TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (18-6, 10-2 WAC)
Boise State enters the week at second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings at 10-2, one half game out of first place ... they won their lone game last week defeating Nevada 80-69 in a key road victory to improve to 18-6 overall ... they now have a favorable schedule heading into the final stretch run to the league tournament. It all starts this week when the Broncos place their 13-game home win streak on the line against arch-rival Idaho on Thursday to begin a three-game homestand at Taco Bell Arena ... the Idaho game is their lone contest of the week. Boise State, who has won 10 overall games in a row, features the WAC’s top and the nation’s 19th ranked scoring offense averaging 74.6 points per game ... they continue to be led by their junior guard duo Tasha Harris and Jessica Thompson averaging 16.8 and 14.6 points respectively.
Fresno State Bulldogs (15-9, 10-1 WAC)
10-1 record is the second best conference start in school history ... Adrian Wiggins is 18-5 in the month of February ... the Bulldogs have recorded 45 double digit wins under coach Wiggins ... the Bulldogs need 11 3-point attempts to break the school record for most 3-pointers attempted in school history ... they have already set the single season record for most makes from behind the arc with 190 ... the Dogs are outscoring opponents 74-58 in WAC games ... Jaleesa Ross is shooting 49 percent from the 3-point line in WAC play.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (9-14, 3-7 WAC)
Hawai?i did not play last week ... UH will return to action Thursday, February 21 when it hosts Fresno State at 7 p.m ... the Rainbow Wahine will face San Jose State on Saturday, February 23 at 7 p.m. to conclude their four-game homestand ... the Rainbow Wahine are coming off a 1-1 weekend, after beating Utah State on Thursday and suffering a tough loss against Nevada on Saturday. Overall UH is 9-14 and 3-7 in Western Athletic Conference play ... with the second round of WAC action underway, the Rainbow Wahine currently sit in sixth place, ahead of Utah State, San Jose State and Idaho ... Junior Tara Hittle, making her first two starts of the season, averaged 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field against Utah State and Nevada ... Hittle, a volleyball star for UH, has only suited up for the last eight games.
Idaho Vandals (2-22, 1-11 WAC)
The Vandals dropped a pair of road games last week, losing a 68-38 decision before falling 68-48 at Nevada ... Katie Madison continues to lead the team in both scoring as she averaged 13.5 points per game last week ... Madison was the lone Vandal to average double figures on the week ... Yinka Olorunnife led the team on the boards, averaging 9.5 per game ... this week, Idaho will play just one game as it will travel to play in-state rival Boise State on Feb. 21.
La Tech Lady Techsters (12-13, 6-6 WAC)
The Lady Techsters went 1-1 last week, dropping a 65-55 decision on the road against New Mexico State before taking a 70-54 victory at home over San Jose State ... senior JoKeirra Sneed led the Louisiana Tech effort last week, averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds ... Sneed was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week for her efforts ... Shanavia Dowdell and Tarkeisha Wysinger each averaged double digit scoring on the week at 11.5 and 10.0 points per game, respectively.
Nevada Wolf Pack (18-7, 9-3 WAC)
With four regular season games remaining, Nevada is now two wins away from the first 20-win season in program history and is one win away from tying the program record for wins in a season (19) ... Nevada’s win over Idaho on Feb. 16 gave Nevada its most overall wins under fifth-year head coach Kim Gervasoni (18) ... the Pack is 57 steals away from setting a single-season record for steals in a season ... Nevada, who has four regular season games remaining, is averaging 13.16 steals per game ... the current single-season steal record is 385 set last season ... Dellena Criner, who went 8-of-8 from the free throw line against Idaho, is one of six Nevada players who have shot 1.000 percent from the line with at least four attempts ... Nevada has had at least four players score in double figures in each of the Pack’s last four games.
New Mexico State Aggies (18-6, 8-3 WAC)
Senior forward Sherell Neal is closing in on becoming just the third Aggie ever with over 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds; she needs just 39 more rebounds to accomplish the feat ... New Mexico State needs to win just two of its five remaining games to pick up the programs 10th season with 20 or more victories ... the Aggies are 6-0 this season when coming off a loss ... NMSU has won its last 10 games at home and are 13-1 overall at home this year ... New Mexico State has already won five more games than they did last season ... the Aggies bench is averaging 23 points per game this season.
