PLAYER OF THE WEEK Tulsa's Jillian Robbins has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of March 6. This is the final player of the week of the season. Robbins has set a WAC record by being named WAC Player of the Week five times this season.
Robbins, a sophomore from Spring, Texas, led the Golden Hurricane to home wins over two of the top three teams in the WAC standings last week. Robbins registered back-to-back games with 20 or more points and produced two double-doubles in Tulsa's 90-67 win over SMU and a 74-70 victory over WAC leader Louisiana Tech. For the week, Robbins averaged 22.5 points, 15.5 rebounds. She also added 4.0 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She connected on 14-of-23 field goal attempts (.610), including 1-of-2 three-pointers (.500) and converted 16-of-21 free throw attempts (.762).
Robbins registered game highs of 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots in TU's win over SMU that propelled the Hurricane into a two-way tie for third place with the Mustangs. She hit 9-of-14 field goal attempts (.643) and connected on 6-of-9 free throw attempts (.670). Robbins scored 18 of her 24 points in the second half. In the regular season finale against Louisiana Tech, Robbins notched her 22nd game in double figures this season and her 15th double-double of the year with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
With the wins Tulsa earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming WAC Tournament March 8-12 in Reno, Nev.
Other nominees included: Mirenda Swearengin, Fresno State; Lauren Neaves, Rice and Dana Penno, UTEP.
LOUISIANA TECH AND RICE SHARE WAC TITLE For the first time since the 1995-96 season, two teams will share the regular season WAC womens basketball title. Rice takes a share of the title with Louisiana Tech. The Lady Techsters have had at least a share of the WAC title every year since the 2001-02 season. The Lady Owls win their first WAC regular season title.
Rice defeated Louisiana Tech for the third time in WAC play, knocking off the Lady Techsters 83-69. Rice out-rebounded both Louisiana Tech and SMU, edging out the Lady Techsters 51-35 and the Mustangs 55-36.
LADY TECHSTERS EARN TOP SEED IN WAC TOURNAMENT Despite Louisiana Tech loses in its final two WAC games, the Lady Techsters still clinched the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament. Even though Louisiana Tech and Rice tied with 14-4 records, the Lady Techsters still held the tiebreakers.
MCKINNEY EARNS HONOR In her final season in the WAC, Rice head coach Cristy McKinney receives her first coach of the year honors. McKinney led Rice to its first regular season conference title this season, and the WAC tournament title in 2000. She is in her 12th season at the helm of the Rice program and owns an overall record of 213-138 (.607). Rice finished with a 14-4 WAC record and a share of its first regular season conference title.
FRESNO STATE SECURES WINNING SEASON Fresno States 71-50 win over Boise State on Feb. 12 guaranteed the Bulldogs will finish the 2004-05 season with a winning record. Fresno State's most recent winning season came in 2002-03 when the team finished 21-13. With a sweep of last weeks homestand, Fresno State finished 10-8 in WAC, its first winning conference record since the 2002-03 season. The Bulldogs finished 11-7 and third place in the WAC in 2002-03, marking the first time the club notched a winning conference record in 13 years. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 campaign, Fresno State has recorded 26 WAC victories. The Bulldogs were 7-11 last season against WAC teams.
REGAL RPI The WAC still has an overall Rating Percentage Index (RPI) of seven, according to the Womens Basketball Coaches Association. This is the highest RPI for the WAC in five seasons.
Last season mid-way through the conference season, the WAC had a WBCA RPI of 13th, while during the 2002-03 season the league was 10th. Since the 1999-00 season, the WAC has not had an RPI lower than 10th.
The WAC has four schools with an RPI under 90, and according to the WBCA and has one school with an RPI higher than 200. Louisiana Tech has an RPI of 28 to lead the WAC, while Rice is currently ranked No. 38, according to the WBCA. Tulsa is ranked 55th, while SMU has an RPI of No. 58.
REWIND The top-seeded and sixth ranked Louisiana Tech brought home their third WAC title in as many seasons, defeating the Rice Lady Owls, 76-52, at the 2004 McCaffrey WAC Basketball Tournament in Fresno, Calif. After a first-half 29-23 lead, Louisiana Tech pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Owls, 47-29. The Techsters were led by both Erica Smith-Taylor who registered 22 points, and the tournament's MVP, Amisha Carter, who tallied 18 points and 16 rebounds en route to the title.
