April 7, 2009

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IRVINE, Calif. - The Long Beach State women's basketball team placed a league-high six student-athletes on the 2008-09 Big West Winter All-Academic Team the league office announced Tuesday.

Senior Kaiti O'Brien and juniors Whitney Fields, Courtney Jacob, Lauren Sims, Brett Timmons and Ally Wade were all recognized for their work both on and off the court.

O'Brien, a senior post player from Fresno, Calif., earned her third career all-academic honor. The four-year letterwinner finished the 2008-09 season averaging 5.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while posting a team-best 50.8 field goal percentage. O'Brien will graduate with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in May.

Fields (Miami, Fla.) finished the campaign as LBSU's leading scorer (12.6 ppg) and rebounder (8.7 rpg), while also ranking first on the team with 49 steals. The junior forward earned second-team All-Big West honors earlier in the year and is majoring in black studies.

Jacob earned her second career all-academic award after putting up 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. The Naples, Fla., native led the squad with 30 blocked shots and owned a 40.4 field goal percentage. Jacob is majoring in communications.

Sims (Fullerton, Calif.), a junior guard, also picked up her second career honor after garnering ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII recognition earlier in the year. The All-Big West honorable mention selection averaged 9.2 points per game and was tops on the team in 3-pointers made (45), 3-point field goal percentage (.363) and free throw percentage (.754). Sims is majoring in biology-physiology with a minor in chemistry.

Timmons, who hails from Irvine, averaged 14.5 minutes, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 points per contest. The junior post player was named to the Big West all-academic team for the second-straight year and is majoring in journalism.

Wade, a junior forward, rounded out the 49ers on the Big West all-academic team. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native averaged 2.6 points per game and was second on the squad with a .750 free throw percentage. Wade, who is majoring in criminal justice, picked up her second career academic award.

To be eligible for the all-academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, have attained a sophomore standing academically and competed in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.