ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. – With the holiday season in full effect and both the Sonoma State men's and women's basketball teams on winter break, we take a look back at the first month of the season to recognize some of the stellar individual and team performances thus far. Both teams have hit their stride as of late as the Seawolves have combined for five straight wins between the two programs.

SSU Men's Basketball 4-7 Overall | 3-2 CCAA: 

This time last year, the Sonoma State men's basketball team had just two wins overall and were at the bottom of the conference in several offensive categories. This year, head coach Rich Shayewitz has taken full control of the men's team after running both programs during the 2021-22 season and has seemed to turn the page in a very successful manner.  The team has won four of their last five games and hold a winning record in CCAA action at 3-2. 

Star Power 

Yes, you may have heard his name before, but the sophomore forward out of Sacramento has been on an absolute tear to start his sophomore season.  Jaylen Wells leads the conference in scoring with 21.9 points per game and rebounding at 8.5. He continues to add to his impressive skill set and has improved his outside shooting drastically as he currently ranks inside the top-5 in the conference in field goal percentage at 55%. Last season Wells sprinkled in the three ball and finished under 30% from that mark, but this season, he sits at 37% to lead all Seawolves. He will also look to become the first player to average 20+ points in program history since Todd Blakely did so during the 1989-90 season. 

Wells continues to showcase his athleticism and has proven to be one of the best rebounders in the conference. His aggressiveness on the glass and his offensive talent makes him a double-double machine, as the 6-foot-7 forward has recorded a team high four double-doubles and leads the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game. Wells has broken his career high for points in a game twice this season as he finished with 30 in a loss to Cal Poly Humboldt and then 31 on the road against Cal State Dominguez Hills. He leads Sonoma State at the break in minutes per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds per game and points per game. 

Wells earned CCAA Honorable Mention status last season and became the first SSU freshman to be named to an All-CCAA team in well over a decade. He has also been named the CCAA Player of the Week twice this season in back-to-back weeks, becoming the first player in program history to win back-to-back weekly awards since program Hall of Famer and current SF State men's basketball coach Vince Inglima did so during the 2005-06 season.  

Supporting Cast

While maintaining a core group of returners, Shayewitz has also brought in impactful talent including transfers Julian Bryant, Dillon Iyawe, and former Division I product Austin Fadal. All three have played significant minutes and have stepped into big roles in their first seasons as a part of the program. Bryant stands as a lengthy and athletic 6'6'' forward who can defend multiple positions. His intensity and tenacity on the defensive side of the ball ignites Sonoma State's defense and is contagious to the rest of the team. 

Inside, Iyawe has made his presence felt as his 6 '8'', 240-pound frame helps protect the rim in a very effective manner. Iyawe also possesses raw talent on the offensive side of the ball with solid footwork and great use of both hands. Iyawe headed into the break fresh off his best performance of the season after he dropped 14 points against Stanislaus State and then a season high 9 rebounds against Chico State. 

An emerging talent across the entire conference, forward Austin Fadal has clearly shown he's one of the most dynamic and crafty one-on-one players in the CCAA. Fadal joined the program this year after spending three seasons with Big Sky member Eastern Washington. Fadal began the season as a starter but after missing some time, he would put up solid numbers off the bench for a few games before returning to the starting lineup. In the team's past four-game stretch, Fadal has exploded and averaged 16 points per game and has acted as a great 1-2 punch alongside sophomore returner Jaylen Wells. The duo has combined for over 40 points three times this season and will look to continue their success when the team resumes conference play in January.    

Freshman Nick Medeiros has also been a pleasant surprise for the Seawolves as he has grabbed firm control of the starting point guard role earlier this season, and has brought some stability and consistency to the position. After rotating through a couple different options at point guard and not even seeing the court in the team's first two non-conference games, Medeiros would get his first start against Western Oregon in the annual Ron Logsdon Basketball Challenge. There, he would put up an effective 13 points on 40% shooting and showcase his handle of the offense as he added 3 assists as well. Despite his 6-foot frame, Medeiros shows no fear on the court and is able to effectively run the offense and get other players involved. He sits third on the team in assists and currently averages 7.2 points per game, food for fourth on the team.     

The program's massive jump early in the season has put themselves in the top half of the conference in some major offensive categories. Shayewitz and his squad rank 6th in the conference with 73.0 PPG, 2nd in field goal percentage at 47%, 1st from the free throw line at 76%, and 2nd in the CCAA with 79 total steals. The Seawolves hold a winning record in conference action for the first time since the 2019-20 season when the team started 2-0 in CCAA play.  
 

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SSU Women's Basketball 5-6 Overall | 2-3 CCAA: 

One of the biggest storylines before the start of the 2022-23 season was the hiring of former UC Davis Associate Head Coach, Des Abeyta, who enters the winter break with a solid 5-6 overall record. Abeyta became the 7th coach in SSU women's basketball history as she took over the head position after Rich Shayewitz rejoined the men's side. 

Abeyta brought an impressive resume to Sonoma State after her 15-year career a part of the coaching staff at Division I member UC Davis. As the associate head coach, Abeyta helped lead the Aggies to a 71-35 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances in their previous four seasons. With a core group of returners and some new additions to the program, Abeyta and her squad have improved each week and have started to hit their stride as they enter the winter break with a 3-game win streak. 

The Seawolves have continued to showcase their defensive tenacity as they rank as one of the top defensive teams in the conference, allowing just 58.4 points per game (3rd in CCAA). They also rank inside the top-3 in the conference in opponent FG% and 3PT% and are 5th in rebounds per game. 

Despite a tough start offensively for the Seawolves, they've seen some of their best shooting as a team as they recorded back-to-back 70-point games for the first time this season after their latest wins over Stanislaus State and Chico State. They shot well over 60% from the field in both games and jumped their average to nearly 60 points per game heading into the break.    

Double-Double Machine     

Another second year player is tearing it up for the Seawolves as Alli McDonald is fresh off of her CCAA Player of the Week performance, becoming the first SSU player to win the weekly award since Ugochi Anudokem in 2019. McDonald won the weekly award during the team's 3-0 stretch just before the break where she averaged 17.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and finished with three straight double-doubles. 

McDonald would have herself a career night against Stanislaus State where she led all scorers with 29 points and 15 rebounds, both good for career highs. She would also knock down a pair of clutch free throws with seconds remaining to give the Seawolves a three-point lead and secure the victory. McDonald finished the game just one point shy of becoming the second player in program history to record a 30-point/15-rebound game. Jessica Jones stands as the only player in program history to record a 30-point/15-rebound game as she finished with 30 & 18 against Cal State Bakersfield back in 2002. 

Teammate Cielo Gonzalez continues her solid Seawolf career and has made a big jump in scoring this season. She is currently averaging 9.9 points per game, nearly doubling her figure of 5.9 from a season ago. The Umpqua Community College transfer has started in all 11 games this season and her 109 total points is good for second most on the team. Gonzalez brings consistency and quality overall skill as she ranks in the top-3 in FG%, FT% and steals.

Abeyta and her squad will look to continue their success and attempt to qualify for the conference tournament and win a game in postseason action for the first time since 2008, when the Seawolves advanced to the CCAA tournament semifinals and would eventually earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.   

Both Sonoma State basketball teams will return to action after the winter break on New Year's Day, Sunday, January 1st. They will take on Cal Poly Humboldt in conference action at 1 & 3:00 PM and will look to continue their combined 5-game win streak. Admission to the New Year's Day games will be FREE. Tickets to all future home games can be found at www.sonomaseawolves.com/tickets 

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