2008-09 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
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Jersey Number 33
Kemie Nkele
- Position:
- Forward/Center
- Height:
- 6-1
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- San Diego, CA
- High School:
- Mira Mesa HS
2008-09 Named Big West Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and named First-Team All-Conference . . . Finished first in the conference in scoring average, first in three-point field goals made, first in minutes played, first in defensive rebounds per game, second in rebounds per game, second in blocked shots per game, fourth in three-point field goal percentage, sixth in three-point field goal percentage, ninth in offensive rebounds per game, and tenth in free throw percentage . . . Earned four Big West Women’s Basketball Player of the Week awards on the year, totaling ten career awards which ranks third all-time in conference history . . . Surpassed 2,000 career points on March 5 vs. UCSB . . . Scored a career-high 32 points at CSUN on Jan. 14 . . . Tied her career-high with six assists on two occasions (Jan. 10 vs. Pacific and Feb. 11 vs. CSUB) . . . Tied her career-high with five steals at CSF on Feb. 26 . . . Had a team-high six double-doubles on the year . . . Led the Highlanders in scoring in 23 games . . . Scored in double-figures in 27 games . . . Led the team in points and rebounds per game . . . One of two players to start all 31 games . . . Named to the Big West All-Conference Preseason Team . . .
2007-08 Played in six games before a season-ending injury forced her to redshirt …
2006-07 Named Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament Team . . . Named Big West Conference Player of the Year and named to the First Team All-Big West for the third straight season. . . Earned Big West Conference co-Player of the Week for Nov. 27-Dec. 3 . . . One of three players to start and play in all 32 games .. . Named to Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team . . . Scored in double figures in 27 games, including eight of 20+ points ... Had 11 double-doubles . . . Had a game-high 26 points, including 18 in the second half, and the game-winner at the buzzer at Nevada on December 3 . . . Reached 1,000 career points with 24 points vs. Pepperdine on December 6 . . . Had double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds vs. Long Beach State in Big West Tournament semifinals on March 9 . . . Had 18 points in Big West Championship Game versus UC Santa Barbara on March 10 . . . Registered game-high 16 points with six rebounds and three blocks in the NCAA Tournament vs. Arizona State on March 17 . . .
2005-06 Named Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player . . . Earned First Team All-Big West honors for the second straight season . . . Three-time Big West Player of the Week (November 15-21, November 28-December 4, and February 27-March 5) . . . Named Big West Hustle Player of the Year . . . Became UCR’s all-time leader in blocked shots on February 2 vs. Long Beach State . . . Posted team-leading eight double-doubles . . . One of four players to start 25 games ore more . . . Recorded career-high 30 points at UC Davis on March 4 . . . Tied then-career-high with 29 points and supplied career-high six assists vs. South Dakota State on February 28 . . . Posted double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in Big West Tournament vs. Cal Poly on March 9 . . . Registered double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds in Big West Tournament semifinals vs. Long Beach State on March 10 . . . Tallied 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds in Big West Championship Game vs. UC Santa Barbara on March 11 . . . Had nine points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in NCAA Tournament First Round vs. North Carolina on March 18 . . . Broke left index finger on December 14, missing six games . . .
2004-05 Named Big West Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big West, All-Big West Tournament Team, and Player of the Week from February 28-March 6 . . . Led team with scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and minutes played . . . Led the Big West in field goal percentage posting the third highest single-season percentage in school history . . . Blocked a team-high 92 shots which is a UCR freshman record and second all-time in the history of the program . . . Her 481 points were the fourth-most in a season in UCR . . . Her 321 total rebounds were the second-most in a single season at UCR, her 114 offensive boards are the fifth-most in a single season at UCR, and her 207 defensive rebounds tied her for second most in school history . . . Recorded 16 double-doubles, most in the Big West . . . Scored in double figures in 23 games and posted ten 20+ scoring outings . . . Pulled down 10 or more rebounds 19 times . . . Set then career-high with 29 points and established new Big West Tournament record by shooting 85.7% (12-for-14) from the floor while grabbing 14 rebounds in a first round win over Cal State Fullerton on March 9 . . . Narrowly missed first career triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and UCR single-game record nine blocks against Idaho on January 20 . . . Just missed a 20-point, 20-rebound game with 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in home win over Cal Poly on February 24 . . . Registered 16 points and 12 rebounds in Big West Tournament quarterfinals versus Cal State Northridge on March 10 . . .
