UC SANTA BARBARA
2015-16
Played in 22 games with two starts…Averaged 16.5 minutes per game…Scored 7.9 points per game and shot 45.7 percent from the field, the best mark on the team…Led the Gauchos with 5.9 rebounds per game, finishing with 129 overall…Second on the team with 55 offensive rebounds…Led the team with 1.4 blocks per game, totaling 30…Missed the first eight games due to injury and made her Gaucho debut versus Loyola Marymount when she scored five points and recorded six rebounds, a block, and a steal…Scored a season-high 16 points after going 6-9 in UCSB’s win over UC Irvine in the opening round of the Big West Tournament…Recorded three double-doubles, including against Hawaii when she grabbed a season-high 13…Recorded a season-high two steals twice…Posted a season-best four blocks at Louisiana-Lafayette.
CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
Played her first two years of college basketball at Central Arizona College under coach Denise Cardenas…Through those two seasons, she finished with 446 points, 432 rebounds (199 offensive, 233 defensive), 35 steals and 116 blocks…As a sophomore, was named second team all-conference…She averaged 8.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game…She finished with a double-double in five consecutive games, which included an 18-point, 11-rebound outing against South Plains College (12/31/14)…That year, she put up 10 points, 18 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal against Arizona Western College…In her freshman year, she was named the Defensive Player of the Year as her team finished 28-2 and finished the season the fifth ranked team in the nation…That same season, the Vaqueras competed in the regional playoffs and the NJCAA Tournament, playing in the third-place game…One of her best performances that season came against Cochise College (1/4/14) when she recorded 17 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals…Made the Dean’s List both years.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played four years at Chandler High School under coach Zon Thompson…As a center, she finished her prep career wth 1000 points, 700 rebounds (183 offensive, 162 defensive), 86 steals, and 140 blocks…Was listed as a four-star prospect and the ninth-ranked post player in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz…Was a three-time team captain…Led the Wolves to the state tournament in four consecutive years…As a senior, was named First Team All-5A-1 League…Competed in the Nike Tournament Black Division in the 2011-12 year…Made second team all-league as a junior…That same year she led her school to an 85-80 win over Xavier Prep in a regional game (2/11/11) where she scored 26 points, 23 rebounds, and seven blocks…During her sophomore campaign, she was named league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year…As a sophomore, she hit the game-winner to end a double overtime regional game versus Hamilton…One of her best games was a triple-double performance against Xavier High School when she finished with 39 points, 37 rebounds, 12 blocks, and five steals…Also competed in badminton and track & field…She was a state champion in badminton as she won the singles championship in the 2009-10 season…Was featured on her school’s honor roll all four years.
PERSONAL
Je Zhé Newton was born on December 13, 1993 in El Paso, Texas to parents Victorian and Robert…Has an older sibling named Sharné and a younger sibling named NeChé…Goes by Jay…Most memorable sports moment was beating Eastern Arizona College to earn a spot in the NJCAA Tournament…Roots for the Los Angeles Lakers…Favorite athletes are Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lisa Leslie…Her favorite movies are Beetlejuice, The Breakfast Club, and any Disney movie…Enjoys watching Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, and Californication…Her favorite novels include the Twilight series…Favorite author is James Patterson…Enjoys listening to Phil Collins, Linkin Park, and Alanis Morissette…In her free time, she enjoys doing word searches, fishing, and hanging out with friends…Was also recruited by Washington, Houston, USC, Texas Tech, and Colorado…Majoring in biochemistry with a minor in biology…Aspires to be a dentist.