San Jose Spartans (2-22, 1-10 WAC)
Emily Nichols found the hot-shooting hand for the Spartans last week, especially from three-point range. She led the team in scoring in both games last week, tying her career-best with 15 points in each game ... she was 5-of-7 from three-point range in each game and shot 71.4 percent from three-point range ... for the week, she was 10-of-17 from the field for 58.8 percent ... the Spartans host its fifth consecutive home Thursday night game this week, this time against New Mexico State.
WAC NOTES
LOUISIANA TECH’S SNEED NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Louisiana Tech senior JoKeirra Sneed has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her play during the week of Feb. 11-Feb. 17.
Sneed, from Belle Glade, Fla. (Glades Central HS), recorded her WAC-leading 17th double-double of the year with 18 points and 17 rebounds on the road against New Mexico State. Sneed connected on 10-of-11 free throws in the game. She then scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 70-54 win over San Jose State in Ruston. Sneed hit 9-of-10 free throws in that contest. On the week, Sneed averaged 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while adding two assists and a block. She also hit 19-of-21 (.905) shots from the charity stripe.
Other nominees included: Boise State sophomore center Ja’Lara Walker had a career game against Nevada last week, collecting 18 points and 11 rebounds ... Fresno State freshman guard Jaleesa Ross scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs to a win over Idaho ... Nevada junior forward Cherlanda Franklin averaged a team-leading 12.5 points per game last week in leading the Pack to a 1-1 record ... New Mexico State senior forward Anikia Jawara led the Aggies to a win over Louisiana Tech last week, scoring 18 points with five rebounds ... Utah State senior center Jenny Gross recorded 16 points and six rebounds in a win over San Jose State.
WAC RACE TO CLOSE TO CALL
Fresno State has won 13 of its last 14 games and sits atop the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 10-1 record. The Bulldogs are just a half game ahead of Boise State, which holds down second place at 10-2. Boise State has won 10 straight and represents Fresno State’s only WAC loss of the season. Nevada holds down the third spot with an 9-3 record. New Mexico State ranks fourth at 8-3. Louisiana Tech is fifth at 6-6, followed by Hawai?i in sixth at 3-7. Utah State comes in at number seven with a 3-8 record. San Jose holds the eighth spot at 1-10, followed by Idaho in ninth at 1-11.
FIRST-EVER WAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAY UP TOUR OFF TO GREAT START
The Western Athletic Conference launched it’s first-ever Play Up Tour for Women’s Basketball this season, after much success at the tour stops at various football, volleyball and soccer games throughout the Fall season. The Play Up Tour heightens awareness of the WAC brand as well as reinforces the association between the schools and the WAC.
At each stop, fans joined the WAC before the game to pickup free WAC beanies and t-shirts. Fans also registered to win a trip to the 2008 WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.
The WAC Women’s Basketball Play Up Tour was held in correlation with the NCAA’s Pack the House Challenge. The NCAA’s Pack the House challenge is an effort to grow the sport of women’s basketball and to further develop national grassroots programs aimed at increasing attendance and awareness. Between January 1 and February 17 NCAA member schools competed against schools in their own conference as well as all Division I schools for a chance to be the 2008 NCAA Women’s Basketball Pack the House Challenge Champion. The WAC’s Play Up Tour dates coincided with the Pack the House challenge date at every school with the exception of Fresno State. The WAC visited Fresno State for the Bulldogs “Think Pink” night to raise breast cancer awareness on the court, across campus and in the community on Feb. 14.
The average WAC home attendance for the 2007-08 season is 10,290. At WAC Play Up Tour stops this season, WAC home attendance was a combined 15,690.
