THIS WEEK IN THE WAC ? Fresno State started the week before Christmas with a big road win against Arizona on Dev. 18. On Dec. 19 New Mexico State renews its rivalry with No. 25 New Mexico State in Las Cruces. The Lobos defeated the Aggies at home earlier this season. Fresno State looks to win its third-straight game when it hosts Loyola Marymount on Dec. 21
PLAYER OF THE WEEK ? Louisiana Tech’s Shan Moore has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 18. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor this season for the senior, and the second career honor for Moore.
Moore, a guard from Minden, La. (Minden) led Louisiana Tech in scoring in both of its wins over SEC opponents Mississippi State and Alabama. Moore averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds in the two wins last week. The guard also added 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 40 percent (10-of-25) from the field, 50 percent (5-of-10) from the three-point line and 77 percent from the free throw line (8-of-11).
Moore scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds and had three steals in Louisiana Tech’s 60-54 road win over Mississippi State on Dec. 13. In that contest, Moore scored 17 of her points in the second half leading the Lady Techsters back from an eight-point halftime deficit. Moore score six points in the final 52 seconds as Tech closed the game on a 9-0 run, including a break away layup after her third steal of the game to give Tech a 55-54 lead with 30 seconds remaining in the game. In Saturday’s 66-57 win over Alabama, Moore scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two steals.
Other nominees included: Pam Tambini of Hawai?i averaged 20.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg as Hawai?i was runner-up at the Paradise Classic ... Traci Graham of Nevada scored 23 points with five steals as the Wolf Pack stopped UC Irvine ... Cecilia Russell-Nava of New Mexico State had 15 points in the Aggies’ road win over Wichita State ... Jamelah Brown of Utah State recorded career highs with five rebounds and three steals against Wyoming..
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.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS ? In Louisiana Tech’s last four games, the Lady Techsters have held all of their opponents to 64 points or less, including keeping three of the four to 58 points or less. Opponents are averaging only 58.2 points and 37 percent shooting against Tech in those four games.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ? The WAC is 36-52 in non-conference (409) action. The conference has a respectable 2-3 record against the SEC, which is the third-ranked conference according to the web site, ww.collegerpi.com. Last year, the WAC was 50-53 (.485) in non-conference games.
LA TECH GETS TRANSFER FROM BAYLOR ? Former West Monroe High School standout Whitney Jones enrolled at Louisiana Tech and will join the Lady Techster basketball family, according to head coach Chris Long Monday.
Jones, a 5-foot-5 guard who originally signed with the Baylor Bears and played in eight games this season before suffering a stress fracture, will have three years of eligibility remaining and will be eligible to begin practicing as soon as she is cleared physically. She will be eligible to play Nov. 15.
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 her 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.
RICHARDS SECOND ON USU CAREER ASSISTS LIST ? Junior guard Taylor Richards now has 229 assists for her career, moving into sole possession of second place on USU’s Career Assist List. Pam Shirley (1977-79) holds the Aggies’ career record with 245 assists.
TOUGH START ? San Jose State is still in search of its first victory of the 2006-07 season, currently at 0-11. 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 Ticketmaster.
Individuals wishing to purchase tickets must do so by calling Ticketmaster 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 to 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,
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.
Boise State Broncos (7-3, 0-0 WAC)
Boise State heads to Las Vegas for the third annual “Duel in the Desert.” ... they will open with host UNLV (3-5) Wednesday then play either nationally ranked No. 13 Purdue or Texas-San Antonio Thursday night ... this will be the first meeting ever for the Broncos with all three opponents at the Duel in the Desert ... Boise State enters the week at 7-3 overall with a four- game win streak intact ... sophomore Jessica Thompson continues to lead the Broncos in scoring at 12.8 points per game followed by Michelle Hessing at 11.6 ppg.
