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Posted: Mar 13, 2023

Owls Sweep WSC-South Postseason Honors

Photo by Mark Dustin
Photo by Mark Dustin

After a stellar season, Citrus College swept the postseason Western State Conference-South honors and saw five Owls earn all-conference honors.

Brett Lauer was named Coach of the Year, while Chris Chiles was named the Most Outstanding Player and Aibigho Ujadughele was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year. Chiles and Ujadughele also picked up WSC-South First Team honors with Anthony Tello, while Jayden Johnston and Rudy Suarez grabbed honorable mention.

Lauer grabbed his fourth Coach of the Year honor after leading the Owls to their fifth conference title in six seasons with a 13-1 WSC-South mark and their second-straight trip to the CCCAA State Tournament Elite Eight. Citrus finished the year with a 28-4 record and ranked in multiple statistical categories, including second in holding opponents to a 27.3 shooting percentage from the perimeter, fifth in steals per game (10.9), and sixth in three-pointers made per game (9.8).

Chiles – who was also named to the CCCAA All-State Team – picked up back-to-back first-team all-conference honors after helping fuel the Owl offense with 3.6 assists per game. He led the conference with a 42.7 shooting percentage from the perimeter and finished the year averaging 11.9 points per game. He scored in double figures 23 times this year, including a tear of 15-straight games.

Ujadughele continued his defensive prowess, finishing the year with 8.0 rebounds per game (fourth in conference), along with 59 steals (second in conference) and 12 blocks on the year. Offensively, Ujadughele averaged 8.4 points per game.

Tello was a big impact player for the Owls, leading Citrus with 13.4 points per game (ninth-best in conference) and a team-high 61 steals (first in conference). He boasted a 44.7 shooting percentage from the floor and dished out 1.9 assists per game. Tello also had 10 blocks on the year.

Johnston grabbed his second-straight All-WSC South honorable mention after being a threat from the perimeter. He led the WSC South with 79 made three-pointers and finished the year averaging 12.0 points per game.

Suarez picked up honorable mention recognition after a solid year for the Owls. He finished the year averaging 8.1 points per game, knocking down 65 triples (tied for third in the conference) on 37.1-percent shooting.