Mikayla Mabie, Lindsey Alexander and Heaven Simon all played key roles while leading Central Valley High School's varsity girls basketball program to a runner-up finish in the Western Athletic Conference.

Nicole Bates was a standout with Ceres High, which had the fourth-best team in the WAC. Bulldog teammate Perla Vargas also contributed.

Mabie, Alexander, Simon, Bates and Vargas were recognized in a vote by the league's head coaches on Feb. 23 in Ceres.

Mabie and Bates were both selected to the WAC First Team.

Mikayla was rewarded for her overall play.

The junior guard led the Hawks in scoring (15.3 ppg) and assists (5.8 apg), and ranked second in steals (2.8 spg) and fourth in rebounding (5.0 rpg).

Mabie was a role player with Central Valley during her sophomore year. The Turlock High transfer averaged 4.7 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

"She was pretty tough to stop," Hawks head coach Jesse Padilla said. "The other coaches all saw that."

Mikayla scored in doubles figures in nine of 12 conference games.

She tallied a career-high 33 points in a 73-32 win over Los Banos.

Mabie totaled 35 points in a pair of victories (45-42, 55-47) over crosstown-rival Ceres High.

Padilla believes Mabie will be a candidate for WAC MVP next season.

"I think she can get it," Padilla said. "She just needs to get stronger."

Bates, a junior shooting guard, earned all-league honors for the third time in her career.

Bates averaged a team-leading 19.4 points per game in conference play this year.

She rarely rested.

"We're lucky to have her on the team," Bulldogs head coach Kristen McClure said. "Softball's her main sport. And she's still this good in basketball. That's crazy. She's an amazing athlete. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She's a good all-round person."

Alexander earned second-team all-league accolades.

The senior guard averaged 10.7 points, 2.4 steals, 2.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game.
She shot 38 percent (25 of 66) from 3-point range.

"She was more confident this year," Padilla said. "She matured."

Simon and Vargas were honorable-mention picks.

Heaven averaged 3.8 points, 4.0 steals and 3.4 rebounds per game.

The senior held her own while guarding Bates, Livingston's Sharn Sahota and Pacheco's Samantha Rodriguez.

"She's one of the best defenders in the WAC," Padilla said. "She's quick."

Vargas, a senior post player, averaged 5.4 points per game.

Perla was slowed by an ankle injury early in the year.

"She was a leader," McClure said. "She was very vocal at practice. She worked hard for her teammates and me."

Central Valley (10-2) and Ceres High (4-8) placed second and fourth, respectively, in the WAC standings.