San Jose State and Boise State are the only remaining undefeated teams in the WAC. San Jose State is once again led by Amber Jackson. The sophomore is continuning the sharp shooting that helped place her on the all-WAC second team last season. Jackson is leading the WAC in scoring, averaging 20.5 ppg. She is also first in rebounds, averaging 14.5 rpg. Last season, Jackson was first in the league in shooting percentage (.659) and third in scoring (14.9 ppg).
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XBOX LIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ?“ Hawai'i?™s Amy Sanders has been named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Women?™s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 28.
Sanders, a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., averaged 15.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 2.0 apg to lead UH to a third Place finish in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Sanders also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. The guard helped the Rainbow Wahine go 2-1 last weekend, including two come-from-behind wins over Washington State and Texas A&M. She scored 14 points, including the game-winning bucket with one second left in a 68-66 win over Texas A&M in the third place game of the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Hawai'i trailed by as many as 13 points in the game. The senior had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 68-63 win over Washington State, helping the team overcome a nine-point second half deficit. She also added 19 points and seven rebounds in a 77-67 loss to Wisconsin.
Other nominees included: Jackie Lee of Boise State averaged 17.3 points as the Broncos moved to 4-0 … Amy Parrish of Fresno State scored 57 points in three games for the Bulldogs … Eboni Magnum of Louisiana Tech led the Lady Techsters back from a 19-point deficit to beat Iowa … Irma Kmitaite of New Mexico State scored 42 points in three games for the Aggies … Alisha Hicks of San Jose State scored 18 points as the Spartanas beat Sacramento State … Brittany Hagen of Utah State averaged 15.5 points in two losses at the Colorado Coors Classic.
NEVADA TO HOST 2006 TOURNAMENT ?“ For the second consecutive year, Nevada?™s Lawlor Events Center (11,200) will host the WAC Basketball T ournament. The dates for this year?™s tournament are March 7-11. The 2007 and 2008 tournaments will be held in Las Cruces, N.M.
IDAHO SETS WAC RECORD ?“ Idaho set a WAC and Idaho record with 40 three-point field goal attempts against Oklahoma State. Idaho was 10-of-40 (.250) in the game.
2005-06 EXPERIMENTAL RULES ?“ This season, all certified men?™s and women?™s basketball games that occur before January 1 are required to use experimental rules. This year?™s women?™s experimental rules are:
1. Moving the 3-point line 9 inches behind the current three-point line to create a new experimental distance of 20 feet, 6 inches.
2. Using the 10-second backcourt rule.
MARCHANT LEADING AGGIES ?“ Utah State senior post players Jessica Freeman and Ali Marchant continue to be an intimidating force in the middle for the Aggies this season. Freeman has three blocks this season and continues to add to her USU-career-leading mark of 82. Marchant has recorded two swats this season and now sits in fourth-place on the Aggie career blocks list with 56 career rejections. Marchant led all players with 22 points on eight-of-10 shooting and grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds in USU?™s one-point loss (71-70) to Montana in its season opener on Nov. 18. The double-double was the 12th of her career as she tallied seven as a sophomore and four last season.
WIGGINS TO COACH FRESNO STATE IN 2005-06 ?“ After leading the Fresno State women?™s basketball team to 20 wins and a berth to the WNIT, Adrian Wiggins will remain as the women?™s basketball coach for the 2005-06 season.
Wiggins?™ appointment is for one year at which time a search for a permanent head coach will commence.
Under Wiggins?™ guidance the Bulldogs posted a record of 7-3, and advanced to the semifinals of the WAC tournament, before losing in double overtime to regular season WAC champion Louisiana Tech.
WAC JOINS NCAA CELBRATION OF WOMEN?™S CHAMPIONSHIPS ?“ The Western Athletic Conference has joined the NCAA national office in celebrating the 2005-06 season as the 25th anniversary of NCAA Women?™s Championships.
