Week six of WAC action will see games on Thursday and Saturday after Fresno State defeated Idaho on Monday. First-place Fresno State will travel to Hawai'i and San Jose State. Louisiana Tech, which is tied for first with the Bulldogs, will host Nevada and Utah State. Third-place San Jose State will travel to Idaho and Fresno State.
Click Here for a PDF of the Week 12 Women's Basketball Release
XBOX LIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ?“ Hawai'i?™s Janevia Taylor has been named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Women?™s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 6. This is the first Player of the Week honor for the junior.
Taylor, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 3.0 spg in road wins at Idaho and San Jose State. The guard notched 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in 66-60 win at Idaho in the Rainbow Wahine?™s first ever visit to Moscow. She tied her career-high with 23 points and added eight rebounds and five assists as UH upended San Jose State, 76-61. The Rainbow snapped a five-game losing streak to San Jose State. UH not only picked up its first win over the Spartans in three years, but coupled with its win at Idaho Thursday night, also completed its first WAC road sweep during the same span.
Other nominees included: Chantella Perera of Fresno State scored 21.0 points and added five rebounds as the Bulldogs defeated Boise State … Aarica Ray-Boyd of Louisiana Tech averaged 23.5 ppg as the Louisiana Tech captured wins against Nevada and Utah State … Lamisha Augustine of San Jose State scored 28 points in the Spartans win against Boise State.
LOUISIANA TECH BREAKS THE TOP 25 ?“ After wins against San Jose State and Fresno State, is now ranked in both the USA Today/ESPN Division I Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll this week.
Louisiana Tech moved up one spot to No. 23 in this week?™s USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. One day after breaking into the Associated Press Top 25 Poll at No. 24, head coach Chris Long?™s team moved up one spot from last week?™s ranking of 24th.
The Lady Techsters received 82 points in this week?™s poll, almost double the 43 points Tech earned in last week?™s rankings. North Carolina picked up 30 of the possible 31 first place votes to sit atop the poll for the second consecutive week while Duke, Connecticut, LSU and Tennessee round out the top five.
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 Fresno State at Hawai'i on Feb. 9. 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.
FRESNO STATE OFF TO HISTORIC START ?“ Through 21 games played so far, Fresno State checks in at 16-5 overall. It is one of the Bulldogs best starts this season. The 22 wins in 1986-87 stand as a program record. Through 21 games that season, the Bulldogs were 17-4, but did not advance to postseason. During the 1985-86 season, Fresno State was 16-5 through 21 games and 21-9 through the regular season and advanced to the Women?™s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). During the 1989-90 season, Fresno State was 15-6 though its first 21 games. The Bulldogs ended the season 21-12 with a berth to the WNIT.
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. 8 ?“ 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 second official RPI rankings are scheduled for release on Wednesday, Feb. 8 and will include all games played through Monday, Feb. 6.
ROAD WARRIORS ?“ With consecutive road wins at Idaho and San Jose State, Hawai'i improved to 5-2 on the road this year and completed its first WAC road sweep in three years. The last time Hawai'i accomplished that feat was when they won at Boise State and UTEP in March 2003. UH?™s win percentage is actually better on the road (.714) then its is at home (.615). The Rainbow Wahine are 3-2 so far in WAC road games and just 1-3 in WAC home games.
WAC IN THE RPI ?“ In both the Basketball News and CollegeRPI.com the WAC has an RPI of 14. Louisiana Tech and Fresno State are the only teams in the WAC with an RPI under 100. In Basketball News, the Lady Techsters have an RPI of 46, while Louisiana Tech has an RPI of 44 in CollegeRPI.com. Fresno State has an RPI of 94 in both RPI polls.
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 (18.1 ppg) and Mitchell is third (17.6 ppg). The San Jose State pair of Lamisha Augustine and Amber Jackson are second and fourth respectively in the WAC. Augustine averages 17.6 ppg, while Jackson averages 17.1 ppg. Boise State has its own dynamic duo that are among the top 10 in scoring. Freshman Jessica Thompson is sixth in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg, while sophomore Jackie Lee is seventh in scoring, averaging 13.4 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.
DID YOU KNOW??? ?“ 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.
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 remains third in the nation in steals, averaging 4.0 spg. Mitchell is also 16th in assists per game (5.7). Mitchell?™s teammate Emily Faurholt is 34th in the country in points per game (18.1 ppg).
WAC PLAYERS AMONG NATION?™S LEADERS ?“ San Jose State?™s Amber Jackson is 11th in the nation in field goal percentage (.608). Boise State?™s Nadia Begay is 20th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.7), while Louisiana Tech?™s Aarica Ray-Boyd is 24th (2.7). Teammate Shan Moore is 13th in free throw percentage (.895), while Fresno State?™s Chantella Perera is 26th (.871). San Jose State?™s Lamisha Augustine is 15th (2.6 bpg) in blocks per game, while Hawai'i?™s Brittany Grice is 20th in blocks (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.