Fresno State Bulldogs (6-4, 0-0 WAC)
Fresno State won its second-straight game with a 69-60 road win over Arizona ... stifling defense down the stretch was the key for the Bulldogs, who held Arizona scoreless over the final 4:50 to grab their second road win of the year ... Tierre Wilson and Chantella Perera both scored over 20 points, leading the Bulldogs who improved to 6-4 with the win ... Perera is second in the WAC in scoring, averaging 16.2 ppg ... Wilson is second in field goal percentage (.481) ... she is one of only five WAC players shooting over .400 ... the Bulldogs have one more game this week on Dec. 21 against Loyola Marymount at home.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (5-5, 0-0 WAC)
Rainbow Wahine Janevia Taylor reached a milestone during Hawai?i’s loss to Chattanooga when she scored her 1000th career point midway through the first half ... Taylor reached 1000 on her third point of the game, a free throw at the 10:33 mark ... the senior from Pasadena, Calif., became just the 15th player in program history to accomplish the feat.
Idaho Vandals (3-5, 0-0 WAC)
Katie Madison scored a season-high 35 points in the win over Eastern Washington on Nov. 29 ... she also recorded 15 rebounds, for her second career double-double ... Madison is still first in the WAC in scoring, averaging 19.3 ppg ... Madison is also first in the league in rebounding, averaging 9.6 rpg ... Idaho has another one-game week as it faces the Vikings of Portland State, Wednesday at Portland ... the Vandals have two non-league games left after they square off with their former Big Sky foe ... those two games will be at the UM Holiday Classic in Missoula, Mont.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (4-7, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech has won two-straight games with wins over the SEC’s Alabama and Mississippi State ... the Lady Techsters were led by senior Shan Moore ... Moore scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds and had three steals in Louisiana Tech’s 60-54 road win over Mississippi State on Dec. 13 ... she scored 17 of her points in the second half leading the Lady Techsters back from an eight-point halftime deficit ... Louisiana Tech is third in the WAC in steals, averaging 10.45 spg.
Nevada Wolf Pack (5-5, 0-0 WAC)
Nevada will enjoy an 11-day break over the Christmas holiday as its next game is not until a Dec. 28 matchup with Portland State ... against UC Irvine, Nevada’s bench outscored the Anteaters 23-0 ... the Wolf Pack has recorded 57 more steals than its opponents this season ... after a four-game skid, Nevada has won two of its last three games ... sophomore Dellena Criner is sixth in the WAC in scoring, averaging 14.5 ppg ... Criner is first in the WAC in steals, averaging 3.20 spg, which makes her 23rd in the nation.
New Mexico State Aggies (4-6, 0-0 WAC)
Junior guard Monique Bribiescas made a half-court shot as time expired to give the New Mexico State a 72-69 win at Wichita State, Dec. 16 ... four Aggies were in double-figures with senior guard Cecilia Russell-Nava leading the way with 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting from behind the arc ... Bribiescas along with junior forward Anikia Jawara had a strong second-half performance ... Bribiescas had nine of her 11 points in the second frame while Jawara posted 12 of her 14 ... junior forward Sherell Neal is second in the WAC in double-doubles with four.
San Jose State Spartans (0-11, 0-0 WAC)
On a special night for Alisha Hicks, the San Jose State University women’s basketball team led for much of the game before eventually succumbing to North Dakota State University, 69-61, at the Bison Sports Arena on Monday, December 18. Hicks, a junior guard celebrating her 21st birthday, matched career highs with game highs of 18 points and nine rebounds. Both totals were season and team highs for the junior guard out of Sacramento, Calif. She made all eight of her free throw attempts, finishing 5-of-11 from the field, while adding ... Hicks also shared game highs with three steals and a team-high four assists.
Utah State Aggies (2-6, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies are 2-6 overall, currently on a four-game
losing skid ... Utah State completed its five-game road swing with a 1-4 mark, concluding the road stretch on Sunday at Wyoming, losing 62-43 ... in the WAC statistics, Utah State leads the conference in free throw percentage
(.759) ... the Aggies rank ninth in scoring offense (58.5 ppg) and
seventh in scoring defense (69.9 ppg) to also rank seventh in scoring margin (-11.4) ... USU also is seventh in field goal percentage (.363) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.240).