Louisiana Tech will represent the Western Athletic Conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Techsters have earned their 25th bid to the tournament. Louisiana Tech and Tennessee are the only two schools to have advanced to all 25 NCAA Tournaments. The Lady Techsters, led by first-year head coach Chris Long, will travel to Denver, Colo. Louisiana Tech, the 11th seed, will face sixth-seeded Florida State. The winner will take on the winner of the game between third-seeded Stanford and 14th-seeded Southeast Missouri State.
The Lady Techsters will face the Seminoles on Saturday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m. (MT). The teams that advance will play into the San Antonio Regional.
Last season, Louisiana Tech lost to Temple in the first round in Storrs, Conn. The Lady Techsters advanced to the NCAA Tournament with a 63-39 win over New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament. Louisiana Tech has won 15-straight games with its last loss coming against Fresno State on the road on Jan. 14. The Lady Techsters have advanced to 13 Final Fours and eight national championship games in their storied history.
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FRESNO STATE EARNS WNIT BID ?“ Fresno State advanced to the Women?™s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) for the third time in four years. This season, the Bulldogs will host UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, March 16. Last season, Fresno state lost in its first game to Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Hosting its third postseason game in school history and first-ever at the Save Mart Center, Fresno State will square off against UC Santa Barbara (16-13, 10-4 Big West) on Thursday at 7 p.m. in a preliminary round contest. With their next win, the Bulldogs will establish a single-season record for victories (23).
Fresno State, 13-1 at home this year, has compiled a 30-13 overall record in games played at the Save Mart Center since the arena opened in 2003. The Bulldogs have also posted a 25-4 record against California schools since the start of the 2002-03 campaign. Furthermore, the Bulldogs are 19-1 at the Save Mart Center in games played under the guidance of interim head coach Adrian Wiggins.
UC Santa Barbara will be playing in the postseason for an 11th consecutive year. The Gauchos earned a spot in the WNIT by virtue of winning a share of the Big West regular season championship and then earning a No. 1 seed in last week?™s league tournament.
THE WAC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT ?“ The WAC owns an all-time record of 72-38 (.655) in NCAA Tournament games. The current nine teams from the 2005-06 season own a 27-15 record (.375) as WAC members. Louisiana Tech is 66-22 (.750) in NCAA play.
FRESNO STATE?™S SWEARENGIN NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR ?“ Senior Mirenda Swearengin captured the 2005-06 WAC Player of the Year honor. She is the first Bulldog to win the honor since the WAC starting sponsoring women?™s basketball for the 1990-91 season. Louisiana Tech had won the last for Players of the Year (Cheryl Ford 2001-02, 2002-03; Amisha Carter, 2003-04; Tasha Williams, 2004-05). Swearengin and Amy Parrish were both named to the first team. It was the first time in Bulldog history that two players were named to the all-WAC first team.
Swearengin, who transferred from New Mexico Junior College prior to the start of last year, is averaging 12.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 21 games played. She has scored in double-figures 15 times and ranks second on the club in assists (89) and steals (55).
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT ?“ Louisiana Tech will take on Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Techsters hold a 2-0 series lead over the Seminoles. During the 1997-98 season, Tech defeated FSU, 86-60 in Ruston. The next year, the Lady Techsters won 88-72 in Tallahassee. Florida State finished in fourth place in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference that features three of the top five teams in the country in North Carolina, Duke and Maryland. Statistically, the Seminoles (19-9) boast a very balanced offensive attack led by four players in double figures. The Seminoles are not ranked in either the AP or ESPN/Coaches Poll. Florida State is 2-3 against current WAC schools. Florida State has wins over NCAA Tournament bound Boston College and N.C. State. Both the Seminoles and the Lady Techsters defeated Mississippi State. FSU has losses to Tulsa as well as top seeds Duke and North Carolina.
Most NCAA Appearances
1. Louisiana Tech 25
1. Tennessee 25
3. Georgia 23
3. Old Dominion 23
5. Virginia 21
5. Penn State 21
5. Texas 21
8. Stanford 20
9. Vanderbilt 19
9. N.C. State 19
LOUISIANA TECH CAPTURES WAC TITLE ?“ Louisiana Tech used a 14-0 run over the final 9:11 of the game to down Idaho 55-40 before 876 fans at the Cowan Spectrum on Feb. 28. With the victory, Tech clinched at least a share of its fifth-straight Western Athletic Conference title, its 14th-straight regular season conference title counting its days in the Sun Belt Conference. The Lady Techsters captured the title out-right with a win against Hawai'i on March 4.
FINAL FOUR FACTS ?“ 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.
First and Second Rounds - March 18-21
DePaul University, host, Chicago, Illinois
Allstate Arena (15,700)
University of Colorado, host, Denver, Colorado
Pepsi Center (19,699)
Vanderbilt University, host, Nashville, Tennessee
Memorial Gymnasium (14,107)
University of Arizona, host, Tucson, Arizona
McKale Center (14,480)
Old Dominion University, host, Norfolk, Virginia
Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,639)
Rider University and MAAC, host, Trenton, New Jersey
Sovereign Bank Arena (8,643)
Penn State University, host, University Park, Pennsylvania
Bryce Jordan Center (15,032)
Purdue University, host, West Lafayette, Indiana
Mackey Arena (14,123)
THREE NAMED TO ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS ?“ Idaho junior Leilani Mitchell and Louisiana Tech senior guards Tasha Williams and Aarica Ray-Boyd were named finalists for the 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team.
The 48 finalists, who are voted upon by the WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member Kodak/WBCA All-America Team.
