October 25, 2007

Gauchos, Highlanders picked to win Big West titles

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) -- The UC Santa Barbara men and UC Riverside women were picked to win the Big West Conference basketball championships in voting by the league's coaches and participating media.

The UCSB men received four of a possible nine first-place votes and 58 points from the coaches, and 13 of a possible 18 first-place votes and 152 points from the media.

Cal Poly finished second in both polls, with one first place vote and 52 points from the coaches and two first-place votes and 138 points from the media.

Pacific and Cal State Fullerton tied for third with 48 points in voting by the coaches, followed by UC Irvine, Cal State Northridge, UC Davis, Long Beach State and UC Riverside.

Cal State Fullerton was third in voting by the media, followed by UC Irvine, Pacific, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Davis and UC Riverside.

The UC Riverside women received nine of a possible 10 first-place votes and 89 points from the coaches, and eight of a possible nine first-place votes and 57 points in the media poll.

UCSB was second in both polls with 57 points from the coaches and 81 points from the media. UC Davis was third in the coaches poll, followed by Cal Poly, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton and Pacific, with Cal State Northridge and UC Irvine tied for eighth.

Cal Poly finished third in the media poll, followed by Long Beach State and UC Davis in a tie for fourth; Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, UC Irvine and Pacific.

UCSB's Chris Devine and Alex Harris were selected to the men's preseason media all-conference team along with Anthony Brown of Pacific, Scott Cutley of Cal State Fullerton, Patrick Sanders of UC Irvine and Dawin Whiten of Cal Poly.

Seyram Gbewonyo and Kemie Nkele of UC Riverside were chosen to the women's preseason media all-conference team along with Jenna Green and Jessica Wilson of UCSB, Karina Figueroa of Long Beach State and Toni Thomas of Cal State Fullerton.

The voting took place Wednesday at the conference's Media Day.