TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (19-6, 11-2 WAC)
Boise State enters the week tied for first place in the Western Athletic Conference standings at 11-2 ... they won their lone game last week defeating arch-rival Idaho 74-40 in Boise to improve to 19-6 overall ... The Broncos will try to hit the 20 win plateau for the second straight year when they host their final two home games of the season this week against San Jose State Thursday night and Hawai’i on Saturday ... Boise State has won 11 games in a row and 14 straight at home, the nation’s seventh longest active home win streak ... The Broncos feature the WAC’s top and the nation’s 18th 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 16.6, WAC high for points, and 14.6 points respectively.
Fresno State Bulldogs (16-10, 11-2 WAC)
19-6 in the month of February under coach Adrian Wiggins ... Ross has hit a 3-pointer in 17 straight games ... Adrian Wiggins coached his 100th game as a Fresno State coach on Sunday at Utah State ... Erica Henry had a career high 15 rebounds at Utah State ... Tierre Wilson moved into 8th place on the Fresno State All-time scoring list with her nine points at Utah State
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (10-15, 4-8 WAC)
After having a week off, Hawai?i was back in action last week against Fresno State and San Jose State ... The Rainbow Wahine split the games on the week, falling 75-62 in a back-and-forth game to Fresno State at home ... The team then rebounded with a 61-47 victory against San Jose State ... senior Tanya Smith led the Rainbow Wahine through the two games, averaging 13.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game ... newcomer Tara Hittle also averaged double digits on the week at 12.5 points a contest ... Hittle also averaged 10.0 rebounds over the two games.
Idaho Vandals (2-23, 1-12 WAC)
The University of Idaho women’s basketball team tried to replicate its near-upset of rival Boise State from three weeks ago, but the Vandal offense got stuck in neutral and Idaho lost 74-40 at Boise ... with the loss, the Vandals slip to 2-23 on the season and 1-12 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Broncos move up to 19-6 and 11-2 in the WAC ... he game ended a grueling three-game road stretch that saw the Vandals head to each of the top three teams in the WAC in three consecutive games ... The Vandals have also been unable to shake the cold-shooting bug over the past three contests and the offense has suffered. Katie Madison was Idaho’s scoring leader with 11, but was just five-of-16 from the field. Yinka Olorunnife was the only other Vandal to make more than three shots on the night. She was three-of-eight from the floor with eight points and seven rebounds.
La Tech Lady Techsters (12-13, 6-6 WAC)
The Lady Techsters had last week off but get back into action this week against as they host Utah State and Nevada on Feb. 28 and March 1, respectively ... JoKeirra Sneed is tied for the most double-doubles in the league with 17 ... Sneed also leads the league with 18 double digit rebound games ... The Lady Techsters have won two of their last three games.
Nevada Wolf Pack (18-8, 9-4 WAC)
Nevada’s loss at Utah State on Feb. 21 marked the first time this season Nevada held an opponent to under 60 points (56) but lost the game ... six of Brandi Fitzgerald’s 11 double-digit scoring games have come on the road ... with three 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) ... Dellena Criner, who scored five points at Utah State on Feb. 21 moved into 6th on Nevada’s all-time scoring list with 1,098 career points ... Nevada will closeout its three-game road trip at New Mexico State and La Tech this Thursday at Saturday.
New Mexico State Aggies (19-6, 9-3 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 30 more rebounds to accomplish the feat ... New Mexico State is one win away from recording its 10 season with 10 or more victories ... The Aggies put to test their 10-game home winning streak this weekend with games against Nevada (2/28) and Fresno State (3/1) ... if NMSU can win both of those games they will tie the program record for most home victories in a single season, as the Aggies are 13-1 at home this year ... New Mexico State is 15-3 this year when leading at the half and 14-3 when shooting over 40 percent from the field ... NMSU is 7-0 in Thursday games this season.
San Jose Spartans (2-24, 1-12 WAC)
San Jose State went 0-2 last week against New Mexico State at home and Hawai?i on the road ... The Spartans dropped an 81-65 decision at home to the Aggies ... the team then fell 61-47 at Hawai?i ... Natalie White and Myosha Barnes led the Spartans in scoring on the week, averaging 11.5 points each ... Brittany Powell and Alisha Hicks fronted the team in the rebounding cateogory at 5.0 rebounds per game each.
Utah State Aggies (9-16, 5-8 WAC)
Utah State went 2-0 on the week defeating Nevada, 56-48, Thursday and upset the Western Athletic Conference leader, Fresno State, 44-40, Sunday ... USU is currently on a three-game winning streak ... the win against Nevada evens the series at four-all between the Aggies and the Wolf Pack, while the win Utah State picks up its second win in the series against Fresno State, as the Bulldogs lead, 4-2 ... Thursday was the sixth time that four USU players have posted double-digits this season, as senior forward Jenny Gross led the way with 13 points while classmate Taylor Richards posted 12 points. Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro tallied 11 and senior guard Jamelah Brown tossed in 10 ... against Fresno State, Brown netted scored the Aggies last four points of the game, as she netted 12 points, while Gross ended up two points shy of her career-high with 17 points. Freshman forward Alice Coddington and Brown tied for a team-high rebounding honors with seven each, a new career-high for Coddington.
WAC NOTES
UTAH STATE’S GROSS NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah State senior center Jenny Gross has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her play during the week of Feb. 18-Feb. 24.
