WEEK FOUR IN THE WAC ? In week four of WAC action, Boise State remains the only undefeated team in conference play. This week, the Broncos put their six-game winning streak on the line at home against Utah State and Idaho. Nevada puts its four-game winning streak on the line on the road against Fresno State. The third-place Bulldogs will also travel to Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech. All eight games this week are available on WAC.tv.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK ? Hawai?i’s Tanya Smith has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 22. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor for the junior and the first WAC Player of the Week honor for the Rainbow Wahine this season.
Smith, a forward from Sydney, Australia (the Jannali) averaged 18.0 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 71 percent from the floor as the Rainbow Wahine split a pair of WAC games. The forward helped Hawai?i end a five-game losing streak versus Idaho with 24 points and nine rebounds. She made her first 10 shots of the game, before finishing 11-of-12 from the floor. Smith tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds a loss to first-place Boise State, her third double-double in the last four games.
Other nominees included: Tasha Harris of Boise State averaged 16.0 points per game as the Broncos defeated Hawai?i ... Chantella Perera of Fresno State scored 15 points as the Bulldogs went 1-0 last week ... Traci Graham of Nevada averaged 13.5 points as the Wolf Pack went 2-0 last week ... Hannah Spanich of New Mexico State scored 10 points in the Aggies loss to Nevada ... Myosha Barnes of San Jose State averaged 16.5 points per game with 3.0 rebounds per game in two games ... Jenny Gross of Utah State scored 25 points with 15 rebounds as the Aggies’ split games last week.
REWIND ? Several teams have made great strides from this point last season. At this stage last season, Boise State was 3-3 in WAC action and tied for fourth place. This season, the Broncos are 5-0 and alone in first place. Utah State was 0-5 and in ninth place last season, and the much improved Aggies are now 3-2 in the WAC. Nevada has completely opposite record, holding a 1-4 record last season, while improving to 4-1 this season in conference action.
BABY BOOM ? Several underclassman are making their mark in the WAC this season. Idaho’s Katie Madison continues to lead the WAC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game. Madison is 23rd in the nation in scoring. Madison is also third in the WAC in rebounding, averaging 9.3 rpg. Boise State sophomore Jessica Thompson is fourth in the WAC in scoring, averaging 14.9 ppg, while fellow sophomore Dellena Criner of Nevada is sixth in scoring, averaging 14.4 ppg. Criner is first in the WAC in steals and 35th in the nation (2.79 spg). Boise State’s Thompson is also among the steal leaders, averaging 2.28 spg which is good for fourth in the conference.
BULLDOGS NEAR RECORDS ? Fresno State has two players making their way onto the career records. Erica Henry entered the top 10 in career blocks, and will likely climb up the lists in her remaining time with the school. Senior Chantella Perera is also well represented in the records books in many categories. Perera is currently fourth in career three-pointers, fifth in three-pointers attempted, 10th in free throws made and should join the top 10 in assists by the end of the year. In addition, she’s second all-time in free throw percentage, and continuing to increase that percentage, where she’s among the national leaders in 2006-07.
UTAH STATE REACHES 100TH GAME ? January 24th is Utah State’s 100th game under head coach Raegan Pebley since reinstating the program for the 2003-04 season. When she takes the court Wednesday, senior forward Brittany Hagen will be playing in her 100th career game, currently fifth on USU’s career games played list, and the only Aggie to play in all 99 games. Fellow senior guard Camille Brox has seen action in 97 of the 99 games, while senior forward Brittany (Tressler) Phillips has played in 94 of the 99 games.
BLOCK PARTY ? Hawai?i leads the conference in blocked shots at 4.7 per game. The Rainbow Wahine, who tallied a season-high eight blocks in its season-opener versus Georgetown, are led by the twin towers of Brittany Grice (6-4) and Iwona Zagrobelna (6-4), who have combined for 51 of the team’s 85 blocks.
BOISE STATE CONTINUES STRONG START ? The 5-0 league start is the best conference start for the Broncos in 30 years, since the 1977-78 team went 10-0 to open their Northwest Women’s Basketball League schedule. The 14-4 overall start continues to be the best mark since the 1993-94 team opened 16-2, 13 years ago. The Broncos are now home for four-straight games beginning with Utah State this Wednesday in Taco Bell Arena followed by in-state rival Idaho Saturday night.
THINK PINK NIGHT ? Utah State’s game against Hawai’i on Jan. 27 is “Think Pink Night” in observance of WBCA’s Breast Awareness Weekend.All fans who wear pink get free admittance to the game.
UTAH STATE PASSES LAST SEASON’S WIN TOTAL ? Utah State surpassed last season’s win total with the Aggies’ fourth win of the year, knocking off Colgate, 58-42, at the Iowa State American Family Insurance Cyclone Classic at ISU’s Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 30. The 42 points was the fewest points allowed by the USU defense since 1984 and was the Aggies’ largest margin of victory since 2005. Last year, the Aggies were 3-24. USU held Southern Idaho to 44 points in a 78-44 Aggie win on Nov. 27, 1984, and then the Utah State beat Southern Idaho again, 96-39, nine days later on Dec. 3, 1984. Utah State is now 7-10, the program’s fourth year back since being discontinued from 1987-2003. The Aggies are 3-2 in conference play, surpassing last season’s conference win total (2-14).
LIKE THIEVES IN THE NIGHT ? Nevada continues to dominate in steals per game. The Wolf Pack are 10th in the nation, averaging 12.8 spg. Earlier this year, Nevada tied a school record with 22 steals against Sacramento State, a game in which the Wolf Pack forced 37 turnovers by the Hornets. The Wolf Pack has three players ranked in the top six in the WAC in steals per game, led by sophomore guard Dellena Criner, who leads the conference and is 35th in the nation. Criner now averages (2.79 spg).