2004 -FRESNO, CALIF. (March 11-15)
Seeds: 1-Louisiana Tech, 2-Rice, 3-Tulsa, 4-UTEP, 5-SMU, 6-Fresno State, 7-San Jose State, 8-Hawaii, 9-Boise State, 10-Nevada
Game 1 - Boise State 59, Hawaii 56 (584)
Game 2 - San Jose State 68, Nevada 60 (584)
Game 3 - La. Tech 100, Boise State 56 (612)
Game 4 -UTEP 70, SMU 63 (612)
Game 5 - Rice 67, San Jose State 63 (1,907)
Game 6 - Tulsa 79, Fresno State 55 (1,907)
Semifinal 1 - La. Tech 74, UTEP 47(786)
Semifinal 2 - Rice 55, Tulsa 42 (786)
Championship - La. Tech 76, Rice 52 (987)
All-Tournament Team
Amisha Carter, Louisiana Tech (MVP)
Trina Frierson, Louisiana Tech
Erica Taylor, Louisiana Tech
Lauren Neaves, Rice
Jillian Robbins, Tulsa
NCAA ANNOUNCEMENT Selection Sunday will be on March 13. ESPN will televise the selection show beginning at 5:00 p.m. (ET), while CBS will televise the mens selection show at 6:00 p.m. (ET). NCAAsports.com will have brackets up immediately after the selections are announced. Game times will be announced shortly thereafter.
FABULOUS FEBRUARY Tulsa sophomore Jillian Robbins began the month of February averaging
15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. During a seven-game stretch, five of which were played on the road, Robbins increased her per game scoring average to 18.2 points and improved her rebounding to 9.2 rebounds per contest. In seven contests, Robbins averaged 25.1 points (176) and 9.9 (69) rebounds per game, and connected on 62 of 114 field goal attempts for 54.4 percent and converted 52 of 70 free throw attempts for 74.2 percent. She produced four double-doubles and averaged 1.9 blocks (13) and 3.0 steals (21) per game. She reached double figures in all seven games and produced five games with 20 or more points, and registered a school and WAC record three-straight games with 30 or more points to end the month.
JACKSON SECOND IN THE NATION IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE San Jose State freshman sensation, Amber Jackson, slipped to second in the nation in field goal percentage in this weeks NCAA statistics. She is second in the nation shooting .670. She is just behind Libertys Katie Feenstra who stands in first, shooting .683. With the graduation of Tatiana and Teoma Taylor and all-WAC selection Cricket Williams, Jackson has emerged as a leader for the Spartans this season. San Diego States Michelle Suman has the WAC record in field goal percentage, shooting .667 during the 1991-92 season.
ABELE REACHES MILESTONE Hawaiis Jade Abele became the 14th player in school history
to score 1000 career points when she hit a 3-
pointer at the 8:38 mark of the second half in UHs 51-41 win at Boise State (Feb. 17). Abele finished with a team-high 13 points against the
Broncos and two nights later added four more
against UTEP to give her 1011 career points. The blocks against UTEP (Jan. 20) and Brittany Grice had eight of those blocks, tying the individual single-game record accomplished twice by former Rainbow Wahine center Christen Roper.
TULSAS HEIDOTTEN NAMED SEMIFINALIST Tulsa senior Becky Heidotten has been selected as a semifinalist for the third Annual Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence presented by Creamland Dairies.
The award honors college seniors for their athletic and academic achievement as well as their community involvement. The award will be presented at the end of the 2004-05 basketball season on April 12, 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This season, Heidotten has led Tulsa to a 19-9 overall record and a third-place finish in Western Athletic Conference play with an 11-7 mark. She has started all 28 games this season and holds season averages of 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and has connected on 55-percent of her field goal attempts. Heidotten tied her career-high with 26 points in Tulsas 74-70 upset win over WAC leader Louisiana Tech in the regular season finale. Heidotten is a nursing major and was named to the ESPN Academic All-District VI Second Team earlier this season.
Three finalists for the collegiate awards will be named during the NCAA basketball tournaments and will be present in Albuquerque on April 12, 2005 at an awards dinner held at the Albuquerque Marriott. Jimmy Dykes, ESPN College Basketball Analyst will emcee the event, and Citadel Communications Sports Radio 610 The Sports Animal and News Radio 770 KKOB are official media sponsors.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS Several freshmen have taken the WAC by storm not unlike the sensation caused by Rices Lauren Neaves and Tulsas Jillian Robbins last season. San Jose States Amber Jackson is third in the league in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. Jackson is second in the nation in field goal percentage (.670). Fellow freshman Janielle Dodds is fourth in the league in scoring in league games, averaging 15.4 ppg. Dodds is also fourth in rebounding in WAC games, averaging 8.2 rpg. UTEPs freshman Shanlana Taylor is second in the league in assists in WAC games (5.17 apg). Nevada freshman Meghan McGuire is sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 14.3.
