After wins against San Jose State and Fresno State, Louisiana Tech enters the USA Today/ESPN Division I Coaches Poll this week at No. 24. Louisiana Tech, which hasn?™t been ranked in the Top 25 since falling out of both the AP and the Coaches Polls following losses to Mississippi State and Illinois in early December last season, debut?™s in this week?™s poll with 43 points. Long?™s squad began receiving votes in the Top 25 polls after posting an 8-3 mark in one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in the country, ranked in the top 10 by CollegeRPI.com. With impressive wins over Iowa, at Rice, Mississippi State, No. 24 Ole Miss and at Arkansas State, the Lady Techsters entered Western Athletic Conference play with an RPI listed in the top 20 in the nation.Tech is currently listed among others receiving votes in this week?™s AP Top 25 poll with four points.
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XBOX LIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ?“ Louisiana Tech?™s Shan Moore has been named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Women?™s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 30. This is the first Player of the Week honor for the junior.
Moore, a junior from Minden, La., averaged 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while leading Louisiana Tech to wins over previously WAC undefeated San Jose State and Fresno State. Moore shot 43 percent from the field (12-for-28) and 93 percent from the free throw line (13-for-14). She was also 1-for-1 from the three-point line. In Thursday?™s 74-51 win over San Jose State, Moore scored a career-high 21 points, while also grabbing a season-high tying eight rebounds. She also held San Jose State?™s Lamisha Augustine, who entered the game averaging 17.0 points per game, to a season-low eight points. In Saturday?™s 70-61 win over Fresno State, Moore led Louisiana Tech again with 17 points, a career-high tying seven assists and five rebounds. For the season, Moore averages 10.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
Other nominees included: Jackie Lee of Boise State averaged 18.3 ppg as the Broncos went 2-1 last week … Amy Parrish of Fresno State averaged 21.0 points and 7.1 rebounds as the Bulldogs went 1-1 last week … Brandi Fitzgerald of Nevada led the Wolf Pack to two wins averaging 20.0 ppg ... Jenean Ford of New Mexico State averaged 17.6 ppg as the Aggies defeated San Jose State and lost to Fresno State … Jenny Gross of Utah State matched her season high with 12 points in a loss to Hawai'i.
PLAY UP ?“ The WAC?™s marketing campaign, the Play Up Tour, will be hitting women?™s basketball games throughout the season. At least one game from each school will be singled out as the game of the week. This week?™s game will be Hawai'i at Idaho. At the end of the season, the fans will have a chance to vote for the Play Up Player of the Year for both men and women?™s basketball. The Play Up Player of the Game from each of the 18 games on the Tour will be listed on wacsports.com.
TUNE IN ?“ All eight games this week can be viewed on wac.tv. On the wacsports.com web site there is a LIVE VIDEO link to each game. The games this week can be viewed for free.
HAWAI'I CAPTURES MILESTONE WIN ?“ It took five attempts but the Rainbow Wahine finally bagged the program?™s 500th victory with a 61-48 victory over Utah State. The Rainbow Wahine hold an all-time mark of 500-315 (.613) in their 32nd year of existence. UH has recorded a winning record in 20 of its previous 31 seasons.
NCAA RELEASES RPI FEB. 2 ?“ The NCAA Division I Women?™s Basketball Committees announced that they will make public for the first time the official Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for their respective championships. The official RPI is used as one of many tools to select teams to participate in the championships. The first official RPI rankings are scheduled for release on Thursday, February 2 and will include all games played through Monday, January 30.
CHECKING IN ?“ Week five of WAC action will see a full slate of games. First-place Fresno State has one game this week at home against Boise State. Louisiana Tech, which is tied for first with the Bulldogs, are on the road against red-hot Nevada and Utah State. San Jose State looks to break its three-game losing streak on the road against Boise State and at home against Hawai'i.
