March 6, 2006

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After capturing a share of its unprecedented 11th consecutive Big West Conference championship, the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team was handsomely rewarded Monday when the league unveiled its 2005-06 postseason honors.

Earning a spot on the six-player All-Big West First Team was sophomore center Jenna Green, who came back strong after missing nearly all of last season to score in double-figures 22 times in her 26 games played while leading the Gauchos offensively on 14 occasions. Her scoring average of 14.5 points per contests is third-best in the conference, while she also ranks second in field goal percentage (51.6%), fourth in rebounding (7.1 per game) and sixth in blocked shots (1.19 per game). All of those marks were tops among UCSB players. The San Jose, Calif., native was a member of the Big West All-Freshman Team in 2003-04, and was selected to the Preseason All-Big West Team prior to the current campaign.

A member of the league's all-rookie squad in 2004-05, sophomore guard Jessica Wilson made the leap to Second Team All-Big West this season after leading the conference in steals per game at 2.44. The native of Sacramento, Calif., also hauled down 6.7 rebounds per game - sixth-best among league players - and averaged 10.0 points per tilt. Wilson scored in double-digits 10 times during the regular season, with three performances of 20 or more.

Meanwhile fifth-year senior guard Karena Bonds garnered the first accolades of her collegiate career as an All-Big West honorable mention recipient. Eight of her 12 double-digit scoring efforts as a Gaucho have come this season en route to a points per game average of 8.7, while the Morro Bay, Calif., native can also boast a 77.8% free-throw percentage that ranks fourth in the conference. Bonds is tied for seventh among all league players with 1.67 steals per game, and ranks ninth in minutes played with a team-high average of 30.0.

The Gauchos (15-12 overall) begin their quest for a 10th straight Big West Tournament title this Friday, March 10 in the semifinal round against an opponent yet to be determined in Anaheim, Calif. Tip-off is slated for 12:00 p.m. in the Anaheim Convention Center.

For the complete list of 2005-06 Big West All-Conference honorees, please visit http://bigwest.org/sports/wbball/.