WAC AGAINST THE REST The WAC is 61-32 (.656) this season. The WAC has a solid record against several conferences, including an 8-2 record against the Sun Belt Conference. The WAC is undefeated against the ACC (2-0). The ACC has the highest RPI in the country. WAC teams are also 7-2 against the Southland Conference and 5-3 against the Mountain West Conference. The WAC has a 2-4 record against the SEC, the conference with the second-highest RPI, according to the WBCA rankings.
TRIPLE THREAT UTEP freshman sensation Shalana Taylor recorded the first triple-double in UTEP history (men or women). It was the first triple-double in WAC womens basketball since Nevadas Laura Ingham in the 2002-03 season. She wrapped up that 40-minute stretch with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It marked her fourth 10-plus assist game this season. Taylor has now scored in double figures in four of her last six games and is averaging 8.9 ppg in her last eight. There have only been a few triple-doubles in the nation this season. Oklahomas Dionnah Jackson recorded 15 points, 10 rebounds 10 assists against against Tulsa on Dec. 5, 2004. TCUs Sandora Irvin scored 20 points, 18 rebounds and 16 blocks versus UAB on Jan.16, 2005. Auburns Marita Payne scored 15 points, 12rebounds and 13 blocks against Arkansas on Feb. 3, 2005.
2005 WAC Basketball Tournament Tickets on Sale Tickets for the 2005 WAC Men and Womens Basketball Tournament to be played March 8-12 at the Lawlor Events Center on the campus of the University of Nevada currently are on sale at all WAC athletics ticket offices. The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority is the tournaments co-sponsor.
Fans may purchase all-session tickets from any WAC institution through January 21 and may purchase them at any time through the University of Nevada athletics ticket office by calling 1-775-348-PACK (7225).
The tournament begins on Tuesday, March 8, with two women and two mens games. It continues with the womens and mens quarterfinals on March 9 and 10 respectively, and and both semifinals on March 11. The championship games will be played on Saturday, March 12.
Tickets are priced at $125 and $95 and include all men and womens games.
WAC VS. RANKED TEAMS WAC teams are 0-5 against ranked teams this season. Fresno State is 0-1 with a loss to No. 18 UCLA at Savemart Center on Dec. 11. Rice is 0-2 against ranked teams with losses to Baylor and Texas Tech, when both teams were both ranked No. 11. SMU also has a loss to No. 23 TCU. Hawaii lost to No. 17 Houston at home.
WAC TO CHANGE IN 2005-06 Over the last year, the WAC issued invitations to Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State effective July 1, 2005, the same date that Rice, SMU, UTEP and Tulsa are moving to Conference USA.
This season, Idaho is 17-10, 12-6 in the Big West. The Vandals are off to their best conference start in the Big West and the best start in any conference play since the 1985-86 season when Idaho went 9-2 to begin Mountain West Conference play. New Mexico State finished the sesaon 9-19, 4-11 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Aggies defeated No. 22 Houston earlier this season. It was the Aggies first-ever win over a ranked team. Utah State guaranteed itself a non-losing season for the first time since 1979, as that team finished at 14-10. USUs 14 wins also ties the 1979 and 1975 (14-6) teams for the second most wins in school history. The Aggies are 14-13, 9-9 in the Big West.
FRESNO STATE TO HOST FIRST AND SECOND ROUND OF NCAA TOURNAMENT Fresno State has been selected to host the first and second rounds of the 2005 NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament.
The first and second rounds for the 2005 and 2006 championships will be conducted at eight pre-determined sites, which represents a format change from the 16 first and second-round sites in previous years.
The following sites will host March 19 & 21
Reunion Arena (17,767) Dallas, Texas
University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University, hosts
Save Mart Center (15,621) Fresno, Calif.
Fresno State, host
Williams Arena (14,625) Minneapolis, Minn.
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, host
Bank of America Arena (9,394) Seattle, Wash.
University of Washington, host
The following sites will host March 20 & 22
Dean E. Smith Center (21,000) Chapel Hill, N.C.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, host
Comcast Center (17,950) College Park, Md.
University of Maryland, College Park, host
Thompson-Boling Arena (25,000) Knoxville, Tenn.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, host
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Conn.
University of Connecticut, host