WAC IN THE RPI ?“ In both the Basketball News and CollegeRPI.com the WAC has an RPI of 14. Louisiana Tech is the only team with an RPI under 100. In Basketball News, the Lady Techsters have an RPI of 29, while Louisiana Tech has an RPI of 30 in CollegeRPI.com.
DYNAMIC DUOS ?“ There are three duos that are leading the WAC in scoring this season. Idaho is led by the offense force also known as Emily Faurholt and Leilani Mitchell. Faurholt leads the WAC in scoring (18.8 ppg) and Mitchell is second (17.9 ppg). The San Jose State pair of Amber Jackson and Lamisha Augustine are third and fourth respectively in the WAC. Jackson averages 17.3 ppg, while Augustine averages 16.8 ppg. Boise State has its own dynamic duo that are among the top 10 in scoring. Freshman Jessica Thompson is sixth in scoring, averaging 14.4 ppg, while sophomore Jackie Lee is seventh in scoring, averaging 13.7 ppg.
LOUISIANA TECH?™S WILLIAMS AND IDAHO?™S FAURHOLT NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LIST ?“ Louisiana Tech senior Tasha Williams and Idaho senior Emily Faurholt are two of 50 players nationwide named to the 2005-06 Naismith Trophy Watch List presented by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club.
Williams, a Kingsland, Ark., native has hit 41 percent of her field goals, 33 percent of her three-pointers and 80 percent of her free throws on the season while leading Louisiana Tech in scoring six times and in rebounding four times. Williams, who recently became the 36th Lady Techster to ever score 1,000 points or more in their collegiate career.
Faurholt is first in the WAC in scoring, averaging 19.1 ppg. Faurholt is currently second on the Idaho records list for career free throws made with 414.
RE-WRITING RECORDS ?“ With a season-high nine steals versus Boise State, Idaho?™s Leilani Mitchell moved into a tie for the Idaho record for career steals with 284. With one more steal, Mitchell, who is just a junior, will pass Christy Van Pelt (1985-89) for the school record. She is also just two steals from entering the top 10 list for single-season steals for the third-consecutive season.
SAN JOSE STATE?™S AUGUSTINE REACHES 1,000 POINTS ?“ Senior forward Lamisha Augustine became the 11th player in San Jose State women?™s basketball history to score 1,000 points in her career when she hit a jumper from the left side against Louisiana Tech January 26 in Ruston, La. She now sits on 1,025 points, overtaking Lora Alexander to move up to tenth all-time in career scoring when she poured in 22 points against New Mexico State.
DID YOU KNOW??? ?“ San Jose State senior Lamisha Augustine?™s 35 points against Colorado State on Dec. 10 are the most scored in the WAC this season.
WAC TOURNAMENT TICKETS AVAILABLE ?“ Tickets for the 2006 WAC Men and Women?™s Basketball Tournament held in Reno are currently on sale at all WAC athletics ticket offices. Fans may purchase all-session tickets from any WAC institution through January 31 and may purchase them at any time through the University of Nevada athletics ticket office by calling 775-348-PACK (7225). All session tickets are $150 for the lower bowl, $125 for the upper bowl and $90 for the corners. The tournament begins on Tuesday, March 7, with two women?™s and men?™s quarterfinals on March 8 and 9, respectively, with both semifinals on March 10. The championship games will be played on Saturday, March 11. Individual game tickets will go on sale Feb. 28.
VANDALS AMONG NCAA LEADERS ?“ Idaho?™s Leilani Mitchell moved up to third in the nation in steals, averaging 4.2 spg. Mitchell is also 12th in assists per game (5.9). Mitchell?™s teammate Emily Faurholt is 29th in the country in points per game (18.8 ppg), while Mitchell is 44th averaging 17.9 ppg.
WAC PLAYERS AMONG NATION?™S LEADERS ?“ San Jose State?™s Amber Jackson is 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (.604). Boise State?™s Nadia Begay is 18th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.8), while Louisiana Tech?™s Shan Moore is ninth in free throw percentage (.906). Hawai'i?™s Brittany Grice is 14th in blocks (2.6 bpg), while San Jose State?™s Lamisha Augustine is 21st (2.5 bpg).