The NCAA is encouraging the more that 1,020 member colleges, universities and conferences to recognize the 2005-06 season as the 25th anniversary of women?™s championships. Recognition can include special campus activities, banners and signage, promotional events, program inserts, the naming of anniversary teams, and special awards. Activation kits were provided to all NCAA Division I, II and III colleges and universities in an effort to assist with the initiatives on their campuses.
BOISE STATE WELCOMES PRESNELL ?“ Gordan Presnell became Boise State?™s head coach in June. He is the sixth head coach in the program?™s 35-year history (36th in 2005-06). He is also the second man to lead the Broncos. The other was Tony Oddo (1984-89). One unique aspect of Presnell?™s hire is that he is the first head coach in program history to have previous head coaching experience at the four-year collegiate level. He comes to Boise State after 18 successful years at Seattle Pacific University. Oddo had junior college experience with men, but no other coach was a previous collegiate head coach until they were hired at Boise State.
LOUISIANA TECH?™S LONG NAMED HEAD COACH ?“ Chris Long was named the fourth head coach in Lady Techster history. After a six-year stint as an assistant coach on the Louisiana Tech staff, including three years under both Leon Barmore and Kurt Budke, Long replaces Budke who accepted the head coaching position at Oklahoma State March 28.
Long takes over a Louisiana Tech program that, along with Tennessee, is considered the most storied in the history of the women?™s game. During the 31-year history of Lady Techster basketball, Tech has won 871 games - second most only to Tennessee. Louisiana Tech and Tennessee are the only two programs to have participated in all 24 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Techsters have advanced to 13 Final Fours, competed in eight national title games and won three national titles.
TOP PLAYERS RETURNING ?“ A total of six players from both the all-WAC first and second-teams will return. WAC Player of the Year Tasha Williams (formerly Crain) is one of three first-team members returning. Also returning are San Jose State?™s Lamisha Augustine and Fresno State?™s Amy Parrish.
There are three members of the second team returning. Lakiste Barkus, a member of the all-Defensive team returns for Louisiana Tech. San Jose State?™s Amber Jackson and Hawai'i?™s Amy Sanders will also be back.
STAT LEADERS BACK ?“ Four of the top 10 scorers return for the 2005-06 season. Louisiana Tech?™s Tasha Williams (formerly Crain) was second in the WAC in scoring last year with a 18.2 point per game average. Others coming back include: Amber Jackson, San Jose State (14.9); Amy Parrish, Fresno State (13.5) and Meghan McGuire, Nevada (13.2). Jackson is the leading returning rebounder with a 8.5 rpg average last season (third in the WAC). Louisiana Tech?™s Tamika Kursh is the other top 10 rebounder returning. She averaged 7.6 boards per game last season.
FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SITES SET ?“ For the second-straight season, there will be pre-determined sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Fresno State was one of the chosen sites. This season is the 25th anniversary of the women?™s basketball tournament. The Final Four travels to Boston, Mass., for its silver anniversary. On April 4-6, Harvard University and Northeastern University will host the Final Four. All games will be played at the FleetCenter, home of the Boston Celtics.
Boise State Broncos (4-0, 0-0 WAC)
Boise State went 3-0 last week to remain undefeated at 4-0 on the season, its best start since the 1999-2000 season when the team went 4-0 before their first lost ... the Broncos defeated Sacramento State 80-52 in Boise then won the Wingate Inn Thanksgiving Classic in Bozeman, Montana with victories over host Montana State (66-52) and Northern Colorado (73-59) ... the 4-0 streak highlighted by the Northern Colorado win gave first year head coach Gordy Presnell his landmark 400th career coaching victory.
Fresno State Bulldogs (2-2, 0-0 WAC)
Fresno State lost its second-straight game after losing to No. 11 Stanford and Utah Valley State ... Fresno State?™s 35 rebounds at halftime eclipsed the team?™s overall total of 32 during Wednesday?™s 89-67 loss at No. 13 Stanford ... in the first half alone against the Wolverines, five players tallied at least four boards ... Fresno State?™s starting backcourt trio of Paige Diggs, Chantella Perera and Toni Atherley are a combined 37-46 (80.4-percent) from the free throw line through four games ... Kendra Walker-Roche scored her first basket of the season, hitting a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 35-31 lead with 15:52 remaining in the second half ... she was 0-6 combined in her first two games.
