Basketball

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The Abejas open their 2014-2015 season on Sept. 25, and have another home game on the 27th.

The big news for local basketball fans is that Western Kentucky alumnus Steffphon Pettigrew is back for another season. He averaged 19.9 points per game last year. Other returnees are Steve Monreal (Cal State Monterey Bay), James Sandoval (Sonoma State), and Roman Andrade (New Mexico Highlands). They've added Bilal Dixon (Providence/Towson) and Reggie Larry (Boise State). Larry averaged 19.4 points per game in 2008, his last season at Boise State.

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Steffphon Pettigrew has gone to play in France. However, Las Abejas have started the season 3-0, and they have Steve Monreal (Cal State Monterey) and James Sandoval (Sonoma State) back. The other starters are Tarfari Toney (Mexican-British), Victor Buelna (Mexican), and Michael Lizarraga (Cal State Northridge). Here's some of Lizarraga's biography: A five-year player at CS Northridge, Lizarraga earned the distinction of being the only Deaf men's basketball student-athlete in the nation during his career. He is also believed to have been the first Deaf student-athlete to compete in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, taking the court in the final minutes against the Memphis Tigers in 2009.