ESPN TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NCAA WOMEN?™S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ?“ Beginning Monday, Jan. 9, through the National Championship game on April 4, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will count down the 25 most memorable moments from the NCAA Women?™s Basketball Tournament?™s 25-year history. A 30-second vignette will air during 25 women?™s basketball telecasts in ranking order, starting with No. 25 during the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge featuring Oklahoma at Ohio State on January 9 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Moments ranked 24-11 will continue to be announced during regular-season women?™s basketball coverage through Selection Monday on March 13. The moments and rankings were determined by an industry-wide blue ribbon panel consisting of notable players, coaches, journalists and executives from the NCAA and WBCA.
One of the featured moments:
Final Four (Norfolk, Va.) ?”1982
The Lady Techsters win the first-ever NCAA title, beating Cheyney, 76-62. Janice Lawrence is named first-ever Most Outstanding Player as a sophomore.
NEVADA TO HOST 2006 TOURNAMENT ?“ For the second consecutive year, Nevada?™s Lawlor Events Center (11,200) will host the WAC Basketball Tournament. 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.
AGAINST THE BEST ?“ The WAC won its first game against a ranked team when Louisiana Tech defeated No. 25 Mississippi. Louisiana Tech is 1-1 against ranked teams with a loss to No. 1 Tennessee. New Mexico State is 0-2 with two losses to New Mexico. Fresno State is 0-2 against ranked teams with Pac-10 losses to then- No. 13 Stanford and No. 10 Arizona State. Hawai'i has one loss to a ranked team with a loss to then-No. 22 USC.
WAC JOINS NCAA CELEBRATION 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.
FAURHOLT CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR AWARD ?“ Idaho?™s Emily Faurholt was announced as a candidate for the 2005-06 Bayer Advantage?® Senior CLASS Award, the nation?™s premier tribute to college seniors. The award, now in its fifth year, is presented annually to the nation?™s senior player-of-the-year for NCAA Division I men?™s and women?™s basketball. Faurholt, a senior from Kennewick, Wash., is one of Idaho?™s top returning players after averaging 23.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the 2004-05 season. Her points-per-game average ranked second in the nation. Faurholt made history as the ninth-quickest player to reach 1,000-career points, reaching the plateau in just her 43rd Division I game, and ended the season on nine all-time records lists at UI. This season, Faurholt is averaging 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She is shooting the ball at a 50-percent clip both in field goals (26-of-52) and 3-point field goals (7-of-14) and is 23-of-25 (.920) from the free-throw line. Faurholt is the only representative from the WAC.
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 (12-8, 4-4 WAC)
Broncos defeated Hawai'i for the first time in league play since joining the conference in 2001-02 ... in Reno last week, Jackie Lee led the team in scoring with 19 points, including 14 second half points as the Broncos traded leads with the Wolf Pack in a hard fought loss to Nevada ... the Broncos are 28th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.362) ... Nadia Begay is 18th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.8) ... this week, the Broncos host San Jose State on Feb. 1 and travel to first-place Fresno State on Feb. 4.
Fresno State Bulldogs (14-5, 6-1 WAC)
Prior to their Jan. 28 loss at Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs had won nine-straight conference games, dating back to last year ... Fresno State?™s 67-58 victory over four-time defending WAC champion Louisiana Tech on Jan. 14 was the team?™s first in 12 attempts against the Lady Techsters ... the Bulldogs have not lost more than two-straight games this season ... junior Chantella Perera is second in the WAC in free throw percentage (.859) ... senior Amy Parrish is first in the WAC in scoring in league games, averaging 17.9 ppg ... a Fresno State player has never led the WAC in scoring average in WAC games or overall.
