Cal Poly basketball standout Hannah Gilbert earns all-Big West Conference recognition
Three Cal Poly women’s basketball players were honored by the Big West Conference for their strong play this season when the all-conference awards were given out Monday morning.
Junior forward Hannah Gilbert, who led the Mustangs with 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, earned second-team all-Big West honors. The 6-foot-3 Morro Bay graduate ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.4) and fourth in rebounding.
A lower leg injury hindered Gilbert’s production late in the season. She sat out against Hawaii this past Saturday, and head coach Faith Mimnaugh was uncertain how much Gilbert would be able to contribute during the Big West Conference Tournament this week.
“We’ll just see. She’s really struggling,” Mimnaugh said. “But she’s a bit of a warrior so I’m sure she’s going to see what she can do and see if she can help us.”
Senior guard Beth Balbierz and sophomore guard Dynn Leaupepe each received honorable mention recognition. Balbierz averaged 12.6 points per game and her 64 made 3-pointers were the third-most in the Big West this winter.
Leaupepe overcame an ankle injury in November to become one of the most prolific scorers in the conference. She finished the regular season as Cal Poly’s third-leading scorer at 11.6 points per contest. Leupepe has five 20-point performances to her credit since Dec. 29, including a 31-point outburst in a home loss to Hawaii.
UC Riverside’s Brittany Crain repeated as the Big West Player of the Year. CSUN’s Channon Fluker was named the Big West Freshman of the Year, and UC Riverside’s John Margaritis earned Big West Coach of the Year accolades.
The Big West Sixth Woman of the Year award went to Hawaii’s Megan Huff. The Big West Best Hustle honor was given to UC Riverside’s Annelise Ito, and Long Beach State’s Jewelyn Sawyer took home Big West Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Cal Poly plays CSUN in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bren Events Center on the campus of UC Irvine. That game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Nwaba receives honorable mention recognition
Cal Poly senior guard David Nwaba was arguably one of the most well rounded men’s basketball players in the Big West this season, and coaches around the conference took notice.
The 6-foot-4 Los Angeles native earned honorable mention all-Big West recognition Monday when the all-conference awards were distributed. He was the only Mustang to earn postseason accolades.
Nwaba led a Cal Poly team that finished seventh in the final conference standings in nearly every statistical category. He ranked first in scoring (12.7), rebounding (6.3), assists (104), steals (38), free throws made (107) and minutes played (811).
Nwaba also was the Mustangs’ best perimeter defender, often guarding the opposing team’s most explosive scorer.
Conference champion Hawaii took two of the top individual honors, with Stefan Jankovic being named Big West Player of the Year and first-year head coach Eran Ganot earning Big West Coach of the Year accolades.
Long Beach State’s Nick Faust was selected as the Big West Newcomer of the Year, and Cal State Fullerton’s Khalil Ahmad earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors.
UC Irvine center Mamadou Ndiaye earned Big West Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career. Travis Hammonds of Long Beach State was chosen as the Big West Best Sixth Player, and UC Davis’ Darius Graham earned Big West Best Hustle Player accolades.
Schuknecht earns player of the week honors
Senior right fielder John Schuknecht was named the Big West Field Player of the Week following a standout weekend series for the Cal Poly baseball team.
In leading the Mustangs to a three-game sweep of San Francisco, Schuknecht hit three doubles, a triple and a two-run home run. He tallied multiple hits in all three games, with the home run helping Cal Poly seal Sunday’s 7-6 victory in the series finale.
Batting .333 through 12 games, Schuknecht leads the team and the Big West with 18 RBI.
CSUN’s Angel Rodriguez was named the Big West Pitcher of the Week after a 12-strikeout performance during a 1-0 win against George Mason.
The Mustangs (10-2) will play their next 10 games on the road, beginning at 2 p.m. Tuesday against Pepperdine.
This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Cal Poly basketball standout Hannah Gilbert earns all-Big West Conference recognition."