Lauren Longo Captures SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week Honors for CMS Women's Basketball

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior guard Lauren Longo was named the SCIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week for games through Sunday, Jan. 26, the league office announced today.

Longo earned the honor for her role in spearheading a stellar defensive week for the Athenas, who won a pair of road games to improve to 11-6 overall and 4-4 in the league by allowing just 70 points combined. CMS defeated Occidental 68-28 on Wednesday while not allowing more than 10 points in any quarter, and then came away with a big 47-42 road win over Chapman to avenge a double-overtime home loss from 12 days prior. 

In the Chapman win, Longo contributed three steals to the defensive effort, but also came up big in helping to hold her primary defensive assignment, Chapman leading scorer Julianna Campas (15.4 ppg coming in), to only three points on 1-14 shooting. CMS came out of the gate by holding the Panthers scoreless for the first 7:10 of the game to jump out to a 10-0 lead, and then held Chapman off the scoreboard for a span of over 11:30 in the second half, using a 13-0 run to pull ahead 41-27 with 2:10 left in the contest before a late Panther rally came up short. 

Longo's award marks the third time that the Athenas have won the Defensive Player of the Week this season, as junior guard Maezelle Millan has won it twice. Junior guard Katelynn Nguyen has also been named the Offensive Player of the Week, giving CMS a total of four awards from the league. 

The Athenas will be back in action on Wednesday night when they return home to face Cal Lutheran for a 7 p.m. contest at Roberts Pavilion.