Hannah Green Named WSC South Player of the Year

After a season in which she led the state in blocks, topped the conference in rebounds, broke two school records and helped the College of the Canyons women's basketball program win its 15th Western State Conference (WSC) South championship, sophomore forward Hannah Green has been named the WSC Player of the Year.

Green averaged 14 points per game while pulling down a conference-best 13.8 rebounds each night out. She also shot an impressive 49.4 percent from the field to lead the WSC.

Along the way Green recorded double-digit rebounding totals in 23 of COC's 28 games — including 13 games with at least 15 boards. Her season-high total of 27 rebounds vs. Mission College on Dec. 29, fell three short of the school record.

But it was on the defensive end that Green was especially dominate.

The West Ranch High School graduate averaged an awe-inspiring 6.5 blocks per game, beating the state's second place mark by 2.5 per game.

On Jan. 6, Green posted a triple-double vs. Santa Monica College highlighted by a school record 15 blocks to go along with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Entering the season, the previous single-game high was 12 blocks — a number Green surpassed four times on the season. 

Performances like that quickly put the six-foot-inch Green in reach of the COC women's basketball program's single season blocks record of 131, which she subsequently broke on Jan. 23, vs. L.A. Valley. Green finished the regular season with 194 rejections, while her mark of two steals per game was also a team high.

Green is the 11th player in program history to be named WSC Player of the Year. The last COC player to earn that honor was Keiona "KeKe" Matthews in 2014.

In all, Canyons had five players earn all-conference honors.

Sophomore forward Monica Friedl earned her second straight All-WSC First Team selection after leading Canyons with 18.9 points per game to rank second in the conference.

Friedl's 12 rebounds per game also ranked second in the conference and ninth in the state. The Canyon High School product started all 28 games for the Cougars, posting 10 or more points in all but one game. She topped the 20-point plateau in 12 games this season.

COC freshman guards Marina Rojas and Cierra O'Brien were both named to the All-WSC First Team.

Rojas averaged 7.8 points and a team-high five assists per game while providing the pace for COC's up-tempo offense. She also shot 37 percent from three-point land. O'Brien averaged 6.8 points per game and shot 35.4 percent from the field.

Freshman forward Erin Kiley was an Honorable Mention selection after shooting 44.4 percent from the field and averaging 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Also invited to the award podium was COC women's basketball head coach Greg Herrick, who earned WSC Coach of the Year Honors for the ninth time in his career. 

Herrick led Canyons to a 23-5 regular season record and 13-1 mark in conference play. From Dec. 11 to Feb. 17 the Lady Cougars won 20 of 22 games including a streak of 17 straight.

That success earned COC a postseason berth and No. 9 seeding in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) SoCal Regional Playoffs.

No. 9 Canyons will travel to No. 8 Palomar College (23-4, 13-1) for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Friday, Feb. 26.