PLAYER OF THE WEEK ? Utah State’s Brittany Phillips has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 12. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor this season for the senior, and the second honor for the Aggies this season.
Phillips, a forward from Orem, Utah (Mountain View) tallied career highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds in Monday’s 68-51 win at New Mexico State. She added a team-high 12 points in Saturday’s 57-53 win at Idaho, helping Utah State win back-to-back road games for the first time since Nov. 2004. The guard hit a season-high three three-pointers in Monday’s win as well.
Other nominees included: Boise State’s Michelle Hessing averaged 13.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game in two Bronco wins ... Tierre Wilson of Fresno State averaged 17.0 points per game, scoring 15 in a win against Nevada ... Tanya Smith of Hawai?i had averaged 12.0 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game in two road wins for the Rainbow Wahine ... Shan Moore of Louisiana Tech scored 31 points in a win against San Jose State ... Traci Graham of Nevada scored 23 points in a win against Fresno State ... Sherell Neal of New Mexico State scored 50 points and added 43 rebounds in three games last week ... Brittany Powell of San Jose State averaged 14.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game for the Spartans last week.
THIS WEEK IN THE WAC ? In week seven of WAC action, Boise State looks to capture its 20th win of the season on the road against Fresno State on Feb. 17. Second-place Louisiana Tech travels to New Mexico State and hosts Idaho. Utah State looks to extend its two-game winning streak at home against Nevada and on the road against Hawai?i. The Rainbow Wahine have won a season-high four-straight games and are now only one game under .500.
HAPPY VALENTINES’S DAY ? Louisiana Tech will look to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a win at New Mexico State on Wednesday. The Lady Techsters had their five-game winning streak snapped with a heart-breaking 60-59 loss to Hawai?i in Ruston last week.
BRONCOS LOOK FOR 20TH WIN ? Boise State will try to record only their fourth 20-win season in program history this Saturday when they travel to Fresno State for a 1:00 p.m. (pacific) tip against the Bulldogs at the Save Mart Center. The Broncos have now won 16 of their last 18 games losing only to #13 Purdue and Louisiana Tech in that time span.
SECOND HALF SURGE ? Hawai?i has won a season-high four straight games with victories at Utah State versus Nevada, at New Mexico State and at Louisiana Tech. UH also picked up three-straight road wins after dropping four in a row away from home. Since losing to San Jose State on Jan. 25,
Hawai?i has gained plenty of ground in the conference standing. The loss put UH in a tie for last the Rainbow Wahine have since moved to sixth in the WAC standings, just a half game behind fifth-place Utah State. A win over Fresno State would even UH’s overall record for the first time in 2007.
LADY TECHSTERS AT THE THOMAS ASSEMBLY CENTER ? Louisiana Tech is a 47-3 (.940) all time at the Thomas Assembly Center in Western Athletic Conference games. That is the best winning percentage of any WAC team at home since 2001-02 with only the now CUSA-affiliated Rice Owls coming close (both of Rice’s home losses came to Louisiana Tech during this time).
DOUBLE DIGITS ? The WAC has six teams in double digits in wins. Boise State leads the WAC with 19. Two teams have 12 wins, including Louisiana Tech and Fresno State. Nevada has 12 wins, while Hawai?i has 11 wins. With a win over Fresno State, New Mexico State earned its 10th win.
UNDERCLASSMEN CONTINUE TO SHINE ? Underclassman continue to lead the WAC this season. Idaho’s Katie Madison leads the WAC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game. Madison is 20th in the nation in scoring. Madison is also fourth in the WAC in rebounding, averaging 9.0 rpg. Boise State sophomore Jessica Thompson remains fourth in the WAC in scoring, averaging 14.8 ppg, while fellow sophomore Dellena Criner of Nevada is fifth in scoring, averaging 14.7 ppg. Criner is first in the WAC in steals and 35th in the nation (2.70 spg). Criner’s teammate, sophomore Brandi Fitzgerald, is fourth in the WAC in steals per game (2.32 spg) just behind Thompson (2.33 spg).
TWO-SPORT ATHLETE ? New Mexico State has added a player to its roster. Krystal Torres, an all-WAC sophomore defensive specialist for the NMSU volleyball team, is joining the team. Torres is a 5-3 guard from Las Cruces, N.M. As a senior at Mayfield High School, she earned first-team all-state honors after leading the Trojans to basketball state championship game.