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (11-7, 2-5 WAC)
Amy Sanders has been UH?™s iron woman, playing a team-high 35.8 minutes per game ... Sanders has not missed a single minute of action in the last three contests, logging the full 40 minutes in games versus Boise State, Utah State and Nevada ... against New Mexico State on January 14, Sanders played 47 of a possible 50 minutes in a double-overtime contest ... on January 26, the senior wing player made her 100th appearance as a Rainbow Wahine ... Sanders is sixth in the WAC in minutes played ... the Idaho duo of Leilani Mitchell (38.5 mpg) and Emily Faurholt (38.39 mpg) lead the league in minutes played.
Idaho Vandals (7-10, 3-3 WAC)
Emily Faurholt is currently 12 points from passing Mary Raese for third on the Idaho records list for career points ... her current point total is 1,773, trailing Raese?™s 1,785 ... Stephanie Sax saw her first action of the season Saturday, playing two minutes at Boise State ... Idaho?™s current three-game losing streak is its longest since the Vandals dropped three games between February 5 and February 13 during the 2002-03 season ... the Vandals have lost their last three games by an average of 13.7 points ... the Vandals hold a record of 35-4 when leading at halftime since the 2003-04 season, including a 7-1 record this season.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (14-4, 6-1 WAC)
Louisiana Tech won both of its games this week over San Jose State (who had won six-straight and was 4-0 in the WAC) and Fresno State (who had won seven- straight and was 6-0 in the WAC) ... the Lady Techsters broke into the top 25 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, landing at No. 24 ... sophomore Ty Moore is second in the WAC in rebounding (8.5 ppg) and in league games only she is first (9.1 rpg) ... the Lady Techsters are the only team in the WAC with an RPI under 100 ... this week, the Lady Techsters have an RPI of 30 in the www.collegerpi.com.
Nevada Wolf Pack (7-12, 3-4 WAC)
Nevada picked up its fourth-straight win with a solid effort for 40 minutes, upending Hawai'i, 66-61 ... it is the first time in three years Nevada has won that many consecutive games ... the Wolf Pack have already tied the most WAC wins under Kim Gervasoni ... they are one win away from matching last season?™s total win total ... the most wins that the Wolf Pack have had under Gervasoni in a season is eight ... this week, the Wolf Pack are at home against first-place Louisiana Tech New Mexico State.
New Mexico State Aggies (6-12, 3-4 WAC)
New Mexico State split two games at home losing to Fresno State and rebounding with a win against San Jose State ... against the Spartans, point guard Monique Bribiescas tied the game with just over a minute remaining ... she then sank the game-winning three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining ... sophomore Sherell Neal led the Aggies with 15 points against San Jose State ... Jenean Ford had a career-high 24 points with nine rebounds in the lose to Fresno State ... this week, the Aggies travel to Utah State and Nevada.
San Jose State Spartans (9-8, 4-2 WAC)
The Spartans look to break a two-game losing streak on the road against Boise State and at home against Hawai'i ... San Jose State lost its first two WAC games last week against Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State ... Amber Jackson (17.3) and Lamisha Augustine (16.8) are still third and fourth respectively in scoring in the WAC ... Augustine and Jackson have combined for 11 double-doubles in 2005-06 ... Jackson is still tops in the league in scoring (.604) ... Jackson scored one in each of the first three games of the season (against Gonzaga at home, at Cal State Northridge, and against Portland State at home) ... she scored her last one at Louisiana Tech.
Utah State Aggies (1-15, 0-6 WAC)
Utah State will host its first home games since Jan. 7... the Aggies have played four straight road contests ... Utah State is 1-5 at home with a win against Utah Valley State ... three of USU?™s five home losses have been by four of less points ... USU has lost 10-straight games since its 74-51 victory against Utah Valley State on Dec. 10 ... USU is playing consecutive home games for just the second time this year (lost to Air Force on Dec. 8 and then beat Utah Valley State on Dec. 10) ... seven of Utah State?™s last 10 games have been played away from Logan.