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Neka Mixon, Brittney Blankenship, Jerrell Smith & Michael Hernandez

Men's Basketball

Toros Earn Six CCAA Honors, Including Women's Newcomer of the Year

Clockwise from top left: Neka Mixon, Brittney Blankenship, Jerrell Smith and Michael Hernandez
Walnut Creek, CA -- Following first round hosting duties for the CCAA Basketball Championships last night, the CSUDH basketball teams combined for six total All-CCAA selections, including four 1st-team nods, one 2nd-team and the Women's Newcomer of the Year in Neka Mixon.  In addition to Mixon's NOY and 1st-team honors, senior Brittney Blankenship was named 1st-team while men's seniors Michael Hernandez and Jerrell Smith also earned 1st-team selections, with Rodney Yearby earning 2nd-team honors for the second-consecutive year.

A sophomore from Long Beach, Mixon established herself as one of the top players in the CCAA, currently leading the conference with her 16.9 ppg.  The versatile player also has pulled down 7.2 boards a game en route to twice earning CCAA Player of the Week awards, and tallying six double-doubles and nine games with at least 20 points thus far.

Blankenship, a senior from Palmdale, has continued her reputation as one of the most precise free throw shooters in the conference, sinking foul shots at an 87.8 clip this year.  With 247 points so far this season and 931 in her career, she is just 69 points away from reaching the prestigious 1,000-point mark, currently placing 4th in the conference in assists.

On the men's side, Smith earned his first 1st-team nod, and second All-CCAA honor in his two years as a Toro after sharing last year's CCAA co-Newcomer of the Year award with teammate Yearby, while Hernandez picked up his first All-CCAA accolade with his 1st-team selection.

Smith was a force on both ends of the floor, leading the CCAA in blocks, placing 7th in FG%, 12th in scoring and 13th in boards.  Double-teamed all year in the post, Smith tallied 17 games in double-figure scoring, boasting a season-high 11 rebounds en route to one CCAA Player of the Week honors for the CCAA co-champion Toros.  A standout defender, Smith holds the CSUDH single-season mark for blocked shots, and sits four away from establishing the school's all-time mark for blocked shots.

The floor general for the Toros, Hernandez is 2nd in the CCAA in assists, 3rd in assist/turnover ratio and FT%, 5th in FG% and 10th in scoring.  The Whittier native was selected the CCAA Player of the Week once, in part for sinking 31-of-32 free throws in a conference road sweep late in the year.  Hernandez scored at least 20 points five times, with 18 games in double figure scoring, and also dished a season-best 11 assists against CCAA co-champion Cal Poly Pomona.

A versatile weapon on both ends of the floor, Yearby currently is 9th in the CCAA in rebounds and 10th in FG%, leads the team in rebounds, is 3rd in points and blocks and 5th in steals.  Last year's co-CCAA Newcomer of the Year and a 2nd-team All-CCAA selection, Yearby led CSUDH on the boards in 14 games, in scoring and steals six times, and in blocked shots thrice, scoring in double figures in 13 games and pulling down at least 10 boards in two games.

Other individual honors on the women's side went to UC San Diego's Michelle Osier (MVP), Chelsea Carlisle (FOY) and Charity Elliot (Coach), while Cal Poly Pomona's Larry Gordon and Greg Kamansky earned MVP and Coach of the Year honors, respectively, with HSU's Kyle Baxter earning Freshman of the Year honors and CSUSB's Brandon Brown earning league MVP honors.

With the NCAA West Regional just a week away and coming off a victory over San Francisco State in last night's first round action of the CCAA Basketball Championships, the women's squad, currently the No. 7 seed, continues action this Friday in the first semifinal against Chico State at 12:30 on the campus of CS San Bernardino.  Currently the No. 2 seed, the men, meanwhile, will have to wait for March 8, also known as "Selection Sunday," to find out their seed, opponent and site after suffering a loss to CS Monterey Bay in last night's first action.
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