Two UC Merced men’s basketball players earn all-conference honors
The UC Merced men’s basketball team was a newcomer to the Central California Athletic Association this season.
The Bobcats more than proved they belong.
In their first season as a member of the CCAA, the Bobcats went a respectable 8-14 to finish higher in the standings than three longtime conference members.
On Tuesday, UC Merced again showed it belonged when two of its players were named to the All-CCAA team.
Senior forward Elijah Charles was named an All-CCAA First Team selection, while junior guard Sterling McClanahan took home All-CCAA Second Team honors.
Charles, a 6-foot-10-inch Los Angeles native, nearly averaged a double-double this season. He scored 15.9 points a game and recorded a league-leading 9.9 rebounds a game.
He also led the CCAA with a .627 field goal percentage and finished third with 31 blocks. He was named the conference’s Payer of the Week on Feb. 24. Charles played at South Carolina State before coming to UC Merced.
McClanahan, a 6-foot-3-inch Fairfield native, finished third in the CCAA with 16.9 points per game in his first season with the Bobcats after transferring from Las Positas College in Livermore.
He scored 20 or more points seven times, including scoring 30 or more in back-to-back road games to be named CCAA Player of the Week on Feb. 3.
It marks the fourth consecutive year that UC Merced has had multiple all-conference selections.