High School Four-year letterwinner at Mira Mesa High School in San Diego . . . Starting center and team captain her senior year . . . Missed most of sophomore and junior seasons with an ACL injury . . . Returned from injury junior year to lead team to second round of the playoffs . . . Voted team MVP as a freshman and named Second Team All-Eastern League . . . Played with La Jolla Country Day travel team, winning Division IV state championships in 2001 and 2002 and runners-up in 2003 . . . Also competed two years on the track team . . . Named to school’s Honor Roll in 2002 and 2003 . . . Was a peer tutor . . . Served as assistant coach at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center, helping with the 12-and-under co-ed team . . .
Personal Kemie Nkele is the daugher of Barbara Nkele . . . Last name is pronounced “nuh-KELL-ee” . . . Her uncle, Ijeoma Nkele, played for the Nigerian Olympic basketball team in the early 1970s . . . Majoring in liberal arts with a concentration in psychology and a minor in sociology … Favorite athlete is Dawn Staley . . . Watches Family Guy . . . Favorite movie is “Love & Basketball” . . . Enjoys eating pasta and Greek . . . Listens to Musiq Soulchild . . . Her most memorable sporting moment was hitting a buzzer-beater in the playoffs against Rancho Bernardo . . .
Career Stats
2007-08 Played in six games before a season-ending injury forced her to redshirt …
2006-07 Named Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament Team . . . Named Big West Conference Player of the Year and named to the First Team All-Big West for the third straight season. . . Earned Big West Conference co-Player of the Week for Nov. 27-Dec. 3 . . . One of three players to start and play in all 32 games .. . Named to Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team . . . Scored in double figures in 27 games, including eight of 20+ points ... Had 11 double-doubles . . . Had a game-high 26 points, including 18 in the second half, and the game-winner at the buzzer at Nevada on December 3 . . . Reached 1,000 career points with 24 points vs. Pepperdine on December 6 . . . Had double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds vs. Long Beach State in Big West Tournament semifinals on March 9 . . . Had 18 points in Big West Championship Game versus UC Santa Barbara on March 10 . . . Registered game-high 16 points with six rebounds and three blocks in the NCAA Tournament vs. Arizona State on March 17 . . .
2005-06 Named Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player . . . Earned First Team All-Big West honors for the second straight season . . . Three-time Big West Player of the Week (November 15-21, November 28-December 4, and February 27-March 5) . . . Named Big West Hustle Player of the Year . . . Became UCR’s all-time leader in blocked shots on February 2 vs. Long Beach State . . . Posted team-leading eight double-doubles . . . One of four players to start 25 games ore more . . . Recorded career-high 30 points at UC Davis on March 4 . . . Tied then-career-high with 29 points and supplied career-high six assists vs. South Dakota State on February 28 . . . Posted double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in Big West Tournament vs. Cal Poly on March 9 . . . Registered double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds in Big West Tournament semifinals vs. Long Beach State on March 10 . . . Tallied 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds in Big West Championship Game vs. UC Santa Barbara on March 11 . . . Had nine points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in NCAA Tournament First Round vs. North Carolina on March 18 . . . Broke left index finger on December 14, missing six games . . .