UTAH STATE’S RICHARDS CAREER ASSISTS LEADER ? Junior guard Taylor Richards now has 259 assists for her career, surpassing Pam Shirley for the top spot on USU’s Career Assist List, as Shirley had 245 assists from 1977-79. Richards now has 96 career steals, tying Jerrie McGahan (1977-80) for No. 10 on the USU Career Steals List.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS ? Idaho freshman post Katie Madison had a stellar holiday season. During December, Madison averaged 21.8 points per game, including have four-straight 20 point games. She also averaged 8.8 rebounds per game. She ended the month shooting .564. Against Eastern Washington on Nov. 29, Madison scored a WAC-high 35 points in the win. Madison is first in the WAC in scoring (20.1) and rebounding (9.6). She is also leading the WAC in field goal percentage, shooting .549.
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.
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.
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 (14-4, 5-0 WAC)
Boise State enters the week in first place in the WAC standings at 5-0 and 14-4 overall ... the 5-0 league start is the best conference start for the Broncos in 30 years, since the 1977-78 team went 10-0 to open their Northwest Women’s Basketball League schedule ... the 14-4 overall start continues to be the best mark since the 1993-94 team opened 16-2, 13 years ago ... the Broncos are now 4-0 on the road in league play, the most since joining the conference six years ago, previous best was two wins ... they are also 8-1 overall on the road this season, the most since the 1993-94 team went 9-4 on the road.
Fresno State Bulldogs (11-7, 4-1 WAC)
Fresno State defeated San Jose State 70-63 in its only game of the week last week ... the Bulldogs are back in action this week at home agianst Nevada and on the road against Louisiana Tech ... last year, the Bulldogs split against both the Lady Techsters and the Aggies ... it was Fresno State first ever win against Louisiana Tech ... in conference games, senior Tierre Wilson is fourth in scoring, averaging 16.4 ppg ... fellow senior Chantella Perera is still first in the WAC in free throw percentage (.865).
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (6-10, 0-4 WAC)
After winning its first road game of the year at Cal State Northridge on Dec. 5, the Rainbow Wahine have dropped four straight away from the islands, including its first two WAC road games at Nevada and Fresno State ... dating back to last season, Hawai?i has lost three-straight WAC road contests ... Hawai?i is 45-38 (.542) all-time in WAC regular-
season road games ...UH broke its five-game losing streak with a 71-61 win over Idaho, its first WAC win of the year ... the streak was the longest since Jim Bolla took over as head coach in 2004-05.
Idaho Vandals (3-14, 0-6 WAC)
The Vandals have had four players score 20 points or more ... last season, only two Vandals had 20-plus point games ... Katie Madison, Liz Witte and Sara Dennehy all have multiple 20-plus point games thus far ... against Nevada Katie Madison was held to fewer than 10 points in a game for the first time all season ... six Vandals set or tied career-highs in their opening weekend of WAC play against Nevada and Fresno State Sara Dennehy (25 vs. Nevada), Lindsey Koppen (20 vs. Nevada) and Ticey Westbrooks (15 vs. Fresno State) all set career-highs in points.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (9-10, 4-2 WAC)
The Lady Techsters lost its second home conference game of the season when they lost to Nevada, 74-70 on Jan. 20 ... Louisiana Tech rebounded with a 87-66 win over Idaho ... Ty Moore is now tied for first the WAC in rebounding, averaging 9.5 rpg ... Moore is also 37th in the nation in rebounds per game ... the senior is also second in field goal percentage (.476) ... this week, the Lady Techsters host third-place Fresno State in their only game of the week.
Nevada Wolf Pack (11-8, 5-1 WAC)
The Nevada women’s basketball team roared back from a 13-point first-half deficit to take a 74-70 victory over New Mexico State on Jan. 20 ... Dellena Criner scored a game-high 19 points as Nevada ran its home win streak to five games and its overall win streak to four games ... Brandi Fitzgerald scored 15 points and Traci Graham scored 13 all in the second half ... since joining the WAC, the Wolf Pack have only had three season with more WAC wins than they have this season ... they had nine (2000-01), six (2001-02) and eight (2005-06).
New Mexico State Aggies (8-9, 3-2 WAC)
The Aggies are the only school in the WAC with two players that rank in the top 50 in the NCAA Statistics ... Cecilia Russell-Nava is eighth in three-point field goals made with 2.9 per game, while Sherell Neal is tied for 39th in rebounding with 9.5 per contest ... junior forward Sherell Neal paces the Aggies with nine double-double performances this season and currently has a four-game streak that began at San Jose State, Jan. 6 ... Neal had four consecutive double-doubles that began against Texas-San Antonio and ended with UTEP ... Neal was tied with Louisiana Tech’s Ty Moore for the most in the league.
San Jose State Spartans (1-19, 0-6 WAC)
Myosha Barnes scored a career-high 18 points for the San Jose State women’s basketball team, but the Spartans fell at Utah State 58-50 ... Barnes was 6-of-13 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line ... she added two rebounds and two assist for the Spartans ... the Spartans look for their first conference win since March 4, 2006 (against Utah State), this week against San Jose State at home and on the road against New Mexico State.
Utah State Aggies (5-9, 1-1 WAC)
USU beat San Jose State, 58-50, Saturday night, the Aggies’ third win in the last four games and surpassing last season’s WAC victory total (2-14) ... Aggie senior forward Brittany (Tressler) Phillips moved into the USU top 10 career points list, as she currently has 727 career points, passing Lori Becker (1981-83) for the No. 10 spot with 726 points ... junior guard Taylor Richards tied a career-high with three three-pointers and moved into sole possession of third place on the USU career three-pointers made list with her 55th trey ... current senior forward Brittany Hagen is No. 1, while Phillips is second.