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (3-2, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai'i finished third in the Rainbow Wahine Classic going 2-1 over the weekend ... it was UH?™s best finish in the tournament since 2001 (third place) ... Amy Sanders named all-tournament for the second time this season ... UH is 46-35 in the 27 years of the Rainbow Wahine Classic and has captured the tournament on four occasions (1989, ?™91, ?™93, ?™99) ... the program last took the title in 1999 with a 78-74 win over Texas ... Amy Sanders earned all-tournament honors for the second-straight week.
Idaho Vandals (1-2, 0-0 WAC)
Leilani Mitchell scored 16 points versus Oklahoma State (Nov. 25) to become the 15th player in UI history to score 1,000 career points ... her current total is 1,015 career points ... with 10 steals in two games last week, Mitchell moved into third place on the Idaho records list for career steals ... her current total is 225 and she is just five steals short of passing Robin Behrens for second place on the list ... with a 1-2 overall record, the Vandals have fallen below .500 for the first time since the 2002-03 season when they began the season 0-5 and finished the season 10-18.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (1-1, 0-0 WAC)
First-year Louisiana Tech head coach, Chris Long, led his team to a 19-point come-from behind victory over Iowa as the Lady Techsters defeated Iowa 95-91 in double overtime ... it was the second largest comeback in the Louisiana Tech?™s storied history ... this week, the Lady Techsters will travel to a familar city as they once again make the trip to Houston, Texas playing in the Rice Tournament ... Louisiana Tech will take on UT-San Antonio on Dec. 2 and will then face either Davidson or host Rice ... the Owls faced the Lady Techsters in the last two WAC Tournaments.
Nevada Wolf Pack (0-4, 0-0 WAC)
Nevada is one of three teams looking for its first win of the season this week ... the Wolf Pack will host the Nugget Classic ... Nevada will take on Northern Colorado in its first game of the tournament ... the Wolf Pack will then take on either Northwestern State or Gonzaga on Dec. 3 ... freshman Brandi Fitzgerald is tied for third in the league in steals, averaging 3. 00 spg.
New Mexico State Aggies (0-4, 0-0 WAC)
New Mexico State searches for its first win of the season when it hosts I-10 rivals UTEP on Nov. 30 at the Pan American Center ... the game will be the opening act of a doubleheader with the Aggie and Miner men facing off immediately afterward ... NMSU returns home after dropping a pair of games at the UT-San Antonio Thanksgiving Classic last weekend, falling 89-55 to UMKC and 61-38 to hosts UTSA ... sophomore Monique Bribiescas is tied for eighth in the league in assists, averaging 2.75 apg.
San Jose State Spartans (2-0, 0-0 WAC)
Once again, the Spartans are led by all-WAC selctions, Amber Jackson and Lamisha Augustine ... Augustine had a double-double against Gonzaga ... second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.0 ppg
and 9.0 rpg ... she is shooting 37 percent from the field and 57 percent from the free-throw line ... Jackson also had double-doubles against Gonzaga and CS Northridge ... she leads the WAC in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.5 ppg and 14.5 rpg ... she is shooting 59 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free-throw line.
Utah State Aggies (0-3, 0-0 WAC)
USU heads to Idaho State this week in search of its first win ... sophomore forward Jenny Gross is the only Aggie from Idaho ... she attended high school at Vallivue High School in Caldwell, Idaho ... the Aggies are 6-11 in known games played in the state of Idaho, including an 0-2 record in the coach Raegan Pebley era ... Utah State?™s last win in the state of Idaho came in a 75-74 win at Idaho State on Nov. 30, 1985 ... Utah State is 9-23 in games played in November, including its two losses in the Colorado Coors Classic last week ... the Aggies are 2-6 in November under Pebley.