2004-05 Named Big West Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big West, All-Big West Tournament Team, and Player of the Week from February 28-March 6 . . . Led team with scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and minutes played . . . Led the Big West in field goal percentage posting the third highest single-season percentage in school history . . . Blocked a team-high 92 shots which is a UCR freshman record and second all-time in the history of the program . . . Her 481 points were the fourth-most in a season in UCR . . . Her 321 total rebounds were the second-most in a single season at UCR, her 114 offensive boards are the fifth-most in a single season at UCR, and her 207 defensive rebounds tied her for second most in school history . . . Recorded 16 double-doubles, most in the Big West . . . Scored in double figures in 23 games and posted ten 20+ scoring outings . . . Pulled down 10 or more rebounds 19 times . . . Set then career-high with 29 points and established new Big West Tournament record by shooting 85.7% (12-for-14) from the floor while grabbing 14 rebounds in a first round win over Cal State Fullerton on March 9 . . . Narrowly missed first career triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and UCR single-game record nine blocks against Idaho on January 20 . . . Just missed a 20-point, 20-rebound game with 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in home win over Cal Poly on February 24 . . . Registered 16 points and 12 rebounds in Big West Tournament quarterfinals versus Cal State Northridge on March 10 . . .
High School Four-year letterwinner at Mira Mesa High School in San Diego . . . Starting center and team captain her senior year . . . Missed most of sophomore and junior seasons with an ACL injury . . . Returned from injury junior year to lead team to second round of the playoffs . . . Voted team MVP as a freshman and named Second Team All-Eastern League . . . Played with La Jolla Country Day travel team, winning Division IV state championships in 2001 and 2002 and runners-up in 2003 . . . Also competed two years on the track team . . . Named to school’s Honor Roll in 2002 and 2003 . . . Was a peer tutor . . . Served as assistant coach at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center, helping with the 12-and-under co-ed team . . .
Personal Kemie Nkele is the daugher of Barbara Nkele . . . Last name is pronounced “nuh-KELL-ee” . . . Her uncle, Ijeoma Nkele, played for the Nigerian Olympic basketball team in the early 1970s . . . Majoring in liberal arts with a concentration in psychology and a minor in sociology … Favorite athlete is Dawn Staley . . . Watches Family Guy . . . Favorite movie is “Love & Basketball” . . . Enjoys eating pasta and Greek . . . Listens to Musiq Soulchild . . . Her most memorable sporting moment was hitting a buzzer-beater in the playoffs against Rancho Bernardo . . .
Career Stats
| Year | GP-GS | Min | Avg | FG-FGA | FG% | 3G-3GA | 3G% | FT-FTA | FT% | O | D | Tot | Avg | PF-DQ | A | TO | B | S | Pts | Avg |
| 04-05 | 28-27 | 952 | 34.0 | 188-331 | .568 | 1-9 | .111 | 104-161 | .646 | 114 | 207 | 321 | 11.5 | 102-9 | 28 | 77 | 92 | 28 | 481 | 17.2 |
| 05-06 | 25-25 | 838 | 33.5 | 144-314 | .459 | 17-54 | .315 | 93-123 | .756 | 48 | 144 | 192 | 7.7 | 89-7 | 53 | 87 | 42 | 35 | 398 | 15.9 |
| 06-07 | 32-32 | 1133 | 35.4 | 190-422 | .450 | 33-95 | .347 | 103-141 | .730 | 90 | 188 | 278 | 8.7 | 108-9 | 70 | 96 | 76 | 38 | 516 | 16.1 |
| 07-08 | 6-6 | 176 | 29.3 | 31-77 | .403 | 6-21 | .286 | 29-34 | .853 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 8.3 | 22-1 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 97 | 16.2 |
| 08-09 | 31-31 | 1137 | 36.7 | 197-453 | .435 | 66-173 | .382 | 110-152 | .724 | 60 | 196 | 256 | 8.3 | 92-1 | 60 | 84 | 49 | 40 | 570 | 18.4 |
| Totals | 122-121 | 4236 | 34.7 | 750-1597 | .470 | 123-352 | .349 | 439-611 | .718 | 332 | 765 | 1097 | 8.9 | 413-27 | 222 | 363 | 273 | 148 | 2062 | 16.9 |
Highlander Hot Talk Podcast - Spring Sports Recap 5/21/2026
Thursday, May 21
Day in the Life: Leilani Juan
Monday, May 04
UCR Student-Athletes cheer on our students.
Friday, May 01
UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
Tuesday, March 24
