Anteater nets top accolade

UC Irvine sophomore Mikah Maly-Karros, who averaged 31.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in two victories last week, has been named Big West Conference Player of the Week in women’s basketball.

The 6-foot-1 transfer from Loyola Marymount, had a career-high 35 points and six blocked shots, and matched her career high with 17 rebounds, in the Anteaters’ 70-54 Big West win at Pacific on Wednesday.

Maly-Karros, who has nine double-doubles in 14 games after being cleared to play in December, produced 28 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-65 win over conference visitor Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

She made 12 of 21 field-goal tries and was 11 of 13 from the foul line against Pacific.

Against the Titans, she made seven of 14 from the field and sank 14 of 15 free-throw attempts to help UCI climb to 8-14, 5-5 in conference.

Maly-Karros has five consecutive double-doubles. She is averaging 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds heading into Saturday’s nonconference home game against Cal State Bakersfield.

She was also named Player of the Week on Dec. 21.

— From staff reports