Gross, from Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue HS), led Utah State to a 2-0 record last week, helping the Aggies to a 54-48 win over Nevada and a 44-40 victory against WAC leader Fresno State. Gross dropped in 13 points against Nevada and was just two points shy of a career high with 17 points against Fresno State. On the week, Gross averaged 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while adding three assists and three blocks. She also hit 12-of-21 (.571) shots from the field and connected on 6-of-8 (.750) free throws.
Other nominees included: Boise State sophomore center Ja’Lara Walker recorded her second consecutive double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Idaho ... Fresno State senior Erica Henry posted a career-high 15 rebounds in a loss at Utah State ... New Mexico State senior forward Anikia Jawara tallied 19 points and five rebounds in a win against San Jose State.
WAC RACE TO CLOSE TO CALL
Boise State and Fresno State are now tied atop the Western Athletic Conference standings with identical 11-2 records. Fresno State had been perched all alone on top of the WAC standings for five-straight weeks before falling to Utah State this past week and moving into a tie with Boise State. The Broncos, who have won 11 consecutive games, find themselves on top of the league standings for the first time this season. Fresno State and Boise State split the season series this year with each team winning on its home floor. New Mexico State sits closely behind in third place with a 9-3 record, followed by Nevada in fourth at 9-4. Louisiana Tech holds the fifth spot at 6-6, while Utah State now is sixth with a 5-8 mark. Hawai?i is seventh at 4-8, followed by Idaho and San Jose State tied for seventh at 1-12.
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 HOLDS NATIONS SEVENTH-LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
This season, the home team has dominated WAC play. WAC teams are 38-19 (.666) at home in conference play. In conference play, the top four teams are a combined 25-1 at home. Overall, the WAC is 67-47 (.588) at home this season. Boise State has been the most impressive team on its own hardwood, compiling a perfect 11-0 record. The Broncos have won 14 straight at Taco Bell Arena dating back to last season. The streak of 14 home wins ranks as the seventh-longest home win streak in the nation. New Mexico State has also found success at home with a 13-1 mark at the Pan American Center. NMSU ranks tied for 11th nationally with 10 consecutive home wins. Nevada has also been tough at home this season with a 12-2 mark in Reno.
BRONCOS 11-GAME WIN STREAK RANKS 11th NATIONALLY
Boise State has now won 11 consecutive games dating back to a Jan. 12 victory at Louisiana Tech. Boise State’s last loss was a 79-65 setback at New Mexico State on Jan. 10. The 11-game win streak is the 11th-longest win streak in the nation. Chattanooga holds the nation’s longest win streak at 20 games.
WAC FEATURES THREE OF THE TOP-21 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 11.9 boards per game. Louisiana Tech senior forward JoKeirra Sneed ranks 13th 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 second-most rebounds recorded in a single game this season. Smith is the only WAC 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 31.2 points per game--the most points among any two teammates in the Western Athletic Conference. Harris leads the WAC in scoring at 16.6 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 three 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 closes the season with road games at New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech before closing the season out at home against Fresno State.
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 30 more rebounds to accomplish the feat. As a member of the WAC, Neal has 1,103 points and 777 rebounds. The 777 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 49 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 Jaleesa Ross has caught fire from long range, connecting on a shot from beyond the arc in 16-straight games. Boise State’s Tasha Harris has hit a three in 12-straight games. Louisiana Tech’s Tarkeisha Wysinger has hit 12-straight free throws. Louisiana Tech’s Sneed has recorded 12-straight double digit scoring games.
LOTS OF STEALS
Nevada senior Cherlanda Franklin recorded 11 steals against Hawai?i on Jan. 12. The mark ranks nationally as the third-most steals recorded in a single game this season.
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 13.1 per game. Individually, Hawai?i center Tanya Smith ranks second nationally in rebounding at 11.9 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
Hawai?i senior Tanya Smith and Louisiana Tech senior JoKeirra Sneed currently lead the WAC with 17 double-doubles each this season. Sneed’s 17 double-doubles more than triples her double-double mark from last season. Sneed now has 20 career double-doubles. Smith’s 17 double-doubles surpasses her nine double-doubles from just a year ago. Smith and Sneed have recorded a double-double in all but eight games each this year. Smith now has 31 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 (64-79) 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 (65-35) picked up the milestone win at Long Beach State on Dec. 7. Hawai?i head coach Jim Bolla (54-54) got win 50 at home against UC Irvine on Dec. 29. Head Coach Kim Gervasoni (59-88) 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 (58-30) 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 1,346 points, ranking her first among active players in the Western Athletic Conference. The 1,346 points ranks her eighth 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 1,237 career points and ranks eighth 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 1,143 points, ranking her eighth 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 1,107 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 1,098 points, ranking her fifth. BSU’s Tasha Harris connected on her 1,000th point in a win over Fresno State on Jan. 28. Harris now has 1,099 points, which ranks her ninth 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).
WATCH OUT FOR THE WAC
With six of the top 10 scorers returning from the 2006-07 season, the Western Athletic Conference is set for another exciting women’s basketball season. Katie Madison of Idaho (19.1) and Sherell Neal of New Mexico State (15.7) return as the top two scorers from just a season ago. 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.
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.
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
2007 WAC TOURNAMENT RECAP
Boise State won its first conference tournament title in history with a 49-46 come-from-behind win over host New Mexico State at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The win in front of 5,905 fans earned the Broncos an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as the WAC’s representative. The victory also completed a sweep of the WAC’s regular season and tournament titles for Boise State as they set a new school record for most wins in a season, improving to 24-8 overall.