Williams and Ray-Boyd were named to the Kodak Region 7 Team along with Idaho?™s Mitchell, Utah?™s Kim Smith and BYU?™s Ambrosia Anderson.
Williams, a first team All-WAC selection and the MVP of the recent WAC Tournament, made the team for the second consecutive year after averaging 13.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
Ray-Boyd, who was a second team All-WAC selection, made the team for the first time after averaging 14.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while setting the Louisiana Tech single season three-point record with 84. The Tech duo will lead the 16th ranked Lady Techsters into their first round NCAA Tournament game against Florida State Saturday at 7 p.m. CST in Denver.
Mitchell is second in the nation in assists, averaging 4.0 spg. She was also named to the WAC all-Tournament team. Mitchell averaged 17.6 ppg this season, tied for first in the WAC.
TUNE IN ?“ Once again the ESPN family of networks will telecast the 2006 NCAA Women?™s Basketball Tournament. For the first and second round games in Denver, Colo., the announcers will be Pam Ward and Nancy Lieberman. Heather Cox will serve as the sideline reporter.
RETURNING HOME ?“ Louisiana Tech?™s Amber Metoyer will have to serve as tour guide as the Lady Techsters head to Colorado. The Boulder native is playing her first season for the Lady Techsters after transferring from the University of Colorado. Metoyer played two seasons under legendary head coach Ceal Barry. This is Metoyer?™s first season with the Lady Techsters.
WAC TOURNAMENT RECAP ?“ Louisiana Tech captured its fourth WAC Tournament title in five years with a dominating 63-39 win over red-hot New Mexico State. Senior Tasha Williams scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Lady Techsters. Louisiana Tech has won WAC titles over four different schools (Hawai'i,
2002; Fresno State, 2003; Rice, 2004; New Mexico State, 2006). New Mexico State advanced to its first ever conference tournament final. The Aggies captured wins over Boise State and second-seeded Fresno State. Tasha Williams earned MVP honors. She is the fourth
Lady Techster to earn the honor, following Ayana Walker (2002), Cheryl Ford (2003) and Amisha Carter (2004).
2006 WAC All-Tournament Team
Leilani Mitchell, Idaho
Dellena Criner, Nevada
Shan Moore, Louisiana Tech
Jenean Ford, New Mexico State
Tasha Williams, Louisiana Tech, MVP
BANNER YEAR FOR WOLF PACK ?“ The third year under head coach Kim Gervasoni has been a breakout year. The 13 wins this season are more than in her first two years combined. The 8-8 WAC record is the Wolf Pack?™s most since winning nine during the 2000-01 season. Nevada earned the No. 5 seed in the WAC Tournament. The Wolf Pack earned their first WAC Tournament win last season, defeating Hawai'i, 65-61. Nevada added its second WAC Tournament win with a win against San Jose State, 76-61.
WAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS BROKEN ?“ There were several records broken at the WAC Tournament. Louisiana Tech senior Tasha Williams set the record for shooting percentage going 17-of-25 for a shooting percentage of .680. New Mexico State set the record for three-point field goals attempted with 67 (making 21) in three 3 games. Host school, Nevada, tied the mark for free throws made, making 30 (attempted 33) in a win against San Jose State. Louisiana Tech set the record for field goal percentage defense (in a half), holding New Mexico State to a .125 shooting percentage (4-of-32) in the first half of the title game. The Aggies also set a record in their quarterfinal game, tying the record for biggest upset based on seeds. Seventh-seeded New Mexico State defeated second-seeded Fresno State.
FRESNO STATE MATCHES MOST LEAGUE WINS ?“ Fresno State?™s 14 WAC wins represents a school record for most conference victories in a single-season. The 1986-87 squad finished 12-6 overall in the PCAA, good for fourth place. In addition, Fresno State?™s second-place finish is also a program-best. The Bulldogs have never won a conference championship, regular-season or conference tournament.
MITCHELL BREAKS WAC RECORDS ?“ Idaho?™s Leilani Mitchell broke a WAC record. She ended the season averaging of 3.97 steals per game. The WAC record for a season is 3.79 spg by Tomika Young of BYU during the WAC?™s first season the 1990-91 season. She had 115 total steals through 29 games. In WAC games, her average is 3.92 which would place her third in the league. Mitchell also tied the WAC record for steals in a season with 115. She is tied with Tamika Stukes of New Mexico who had 115 during the 1997-98 season.
NEVADA?™S FITZGERALD HAVING STELLAR ROOKIE CAMPAIGN ?“ Freshman guard Brandi Fitzgerald, who led the team in scoring, had her first double-double for Nevada with 17 points and a career-best 11 rebounds versus. San Jose State. She topped that in scoring with 23 points against Boise State and had 15 double-figure scoring performances and one double-digit rebounding effort.
VANDALS AMONG NCAA LEADERS ?“ Idaho?™s Leilani Mitchell is still second in the nation in steals, averaging 4.0 spg. Mitchell is also 19th in assists per game (5.6).
WAC PLAYERS AMONG NATION?™S LEADERS ?“ San Jose State?™s Amber Jackson is 15th in the nation in field goal percentage (.581). Louisiana Tech?™s Aarica Ray-Boyd is 14th (2.8) in three-point field goals made per game, while Boise State?™s Nadia Begay is 25th (2.6). Hawai'i?™s Brittany Grice is 15th in the nation in blocks (2.5 bpg). Louisiana Tech?™s Tasha Williams is 25th in steals per game (2.8 spg).
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.