Briefs: UCI’s Nelson lauded
UC Irvine senior Luke Nelson has been named Big West Conference Player of the Week in men’s basketball.
Nelson, named Monday as the Big West Player of the Year, averaged 25 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in wins over UC Riverside (March 1) and UC Davis (Saturday) that clinched the regular-season conference title for the Anteaters.
Nelson had a career-high seven three-pointers to match his season high with 29 points in the 79-49 pasting of UC Davis at the Bren Events Center.
His seven three-pointers lifted his UCI record total to 247 for his career.
The top-seeded ‘Eaters (19-13) meet No. 8-seeded UC Riverside in a Big West Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Honda Center.
UCI’s Bayman honored
UC Irvine guard Brooke Bayman was named the Big West Conference All-Freshman team in women’s basketball.
Bayman started 11 of 14 conference games and averaged 7.6 points and 4.4 assists in the regular season.
The 5-foot-5 newcomer averaged 8.1 points and a conference-leading 5.4 assists in regular-season conference games.
UCI sophomore Andee Ritter, who made the All-Freshman team last season, received honorable mention in all-conference voting.
Ritter averaged 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and a conference-best 2.1 steals per game in the regular season.
In conference play, she led all Big West players in minutes per game (38) and three-pointers made (46).
Her 82 regular-season three-pointers are a school record.
UCI fell to UC Riverside, 92-60, in the first round of the Big West Tournament on Tuesday to finish 5-26.
The Anteaters defeated Cal State Fullerton, 69-62, n the final day of the regular season on Saturday to earn the eighth and final berth in the conference tournament.
UCI’s Coward shines
UC Irvine sophomore Barbara Coward has been named Big West Conference Field Athlete of the Week in women’s track and field.
Coward won the discus with a school-record throw of 177 feet, 10 inches at the All-UC Challenge in La Jolla on Saturday. It bettered her previous school record by more than six feet and topped the previous meet record by more than 12 feet.
Coward finished second in the hammer throw with a personal-best 176-6.
Lions’ duo lauded
Vanguard University junior Payton Ross has been named was named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Lions freshman Vanessa Dwyer was named Pitcher of the Week in softball.
Ross had 10 hits in six games, including five victories, drove in four runs and scored five to earn the honor for the second straight week.
Dwyer earned victories in all three of her appearances. She threw complete games against Biola and Arizona Christian. She tossed five shutout innings against Antelope Valley on Saturday to improve to 8-1.
Rustlers’ Morgan honored
Golden West College freshman Zakk Morgan was named Southern California Player of the Week in baseball for the week ending Feb. 25.
Morgan was 12 for 18 with seven runs batted in in four games for the Rustlers, from Feb. 22 through Feb. 25.
In a 10-8 loss to Sacramento City on Feb. 23, he was five for five with four RBIs and two doubles.
Through Tuesday, when the Rustlers posted a 3-2 upset of Saddleback, the top-ranked team in SoCal, Morgan was hitting a team-best .371 with 12 RBIs.
— From staff reports