HOME IS WHERE THE WAC WINS ARE, BOISE STATE RANKS SIXTH NATIONALLY WITH 13-STRAIGHT HOME WINS
So far this season, the home team has dominated WAC play. WAC teams are 34-17 at home in conference play. In conference play, the top four teams are a combined 24-1 at home. Overall, the WAC is 63-45 (.583) at home this season. Boise State has been the most impressive team at home, compiling a perfect 10-0 record. The Broncos have won 13 straight at Taco Bell Arena dating back to last season. The streak of 13 home wins ranks sixth in the nation. New Mexico State has also found success at home with a 13-1 mark at the Pan American Center. NMSU ranks 11th nationally with 10 consecutive home wins. Nevada has also been tough at home this season with a 12-2 mark in Reno.
WAC FEATURES THREE OF THE TOP-20 REBOUNDERS IN THE NATION
The Western Athletic Conference currently features three of the top-20 rebounders in the nation. Hawai?i senior center Tanya Smith ranks second nationally in the category, pulling down 12.1 boards per game. Louisiana Tech senior forward JoKeirra Sneed ranks 10th in the nation at 10.3 rebounds per game. New Mexico State senior forward Sherell Neal averages 9.9 rebounds per game, which ranks 21st nationally.
HAWAI?I’S SMITH TIES ALL-TIME WAC SINGLE-GAME REBOUND MARK
Hawai?i senior center Tanya Smith pulled down a career-high 25 rebounds in a Jan. 26 win over Idaho, tying the WAC’s single-game rebound record set by Cheryl Ford (Louisiana Tech) during the 2003 conference tournament. Smith’s 25 rebounds sets a new WAC record for the most rebounds ever recorded in a single regular season conference game, surpassing Ford’s mark of 23 set against SMU during the 2002-03 season. Nationally, the 25 rebounds ties Smith with Syracuse’s Fantasia Goodwin for the most rebounds recorded in a single game this season. Smith is the only player to reach the 20-rebound single game plateau this season. She has reached the mark on two occasions.
ONE OF TOP-SCORING DUOS IN THE COUNTRY
Boise State’s Tasha Harris and Jessica Thompson are one of the highest-scoring duos in the country. Together, the pair averages 31.4 points per game--the most points among any two teammates in the Western Athletic Conference. Harris leads the WAC in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Thompson ranks sixth in the league at 14.6 points a contest.
DO I HEAR 30?
Only two players in the WAC have reached the 30-point plateau this season. Boise State junior Tasha Harris reached the threshold on Nov. 30 against Portland on the road. Nevada guard Dellena Criner is the only WAC player to reach the mark twice, scoring 32 in a win over Idaho State at home on Dec. 2 and a career-high 33 against Boise State on Jan. 19. Criner also leads the league with seven 20-point performances this season. Harris is also the only player in the WAC this season to have recorded 10 assists in a single game.
NEVADA ABOUT TO BREAK SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS IN A SEASON
With four regular season games remaining, Nevada is now two wins away from the first 20-win season in program history and is one win away from tying the program record for wins in a season (19). Nevada’s win over Idaho on Feb. 16 gave Nevada its most overall wins under fifth-year head coach Kim Gervasoni (18).
NEW MEXICO STATE’S NEAL ABOUT TO ENTER 1,000-POINT/1,000-REBOUND CLUB
Senior forward Sherell Neal is closing in on becoming just the third Aggie ever with over 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. She needs just 39 more rebounds to accomplish the feat. As a member of the WAC, Neal has 1,089 points and 768 rebounds. The 768 rebounds ranks eighth all-time on the WAC career records charts.
STREAKIN’
New Mexico State’s Sherell Neal has pulled down five or more rebounds in 48 consecutive games dating back to last season. Louisiana Tech’s JoKeirra Sneed has recorded five or more boards in 24-straight games. Fresno State’s Bailey Amundsen has caught fire from long range, connecting on a shot from beyond the arc in 16-straight games. Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross has knocked down a trey in 14 consecutive games, while Boise State’s Tasha Harris and Louisiana Tech’s Nastassja Levingston have each hit a three in 11-straight games. Louisiana Tech’s Tarkeisha Wysinger has hit 12-straight free throws. Fresno State’s Ross and Louisiana Tech’s Sneed have recorded 12-straight double digit scoring games.