WAC.TV SPECIAL ? The WAC announced a new mid-season men’s or women’s basketball ticket for WAC.tv, the Internet-based video distribution system of the WAC.
There are two tickets being offered: a men’s ticket and women’s ticket. The men’s ticket will include all men’s regular season games carried by WAC.tv, plus all men’s and women’s games in the WAC Basketball Tournament (not including the men’s final which is being shown exclusively on ESPN2). The women’s ticket will include all women’s regular season games carried by WAC.tv, plus all men’s and women’s games in the WAC Basketball Tournament (not including the men’s final which is being shown exclusively on ESPN2).
These special tickets went on sale Monday, February 5th and will cost $39.95 for the men’s ticket and $34.95 for the women’s ticket. Tickets can be purchased exclusively at www.WAC.tv.
BOLLA TAKES MEDICAL LEAVE ? Jim Bolla underwent a medical procedure on Monday, Feb. 5, and will be taking a leave of absence to recuperate. Associate coach Pat Charity will serve as interim head coach. Bolla is in his third year as head coach of the Rainbow Wahine. He has a 38-37 mark at Hawai?i and a 338-157 career record. The Rainbow Wahine currently are 9-12 overall and seventh in the WAC with a 3-6 mark. Last season, the Rainbow Wahine enjoyed their best season in four years, finishing with an 18-10 record and a third-place finish inthe WAC. Charity was the first assistant to join Bolla’s staff after he was hired in July, 2004. The native of Grand Rapids, Mich., has head coaching experience, having served at her alma mater, Western Michigan, for seven seasons (1990-97).
UTAH STATE’S PEBLEY DELIVERS BABY GIRL ? Utah State women’s basketball head coach Raegan Pebley gave birth to an 8-pound, 9-ounce, 21-inch baby girl, Harper Susan Jane Pebley, Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at Logan Regional Hospital. Harper is the second child for Pebley and husband Keith, as she joins three-year old brother Joe in the Pebley family. Assistant coach George Brosky will be the acting head coach, with assistance from Kristy Flores and Erin Scholz.
IDAHO’S WESTBROOKS DONE FOR REMAINDER OF THE SEASON ? Junior wing Ticey Westbrooks will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, according to assistant athletic trainer Megan Borchert. Westbrooks sustained the injury in Wednesday’s triple-overtime victory over New Mexico State. Westbrooks has been plagued by injuries in her time at Idaho. As a freshman she suffered a torn ACL in her left knee, 30 minutes into her first game as a Vandal. Idaho lost senior Karly Felton earlier this season. 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.
LIKE THIEVES IN THE NIGHT ? Nevada is averaging 12.4 steals per contest and is ranked ninth in the country. The next best team in the WAC in steals is Louisiana Tech at 10.42 per game. 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 WAC and is 35th in the country at 2.7 steals per game. Guard Brandi Fitzgerald and Traci Graham fourth and sixth, respectively. The Pack’s proficiency in recording steals and forcing turnovers has the team ranked tops in the WAC in turnover margin per game at plus-4.50. Earlier this year, Nevada tied a school record with 22 steals against Sacramento State, a game in which the Pack forced 37 turnovers by the Hornets.
WNIT EXPANSION ? The Women’s National Invitation Tournament will expand its field to 48 teams this spring for the first time in event history. The eight-team expansion will allow for an automatic bid from every conference. The WNIT is guaranteeing that each of the nation’s 31 conferences will automatically have at least one spot guaranteed for one of their teams in the Postseason WNIT.
The selection of the 48 teams for the Postseason WNIT will be according to the following:
1. Thirty-one spots will be filled with one team per conference. That team will be the highest-finishing team in the conference’s regular-season standings, that does not advance to the NCAA Tournament. As in the past, the teams’ record must be at or above .500.
2. The remaining seventeen (17) berths will be filled by the top teams available based on the selection criteria used in the past.
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 (19-5, 10-1 WAC)
Boise State will try to record only their fourth 20-win season in program history this Saturday when they travel to Fresno State ... it is the first of three consecutive road games over the next two weeks for the Broncos who are looking for their first WAC regular season title since joining the league in 2001-02 ... Fresno State has won five-straight over the Broncos who are 3-3 all-time in Fresno versus the Bulldogs ... the Broncos enter the week at 19-5 overall and 10-1 in WAC play ... they are coming off a sweep last week winning at Idaho 70-40 then defeated San Jose State 82-59 in Boise on Saturday.
