THIS WEEK IN THE WAC ? There is shortened schedule in the WAC this week. First place Boise State takes the week off for final exams. Louisiana Tech has another tough game against an SEC opponent, taking on Mississippi State in Starkville. The Lady Techsters have already faced teams from the SEC, Pac-10 and Big 12. Louisiana Tech will take on another SEC power, Alabama at home on Dec. 16. Hawai?i will host the Paradise Classic this week, while Fresno State and Nevada will both host one game. Utah State returns to action on the road against Wyoming on Dec. 17, while New Mexico State will travel to Wichita State on Dec. 16.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK ? Boise State’s Michelle Hessing has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 11. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor this season for the senior, and the first for the Broncos this season.
Hessing, a center from Boise, Idaho, (Capital) started all three games last week leading the Broncos to a 3-0 record. She shot 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the floor on the week and 62 percent or better in all three games. Hessing recorded a team-high 15 points against Denver and matched that total Sunday at San Francisco. The senior from Boise also recorded team highs for rebounds against Denver and San Francisco with seven and six respectively.
Hessing played a key role in the Boise State’s victory at USF on Sunday. The senior sparked a Boise State 13-6 run by scoring 11 of the points herself in the first five minutes of the second half. She ended with 15 points in the game, 13 coming in the second half that gave Boise State a 12-point, 48-36, lead. Hessing’s explosive run early in the second half proved fatal for USF as they would never recover after that. The Dons would cut the Bronco double-digit lead to nine points twice but could get no closer in the final 15 minutes.
Other nominees included: Tierre Wilson of Fresno State scored 44 points in two games last week, including scoring 26 in a loss to Santa Clara ... Pam Tambini of Hawai?i averaged 15.7 points during the Rainbow Wahine’s first road trip of the season ... Ty Moore of Louisiana Tech averaged 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in the Lady Techsters two losses shooting 52 percent (13-of-25) from the field ... Sherrell Neal of New Mexico State scored 36 points in two games as the Aggies went 1-1 last week ... Traci Graham of Nevada became the Wolf Pack’s all-time steal leader with five steals against Sacramento State ... Danyelle Snelgro of Utah State scored 29 points as the Aggies went 0-2 last week.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN ? Idaho freshman post Katie Madison is off to a tremendous start this season. Against Eastern Washington on Nov. 29, Madison scored a WAC-high 35 points in the win. Madison is first in the WAC in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (9.6). She is also leading the WAC in field goal percentage, shooting .541.
San Jose State’s Brittany Helm is also having a strong freshman campaign. Helm is fifth in the WAC in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game. Helm is also third in the WAC in steals, averaging 2.40 spg.
HAWAI?I’S TAYLOR NEAR A MILESTONE ? Approaching 1000 Senior guard Janevia Taylor is closing in on a milestone. The native of Pasadena, Calif., is sitting on 976 career points and needs just 24 more points to reach the 1000-point mark. Just 14 players in the history of the program have achieved the feat, most recently Jade Abele in 2005. Taylor, a four-year starter, is averaging a team-high 13.0 ppg this season and has averaged 11.4 ppg in 86 career games.
ON THE TUBE ? Fresno State has three big home matches coming up. Following this weekend against San Francisco, the Bulldogs will host the Lions of Loyola Marymount on Dec. 21, marking the return of the team to the visual airwaves, as that game will be carried on Comcast Channel 14. Then, on Jan. 2, Fresno State women’s basketball will make their national television debut, playing Stanford at 7 p.m., a game that will be carried live on CSTV.
VANDALS LOSE KEY COMPONENT ? Idaho senior Karly Felton will miss the remainder of her senior season after tearing ACL in her left knee. The injury occurred Nov. 24 in the Vandals game against Colorado State at the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational tournament. Felton could use a medical redshirt this season and still have one year of eligibility left if she chooses.
MARSHALL LEAVING FRESNO STATE ? Senior guard Jasmine Marshall announced today that she is leaving the program due to family reasons. Marshall recently married former Bulldog football star and current Carolina Panther Richard Marshall, and has decided to move to the East Coast to live with her husband.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2007 TOURNAMENT ? The 2007 WAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 6-10 in Las Cruces, N.M., at the Pan American Center and will be hosted by New Mexico State. The tournament was held at Nevada’s Lawlor Events Center the last two seasons. New Mexico State will also host the 2008 tournament.
HISTORY LESSON ? The 2006-07 season marks the 19th year of women’s basketball at USU, and just the fourth since the program was restarted prior to the 2003-04 season. The women’s hoops program at USU had been disbanded following the 1987 season due to budget cuts. USU is playing in its second season in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) after playing its first two seasons in the Big West Conference.
TOUGH START ? San Jose State is still in search of its first victory of the 2006-07 season, currently at 0-10. San Jose State began a season-long four-game road stretch at Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 9. This week, The Spartans have fielded a starting lineup with three freshmen and two sophomores in each of the past three games.
LOUISIANA TECH TO PARTICIPATE IN KATRINA RELIEF CLASSIC ? Tickets to Louisiana Tech’s women’s basketball game against LSU at the New Orleans Arena on Dec. 30 at 2:00 p.m. will go on sale through Ticket Master.
Individuals wishing to purchase tickets must do so by calling Ticket Master at 504-522-5555 and asking for “LSU Operation Rebound game” or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
Ticket prices are $25 for the floor seats directly behind the Tech bench or $7, $5 and $3 for all other reserved seats. All proceeds from the game go the LSU Operation Rebound to benefit the Friends of New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. For more information about the event visit www.LSUOperationrebound.com.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS ? The WAC has several key non-conference matchups this season. WAC teams will play at least 12 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. WAC teams will face two teams that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (Utah and Stanford) and one team that advanced to the Final Four (LSU).
Vs. 2005-06 NCAA Tournament Teams:
Fresno State at Utah, Nov. 13
BYU at Fresno State, Nov. 17
Louisiana Tech at Stephen F. Austin, Nov. 17
Tennessee at Louisiana Tech, Nov. 28
New Mexico State at New Mexico, Dec. 1
BYU at New Mexico State, Dec. 6
Fresno State at California, Dec. 7
Nevada at Washington, Dec. 10
New Mexico at New Mexico State, Dec. 19
Louisiana Tech vs. LSU, Dec. 30
Stanford at Fresno State, Jan. 2
FRESNO STATE TO HOST REGIONALS ? Fresno State has been selected to host a 2007 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Save Mart Center, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee announced. The Administrative Committee of the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet approved the sites.
The Save Mart Center, which hosted its first sporting event in November 2003, experienced March Madness for the first time when Fresno State hosted the first and second rounds of the 2005 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Arizona State and Stanford won first and second round contests to advance to the regional round.
The first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Championship will be conducted at eight pre-determined sites, with two teams advancing into the regional round of 16.