RECORD WIN STREAKS AND IMPRESSIVE STARTS
With its 9-3 record to open the season, Nevada tied the best start in its programs history. The 1985-86 and 1999-00 Nevada teams also started the season with 9-3 marks. Nevada finished its non-conference schedule 9-4 which marks the best non-conference finish under Kim Gervasoni and the most non-conference wins in program history since the 1999-00 team finished its non-conference schedule 11-4. Nevada also recorded the fewest non-conference losses (4) since the 1999-00 season. New Mexico State also got off to an impressive start this season. NMSU’s 13-3 start marks the best start to the season for the program since the 1993-94 season when NMSU held a 14-3 mark. Fresno State is also rewriting its record books. The Bulldogs recently won nine straight games, tying a school record set by the 1986-87, 1984-85, and the 1979-80 teams. Fresno State’s 6-0 start to conference play tied the team’s record for the best start in conference history and the most consecutive conference wins for the Bulldogs.
IDAHO RECORDS BEST DEFENSIVE EFFORT IN WAC HISTORY
With their 42-31 victory over Colorado State on Dec. 18, the Vandal women put together one of the best defensive performances in Western Athletic Conference and school history. Idaho allowed just eight field goals to break the WAC record of nine that Colorado State and Rice previously shared. The 31 points are also tied for the fewest ever allowed by an Idaho team and the lowest since a 67-31 victory over Whitworth on Dec. 7, 1982.
NEVADA RECORDS HOME WIN #200
Nevada’s win over New Mexico State on Jan. 26 marked the 200th home victory for the Wolf Pack.
NEW MEXICO STATE PICKS UP WIN NUMBER 300 IN PAN AMERICAN CENTER
New Mexico State picked up its 300th all-time victory in the Pan American Center with a 79-66 win over Lamar on Dec. 18. The Aggies now join Louisiana Tech as the second team in the Western Athletic Conference with 300 victories in their home arena. The Aggies currently hold a 307-137 all-time mark at the Pan American Center.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Teams from the WAC rank 50th or better in seven team statistical categories and four individual categories. Fresno State holds the highest team national ranking, coming in a fourth in the nation with 7.9 threes per game. Nevada ranks seventh in steals at 13.2 per game. Individually, Hawai?i center Tanya Smith ranks second nationally in rebounding at 12.1 per game. Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross ranks sixth in the country in three point field goal percentage (45.5).
WHITE SETS SAN JOSE STATE THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS MARK
With 15 three-point field goals attempted at Washington State, Natalie White broke the San Jose State single game three-pointers attempted record. She broke the record of 14 three-pointers set by two former Spartans. Kari Steele attempted 14 three-pointers in her final home game of her career against Air Force on February 15, 1997, while Gretchen Seeley had 14 attempts at Long Beach State on February 13, 1994. White’s 15 three-point attempts in the game also marks the highest number of threes taken in a single game in the WAC this season.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Louisiana Tech senior JoKeirra Sneed currently leads the WAC with 17 double-doubles this season. She also leads the WAC with nine double-doubles during conference play. Sneed’s 17 double-doubles more than triples her double-double mark from last season. Sneed now has 20 career double-doubles. Hawai?i senior Tanya Smith has 16 double-doubles, which surpasses her nine double-doubles from just a year ago. Smith has recorded a double-double in all but seven games this year and now has 30 career double-double performances. The current career double-double leader in the WAC is New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal, who has 36 career double-doubles.
BOISE STATE PERFECT THIS SEASON AGAINST 2007 POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Boise State wrapped up its non-conference slate this season with a perfect 4-0 record against teams that advanced to postseason national tournaments last season. The Broncos went 1-0 vs. 2007 WNIT teams (Montana) and 3-0 against teams that advanced to last year’s NCAA Tournament (Washington, Oral Roberts, Idaho State). BSU recorded its fourth consecutive winning season against non-conference opponents dating back to the 2004-05 season.
CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
In its 62-61 road victory over SEC foe Alabama on Dec. 5, Louisiana Tech trailed by five points with less than 50 seconds to play before scoring the final six points of the game to pull off the win. Nastassja Levingston registered a four-point play with 43 seconds left before Shanavia Dowdell hit a layup with 8.7 seconds to play to seal the victory.
