DYLAN GARRITY NAMED BIG SKY CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

3/1/2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After completing a season in which he was sixth in the nation with 6.9 assists per game to go along with a healthy 2.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, Sacramento State point guard Dylan Garrity was named the Big Sky Conference’s Freshman of the Year, the league announced on Thursday.

Garrity, who started 27 of a possible 28 games while averaging 8.1 points and 33.8 minutes per contest, was also an honorable mention all-Big Sky selection. A true freshman, Garrity became the third Hornet to earn Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors since the program joined the league in 1996-97. Vinnie McGhee (2007-08) and Nate Murase (1998-99) also received the honor.

“Obviously, we are happy for Dylan, and as a point guard, he is being recognized for team play” Sacramento State head coach Brian Katz said. “He is as good as any player I’ve ever seen at the pick and roll, runs the break extremely well and has a great understanding of the game of basketball.

“As a team, we played faster as the season went on, and will play that way in the future because of Dylan. We encouraged him to become more aggressive offensively, and he was able to do that in the second half of the season. When teams have to worry about his scoring ability, he will find the open man every time.”

The Huntington Beach, Calif., native easily led the Big Sky in assists, and was the only freshman in the nation to rank among the top 25 players in assists per game. Garrity assisted on over 29 percent of the Hornets’ made buckets this season, had at least 12 assists on five occasions and posted four double-doubles (points and assists). That included a 16-assist performance against Montana State that not only set a school record, but tied for the most by any Div. I player this season. The four double-doubles tied for the seventh best mark in Sacramento State’s Div. I history (1991-pres.).

Garrity’s average of 6.9 assists per game matched a single-season school record, and his 193 total assists were the second best mark in school history and the most by a Big Sky player since the 2005-06 season. Among Big Sky leaders, he finished first in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, fourth in free throw percentage (.818) and sixth in minutes per game.

After scoring in double figures just once during the team’s first 16 games, Garrity posted double digits eight times over the final 12 games while averaging 10.7 points over that span. That included a stretch of five straight games in which he scored in double figures (Jan. 26-Feb. 9). His season high of 18 points came against both Montana State and Portland State.

Against Big Sky competition, Garrity averaged 9.1 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 47.9 percent (45-94) from the field, 38.5 percent (15-39) from the three-point line and 82.0 percent (41-50) from the free throw line.

Garrity’s 27 starts tied a team high, he was one of six Hornets to play in all 28 games, and he led the team in assists in all but one game. His 26 steals were also a team high, and he shot a team-best 84.4 percent (38-45) from the free throw line during the final five minutes of games this season.

Sacramento State finished the season with a 10-18 overall record and a 5-11 conference mark. The Hornets raised their conference win total for the third straight year, and the team’s 10 overall wins were the most since the 2006-07 season. Including Garrity, the Hornets will return each of their top five scorers in 2012-13.

The Big Sky’s all-conference team and individual award winners can be found by clicking on the link above the story.