March 5, 2007

FULLERTON, CA - Cal State Fullerton's powerful 1-2 punch of sophomore Toni Thomas and senior Charlee Underwood both earned All-Big West Conference honors as the league office released the 2006-07 all-conference teams on Monday morning.

Thomas, the Big West Freshman of the Year and second-team honoree last season, became only the 10th Titan to earn first-team honors in the Big West since Cal State Fullerton joined the league and the first since Dee Braxton in the 1996-97 season.

The sophomore led the Big West in scoring during the 2006-07 regular season, averaging 17.6 ppg, and finished among the top 10 in seven different categories including rebounding (4th - 8.5 rpg), field goal percentage (5th - .455), and free throw percentage (3rd - .807).

Thomas has scored in double figures in 18 consecutive games, including 20 points and six rebounds in her last outing against UC Davis on March 1, and became the first Titan to score more than 500 points in a season since Koko Lahanas led the nation in scoring with 778 points (26.8 ppg) in 1994-95.

Underwood, who earned all-freshman team honors in 2003-04 and honorable mention all-conference accolades in 2004-05, earned a spot on the second team after averaging 14.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg this season - both of which ranked among the league's top 15.

She also ranked sixth in the league during the regular season in three-point percentage (.335) and fourth in three-pointers made per game (1.89) while standing ninth in the league in blocked shots (0.71 bpg). An ironwoman on the court, Underwood played in all 40 minutes in a game six times and ranked fifth in the Big West in minutes played at 34.29 mpg.

Cal State Fullerton returns to the court on Wednesday (March 7) to open the first round of Big West Conference Tournament play at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The No. 5-seeded Titans take on the tournament's No. 8 seed in Pacific at noon in the session's first game.

ALL-BIG WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAMS
Player of the Year: Kemie Nkele, UC Riverside
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Franey, UC Santa Barbara
Coach of the Year: John Margaritis, UC Riverside

First Team
Jessica Eggleston - Cal Poly (6-0, Sr., F)
Jenna Green - UC Santa Barbara (6-4, Jr., F/C)
LaJoyce King - Cal State Northridge (5-9, Sr., G/F)
Kemie Nkele - UC Riverside (6-1, Jr., F)
Toni Thomas - Cal State Fullerton (5-10, So., F/C)
Ofa Tulikihihfo - Cal State Northridge (5-11, Sr., G/F)

Second Team
Karina Figueroa - Long Beach State (5-8, So., G)
Megan Harrison - Cal Poly (6-1, So., F)
Angie Ned - UC Irvine (5-9, Sr., G)
Charlee Underwood - Cal State Fullerton (5-10, Sr., G/F)
Jessica Wilson - UC Santa Barbara (5-10, Jr., G)

Honorable Mention
Amber Cox - UC Riverside (6-2, So., F)
Karen Dawkins - Pacific (6-1, So., F)
Stephanie Duda - UC Irvine (5-10, Jr., F)
Jerise Freeman - Pacific (5-9, Sr., G)
Roney Friend - UC Riverside (6-0, So., F)
Seyram Gbewonyo - UC Riverside (5-10, So., G)
Katie Holloway - Cal State Northridge (6-4, Jr., C)
Jamie McCaa - Cal State Northridge (5-7, Sr., G)
Toni Newman - Cal Poly (5-10, Jr., G)

All-Freshman Team
Jordan Franey - UC Santa Barbara (6-0, F)
Jake Kelly - Pacific (5-6, G)
Ashlee Stewart - Cal Poly (5-4, G)
Brittany Waddell - UC Riverside (5-9, G)
Tamara Wells - Cal Poly (5-6, G)