SJSU CLOSE CALLS
Nine games this season for San Jose State have been determined by seven points or less. The only Spartan victory was a four-point margin over Cal State Northridge, 59-55. The Spartans lost by one point in overtime to Pacific, 75-74; three points at Sacramento State, 60-57; four points, 74-70 against Cal Poly and 64-60 to Long Beach State; six points in overtime at Washington State, 78-72; seven points to Idaho, 53-46; and seven points to Kansas, 59-52; one point to Utah State, 61-60.
FRESNO’S NON-CONFERENCE SUPER SLATE
Fresno State did not make things easy on itself this season. The team played seven of its 13 non-conference games against teams that made it to last season’s NCAA Tournament or WNIT.
NEVADA WINS NUGGET CLASSIC
Dellena Criner scored a career-high 32 points while freshman Johnna Ward added 19 as the University of Nevada women’s basketball team defeated Idaho State 74-66 in the championship game of the Nugget Classic on Dec. 2. The win marked the Pack’s second Nugget Classic title under Nevada head coach Kim Gervasoni as the Pack also won the tournament in 2005. Brandi Fitzgerald and Criner (MVP) were each named to the All-Tournament team.
NEW MEXICO STATE ENDS 11-YEAR LOSING STREAK TO RIVAL, DEFEATS NEW MEXICO, COACH SPENCE PICKS UP WIN #50
Down by two at the half, the New Mexico State women’s basketball team outscored New Mexico by 18 points in the second half to end a 22-game losing streak to the Lobos with a 58-42 victory Sunday at the Pan American Center. The 16-point victory ends the 11-year losing streak to the Lobos, who they face again this season on Dec. 21 in Albuquerque. The win in the Rio Grande Rivalry gives New Mexico State 1.5 points and the Aggies now only trail New Mexico 4.5-3.0 in the series. The Aggie men’s basketball team can tie it up with a victory over UNM on Tuesday, Dec. 4 in Las Cruces. Head coach Darin Spence picked up his 50th career victory Sunday and moved into fourth place on the Aggies all-time win list.
COACHING RECORD SCHOOL MARKS
The number 50 seems to be a common theme among coaches in the Western Athletic Conference. Numerous WAC coaches have either picked up win number 50 or are on the verge of 50 wins during their tenure at their respective schools. New Mexico State coach Darin Spence (63-79) picked up his 50th win as an Aggie by defeating in-state rival New Mexico State on Dec. 2. Overall, Spence recently picked up win number 380. Fresno State’s Adrian Wiggins (64-34) picked up the milestone win at Long Beach State on Dec. 7. Hawai?i head coach Jim Bolla (53-53) got win 50 at home against UC Irvine on Dec. 29. Head Coach Kim Gervasoni (59-87) became just the second coach in Nevada team history to pick up win number 50, getting the win at home against San Francisco on Dec. 30. Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long (55-31) got the win at home against Idaho on Jan. 9. Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell (57-30) recorded BSU career win number 50 at home against Nevada on Jan. 19.