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 (12-10, 4-6 WAC)
Boise State looks to break a two-game losing streak on the road against Hawai'i in Honolulu ... the Broncos have already defeated the Rainbow Wahine once this season ... with a 4-6 record, Boise State is in seventh in the WAC with just over the league schedule played ... junior Nadia Begay is first in the league in three-point field goals made (2.68 per game) ... freshman Jessica Thompson is sixth in the WAC in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg.
Fresno State Bulldogs (16-5, 8-1 WAC)
Fresno State is now tied with Louisiana Tech with 8-1 conference records ... this week the Bulldogs travel to Hawai'i and San Jose State ... Fresno State is 37-17 all-time against San Jose State and that includes six victories in a row ... Fresno State swept the season series last year and won 18 consecutive games in the series from 1984-1992 ... although Fresno State has had the upper hand recently, Hawai?™i still owns a 24-11 all-time edge in the series ... the Bulldogs have won four in a row and five of the last six games after the Rainbow Wahine enjoyed a 15-game winning streak that spanned 11 years.
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (13-7, 4-5 WAC)
Hawai'i and Fresno State will face off in the WAC?™s Play-Up Game of The Week, Thursday, Feb. 9 ... it will be a critical game for the Rainbow Wahine who have gotten back into the thick of the WAC race by winning three of its last four games, including two-straight road victories ... at 4-5 in conference Hawai'i sits in a three-way tie for fourth with New Mexico State and Nevada ... UH must now face a Bulldog squad who sits in a tie for first and who handed UH its worst loss of the season in Fresno a little more than two weeks ago ... UH is in its 10th season in the WAC ... UH is 97-58 (.626) all-time in the WAC regular season and have won one title (1997-98, Pacific Division).
Idaho Vandals (7-12, 3-5 WAC)
Jessica Summers scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds versus Hawai'i for her team-leading fourth double-double of the season ... Idaho?™s current four-game losing streak is its longest in a single-season since the Vandals dropped five games to start the 2002-03 campaign ... the Vandals are outscoring WAC opponents by an average of 32.38 - 30.88 in the first half, but are being outscored 26.75 - 31.88 in the second half through eight games ... the Vandals lost their game versus Hawai'i after holding a 36-31 halftime lead ... it was only the second time since the 2003-04 season Idaho relinquished a halftime lead while playing at home.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (16-4, 8-1 WAC)
Last week, Louisiana Tech broke into the ESPN Coaches Poll ... this week, the Lady Techsters broke into the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 24, the first time the Lady Techsters have been ranked since Nov. 29, 2004 ... after losses to Mississippi State and Illinois in early Dec., Tech fell out of the AP Poll, breaking a streak of 221 consecutive appearances ... Louisiana Tech, which sports a 16-4 mark and has won 11 of its last 12 games, is tied with Texas A&M for 24th place with 53 points each ... Texas A&M is coached by a former Techster assistant in Gary Blair ... Louisiana Tech has now been ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for 438 weeks since its inception in 1976.
Nevada Wolf Pack (8-13, 4-5 WAC)
Nevada won its first road game on Jan. 28 at Hawai'i ... the Wolf Pack are 1-6 on the road and 1-2 on the road in league games ... Nevada is a very competitive 4-5 in WAC games ... the four league wins are the most under head coach Kim Gervasoni. She won two during the 2003-04 season and three during the 2004-05 season ... the eight overall wins also ties the Wolf Pack?™s high under Gervasoni ... Nevada is tied for fourth with New Mexico State and Hawai'i.
New Mexico State Aggies (7-13, 4-5 WAC)
New Mexico State is one of three teams tied for fourth with a 4-5 WAC record ... the Aggies are tied with Nevada and Hawai'i ... the Aggies look to gain some ground this week at home against ninth-place Utah State and one of the teams it is tied with, Nevada ... senior Jenean Ford is seventh in the WAC in rebounding, averaging 7.0 rpg ... in WAC games, junior Cecilia Russell-Nava is first in three-point field goals made ... she has made 19 three-pointers in seven games for an average of 2.71 per game.
San Jose State Spartans (10-9, 5-3 WAC)
Senior Augustine leads the team in blocked shots this year with 49 ... she has moved into the third all-time in
career blocked shots with 129 ... the record is 156, set
by Elinor Banks in 1981 ... Augustine and sophomore forward Amber Jackson have scored in double figures a combined
33 times, while the rest of the team have scored in double figures a combined 15 times ... Augustine and Jackson have combined for 13 double-doubles in 2005-06 ... 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).
Utah State Aggies (1-17, 0-8 WAC)
Utah State travels to New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech ... Utah State lost to both of these teams last week at home ... the Aggies are looking for their first ever WAC win and are looking to break a 13-game losing streak ... USU stayed within six of Louisiana Tech for the opening five minutes of the half, but then allowed the visitors to push their lead to double digits and were never able to get closer than eight points the rest of the way ... against New Mexico State, Ashley Rutledge scored 10 of her team-high 13 points in the second half, but it wasn?™t enough to overcome the loss of teammate Ali Marchant who suffered a mild concussion.