The Big West Conference released its all-conference women’s basketball teams on Monday, naming Long Beach State’s Jewelyn Sawyer the defensive player of the year and Raven Benton on the first team.
It was Sawyer’s first conference honors in her collegiate career, winning 2015-16 Big West Defensive Player of the Year and earning an honorable mention on the all-conference team. The Paramount native became the third player LBSU history to win the award. The previous winners were Ekuah Ramsey in 2001 and Jennifer Baker in 2003.
“I couldn’t have done what I did by myself,” Sawyer said. “I needed my teammates behind me, I needed everyone to step up just as much as I tried to, so it was a team effort.”
49er head coach Jody Wynn said she is honored with Sawyer’s success. Wynn credited Sawyer as one of the biggest reasons LBSU ranks ninth in the nation with 21.47 forced turnovers per game.
“Defense is so important and [Sawyer] is a person who can defend from 94-feet,” Wynn said. “She’s all over the court doesn’t matter if it’s a post player or a point guard, she can defend them and she does a great job for us.”
Benton earned all-conference honors for the third consecutive season. She made the all-freshman team in 2014 and the all-conference second team in 2015.
Last year, Benton suffered a season ending knee injury on Feb. 14, against Cal Poly that caused her to miss the last five games of the year and the entire 2015 Big West Tournament.
Benton bounced back physically and mentally to post one of her best offensive seasons, averaging a career-best 12.9 points per game while shooting 32.3 percent from behind the arc.
“[The All-Big West First Team] is a big thing to get into,” Benton said. “And I wouldn’t have done it without my team. They pushed me, they helped me in the games I struggled, they had my back and was able to get wins, so I’m pretty happy about it.”
Junior guard Anna Kim and Sawyer received all-conference honorable mentions. This is the second time Kim gets conference honors after making the 2014 all-freshman team.