SIX WAC PLAYERS REACH 1,000-POINT CLUB
Senior forward Sherell Neal became the 16th New Mexico State women’s basketball player to score over 1,000 career points in the Aggies season opener Nov. 9, when she led the team to a 65-61 victory at UC Irvine. Neal now has 1,332 points, ranking her first among active players in the Western Athletic Conference. The 1,332 points ranks her ninth on the all-time scoring list at NMSU. Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson reached the 1,000-point milestone on Dec. 15 in a win over Cal-State Bakersfield. Wilson now has 1,213 career points and ranks ninth in Fresno State scoring history. Boise State junior Jessica Thompson became just the 13th player in BSU history to reach the 1,000 point threshold. Thompson scored her 1,000th point at New Mexico State on Jan. 10. Thompson now has 1,130 points, ranking her sixth on the Boise State all-time scoring list. Utah State’s Taylor Richards became just the fifth player in USU history to reach the 1,000 point mark, notching her 1,000th point at New Mexico State on Jan. 12. Richards now has 1,090 points which ranks her third on USU’s all-time scoring list. Nevada’s Dellena Criner became just the eighth player in Wolf Pack history to reach the 1,000-point mark, reaching the milestone against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 24. Criner now has 1,093 points, ranking her sixth. BSU’s Tasha Harris connected on her 1,000th point in a win over Fresno State on Jan. 28. Harris now has 1,087 points, which ranks her 10th all-time in Boise State history.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Through the non-conference schedule this season, WAC teams played 26 games featuring a 2007 NCAA Tournament or WNIT opponent. WAC teams also played seven teams that have either been ranked in the top-25 or who have received votes in the top-25 polls this season. No. 13 Cal snuck by Fresno State 83-79 on Nov. 9. WAC teams picked up 10 wins against 2007 postseason teams. Hawai?i defeated 2007 NCAA Tournament team Washington 80-75 on Nov. 16. Boise State downed 2007 WNIT participant Montana 67-61 on Nov. 11, and Nevada defeated 2007 WNIT team Stephen F. Austin 64-55 on Nov. 22, NCAA Tournament team Idaho State on Dec. 2, and postseason tournament team UC Riverside on Dec. 9. NMSU defeated BYU 54-52 in Provo on Dec. 5. BSU took care of Washington 88-66 at home on Dec. 7 and defeated Idaho State in Pocatello on Dec. 29. Fresno State defeated UC Riverside on Dec. 29.
LOUISIANA TECH HOME TO TOUGHEST PLACE TO PLAY IN THE NATION
Louisiana Tech’s home court, the Thomas Assembly Center, is a tough place to play. The Lady Techsters have won 92.2 percent of their games played in Ruston since the program’s inception in 1974. La. Tech currently holds a 450-38 all-time record on its home floor.
WAC TEAMS FIND SUCCESS AT THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENTS
Teams from the WAC competed in six different tournaments over the Thanksgiving break. Louisiana Tech went 2-0 at the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn. The Lady Techsters defeated host Memphis 82-77 to claim the title. Louisiana Tech’s Jo Sneed was named the Classic’s MVP, while teammate Tarkeisha Wysinger was named to the All-Tournament team. Boise State finished second at the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic in Moraga, Calif. The Broncos dropped a 78-63 decision to host St. Mary’s in the championship game. BSU’s Tasha Harris was named to the All-Tournament team. New Mexico State claimed the title of its own tournament, the Thanksgiving Classic in Las Cruces. The Aggies went a perfect 3-0, defeating Kent State, Northern Colorado, and Texas State. Hawai?i placed third at the Jack in the Box Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. The team went 1-2 at the tournament. Nevada went 1-0 at the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic and was unable to play the championship game due to a city power outage. Idaho participated in the Husky Classic in Seattle, where the Vandals went 0-2. Despite the two losses at the Husky Classic, Idaho’s Hannah Wells was named to the All-Tournament team.
NEAL AND SMITH NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY WATCH LIST
The Western Athletic Conference has placed two women’s basketball players on the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, presented by AT&T, as was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal and Hawai?i senior Tanya Smith were two of 50 preseason candidates named to the list. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s players of the year. The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2007-08 campaign. There are 27 seniors, 18 juniors and five sophomores on the list, which does not include incoming freshmen, who will be considered in the first ballot in January, 2008. AT&T will continue to set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year’s winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25-percent of the final results ? more than any other national college basketball award. In January, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its preseason list to the Top-30 players in the nation. Those players will be eligible for the final ballot in March. In April, the Naismith Trophy winner will be recognized at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
NEVADA’S SITTON SELECTED AS CANDIDATE FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Nevada senior forward Andrea Sitton has been selected as one of the 30 initial candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for the 2007-08 basketball season. The award ? presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student- Athlete of the Year in eight sports ? focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. Lowe’s, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, will award the winner with a trophy during NCAA Final Four. This season, Sitton has played in all nine of Nevada’s games, helping the Pack to a 6-3 overall mark. She is a three-time Academic All-WAC honoree and has a 3.68 GPA in elementary education, and was named to the Dean’s List in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2008. Sitton has participated in a number of community service activities including, the X-Treme Ability Challenge (2004), Race for the Cure (2004-07), the Heart Walk (2005-06), Renown Seniors’ Day (2007) and the Girl’s and Women in Sports Day (2004-06). She has also been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) since 2004 and is a member of several clubs including Interadversity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Champions for Christ. From the list of 30 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in January 2008. Those ten names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient. Prior recipients of the women’s award include Sue Bird of Connecticut (2002), LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State (2003), Alana Beard of Duke (2004), Kendra Wecker of Kansas State (2005), Seimone Augustus of LSU (2006) and Alison Bales of Duke (2007).
