UC Merced senior named conference player of the week. Here’s why
UC Merced forward Elijah Charles has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday.
Charles, a 6-foot-10-inch senior, averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game in the Bobcats’ final homestand of the season. He shot 72% from the field and made 16 of 21 free throws.
He’s the second UC Merced player to earn the honor this season. Guard Sterling McClanahan was the first player in program history to earn CCAA Player of the Week honors earlier this month. This is UC Merced’s first season playing NCAA Division II basketball and the Bobcats’ first in the CCAA.
Charles, a Los Angeles native, had career-high 36 points and 16 rebounds in the Bobcats’ 86-69 win over Cal State LA. He followed that effort with 12 points and eight rebounds in a near-upset win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Bobcats lost 78-75.
Charles is currently one of just three players in NCAA Division II to average at least 16 points, 9.5 rebounds, one steal and one block a game.
UC Merced (10-14 overall, 8-12 CCAA) will finish the season with games at San Francisco State on Thursday and No. 2 Cal State East Bay on Saturday.