Fresno State Bulldogs (13-10, 6-4 WAC)
Fresno State will travel to Honolulu to take on the red-hot Rainbow Wahine on Feb. 15 ... the Bulldogs will then return home to take on first place Boise State ... Fresno State looks to get back on track after losing to New Mexico State, 67-63 last week ... senior Chantella Perera is third in the WAC in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game ... Perera is 33rd in the nation in free throw percentage (.853) ... junior Tierre Wilson is fourth in the WAC in field goal percentage (.429).
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (11-12, 5-6 WAC)
After a pivotal road sweep of New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech, Hawai?i returns to the Stan Sheriff Center for its final three home games of the year ... the Rainbow Wahine, winners of four straight, kick of the home stand with a meeting versus Fresno State on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. ... the Bulldogs own the longest current win streak of any WAC opponent versus UH, having beaten the Rainbow Wahine six-straight times, including a 75-69 overtime win in Fresno last month ... the Rainbow Wahine will then host Utah State on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Idaho Vandals (5-18, 2-10 WAC)
Phenom freshman Katie Madison leads the WAC with 10 20-plus point games ... Madison also has nine double-doubles this season ... the freshman is first in the WAC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game which is 20th in the nation ... this week, the Vandals travel to Louisiana Tech in their only game of the week.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (13-11, 8-3 WAC)
Louisiana Tech lost a heartbreaking, 60-59 game to Hawai?i and had its four-game winning streak halted ... with the loss, Tech fell two full games behind Boise State in the WAC standings with five games remaining ... Shan Moore led Tech with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals while Ty Moore added 15 points ... Amber Metoyer added eight points and 10 boards ... Janevia Taylor was the lone Hawaii player in double figures with 10 points ... Tech returns to action Wednesday when it travel to Las Cruces to face New Mexico State.
Nevada Wolf Pack (12-10, 6-3 WAC)
Nevada looks to rebounds from a three-game skid as it hits the road for two games ... first up for the Wolf Pack is a trip to Logan to face Utah State ... USU is a game behind Nevada and Fresno State for third place in the WAC ... entering this week, there is one game separating five teams in the middle of the WAC standings ... when Nevada is at its best defensively, the Wolf Pack usually comes out with a victory ... the Wolf Pack is 6-0 this season when it holds opponents to 60 points or fewer and it is 11-2 on the season when it keeps foes under 70 points.
New Mexico State Aggies (10-13, 5-6 WAC)
In the 67-63 win over Fresno State, junior forward Sherell Neal had a game-high 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Junior forward Anikia Jawara added 17 points that helped the Aggies break a three-game skid ... against Hawai’i, Neal and Jawara both posted double-double performances abut it wasn’t enough as the Aggies fell 57-46 ... Neal had a game-high 19 points and 15 rebounds as Jawara provided 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds ... in NMSU’s first nationally televised game of the year, Jawara led the Aggies with 21 points while Neal added nine points and 11 rebounds.
San Jose State Spartans (3-23, 2-10 WAC)
San Jose State looks to break a two-game losing streak at home against Nevada on Feb. 17 ... junior Alisha Hicks is second in the WAC in steals, averaging 2.67 spg ... Hicks is first in the WAC in total steals with 64 ... Hicks is also eighth in the conference assist/turnover ratio (0.77) ... for the fourth consecutive game, a Spartan player scored 20 or more points in a contest as Alisha Hicks scored a career-high 20 in a loss to Boise State.
Utah State Aggies (9-13, 5-5 WAC)
Utah State improved to 2-2 when asst. coach George Brosky fills in for head coach Raegan Pebley, who gave birth to a baby girl on Jan. 30 ... Saturday’s win sweeps the season-series for the Aggies with the Vandals for the first time ever, and marks USU’s third victory over Idaho in the last four meetings, as the Aggies now trail the overall series, 3-8 ... USU out-rebounded Idaho, 37-33, marking just the sixth time that the Aggies had more rebounds, and are now 4-2 in those games ... USU shot a season-high field goal percentage in a half, hitting 52.2 percent in the second half.