BOISE STATE FAVORED IN PRESEASON POLLS
Boise State, the 2006-07 Western Athletic Conference regular season co-champion and tournament title winner, was selected as the favorite by both the coaches and the media in the WAC preseason polls. The Broncos received seven of the nine first-place votes in the coaches poll and nine of the 15 top votes in the media poll.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAMS ANNOUNCED
Along with the preseason polls, the coaches and media also voted on preseason all-WAC teams. Both the coaches and media selected Boise State junior guard Jessica Thompson, the 2007 WAC Tournament MVP, as the WAC’s preseason Player of the Year. Thompson was also selected to both the coaches and media’s first team all-WAC.
In the coaches poll, junior Nevada guard Dellena Criner and Hawai’i senior forward Tanya Smith, 2006-07 first team all-WAC honorees, also earned spots on the preseason team. New Mexico State forward Sherell Neal and Fresno State guard Tierre Wilson round out the first team. Second-team selections include Shanavia Dowdell (Louisiana Tech), Brandi Fitzgerald (Nevada), Tasha Harris (Boise State), Katie Madison (Idaho) and Taylor Richards (Utah State).
The media’s all-WAC team included Thompson, Criner, Neal, Madison, and Wilson.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2008 WAC TOURNAMENT
Lac Cruces and New Mexico State University will host the 2008 WAC Tournament, March 11-15. It will be the second year in a row that the event will be held at the Pan American Center. The tournament features all nine men’s and women’s teams. Boise State defeated host New Mexico State in last year’s tournament championship game, 49-46.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
The WAC has several key non-conference matchups this season. WAC teams could play at least 18 teams that advanced to either the NCAA Tournament or the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) last season. WAC teams will face one team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (Arizona State), one team that reached the Final Four (LSU) and Louisiana Tech will face defending national champion, Tennessee.
Games vs. 2006-07 Postseason Teams:
California def. Fresno State, 83-79, 11/9
Oregon def. San Jose State, 67-32, 11/10
Boise State def. Montana, 67-61, 11/11
Hawai?i def. Washington, 80-75, 11/16
BYU def. Fresno State, 59-87 11/17
Gonzaga def. Nevada, 55-93, 11/17
Western Kentucky def. La. Tech, 87-76, 11/20
Nevada def. Stephen F. Austin, 64-55, 11/22
Oklahoma State def. Fresno State, 87-73, 11/24
Tennessee def. La. Tech, 81-60, 11/26
Idaho State def. Utah State, 69-60, 11/28
Utah def. Fresno State, 82-58, 12/1
New Mexico State def. New Mexico, 58-42, 12/2
Nevada def. Idaho State, 74-66, 12/2
New Mexico State def. BYU, 54-52, 12/5
Boise State def. Washington, 88-66, 12/7
Nevada def. UC Riverside, 62-52, 12/9
Mississippi State def. La. Tech, 63-50, 12/13
Montana def. Idaho, 77-52, 12/15
Utah def. Utah State, 70-38, 12/15
Arizona State def. Fresno State, 79-49, 12/17
LSU def. Louisiana Tech, 76-45, 12/16
New Mexico def. New Mexico St., 62-56, 12/21
Boise State def. Idaho State, 78-74, 12/29
BYU def. Utah State, 70-64, 12/29
Fresno State def. UC Riverside, 68-67, 12/29