game in a pair of Big West Conference road wins at UC Davis and Cal State Northridge.

Current Long Beach State players have won have won 12 career Big West Player of the Week honors with Larry Anderson leading the way with five, including last week’s honor, T.J. Robinson adding three, and Eugene Phelps one.