Boise State Broncos (21-6, 13-2 WAC)
Boise State enters the week in first place of the WAC standings at 13-2 and a league best 21-6 overall record ... BSU is coming off a pair of wins to close their home schedule last week ... this week the Broncos hit the road for the regular season finale at Utah State Thursday night ... a victory in Logan, Utah would assure Boise State a share of their second consecutive WAC championship ... BSU has two streaks running with 13 consecutive wins, eighth longest in the NCAA, and 16 straight home victories, sixth longest in the nation ... Tasha Harris continues to lead the Broncos in scoring at 16.2 points per game ... Ja’Lara Walker recorded the second best single game performance in school history against San Jose State with a career-high 21 points and a school record 23 rebounds.
Fresno State Bulldogs (17-10, 12-2 WAC)
Hayley Munro had a career night of 19 points and 10 rebounds and hit a half court buzzer beater as time expired in overtime to beat New Mexico State 85-84 ... the shot was featured on ESPN SportsCenter’s top plays ... the senior class of Tierre Wilson and Erica Henry is the second winningest class in school history as they have a 79-42 record in their four years at Fresno State ... The Bulldogs are beating teams by an average of 21 points in home WAC game ... in the months of February and March the Bulldogs are 24-7 under coach Adrian Wiggins ... Jaleesa Ross has hit a 3-pointer in 18 straight games and has hit at least three in 14 of the 18 game ... The Bulldogs are looking to win their first conference championship in school history.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (11-16, 5-9 WAC)
Saundra Cariaga averaged 14.0 points per game as the Rainbow Wahine went 1-1 on the road last week ... Cariaga was a perfect 11-for-11 on free throws over the two games. Against Idaho, Cariaga had 13 points in the victory, including 9 of 9 on free throws ... against Boise State, Cariaga scored a game-high 15 points in a road loss ... Megan Tinnin also averaged double digits last week at 13.5 points per game ... Tanya Smith led the Rainbow Wahine on the boards, pulling down 12.0 rebounds per game last week ... Hawai?i will close out its regular season at home against Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State.
Idaho Vandals (3-24, 2-13 WAC)
The Vandals went 1-1 at home last week, falling 67-54 to Hawai?i before defeating San Jose State, 77-66 ... Katie Madison led the team on the week, averaging 24.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game ... in the 77-66 victory over San Jose State on Saturday, Madison scored a team season-high 28 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 12-of-15 from the free throw line ... she shot 15-of-30 (.500) from the field and 18-of-26 (.692) from the free throw line for the weekend ... Madison now has eight 20-point games this season, six of which have come in the WAC season ... the Vandals will close out the regular season at Utah State on Saturday.
La Tech Lady Techsters (14-13, 8-6 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went 2-0 last week, defeating Utah State, 62-47, and Nevada, 70-64 ... JoKeirra Sneed led the Lady Techsters on the week, averaging 13.5 points per contest ... She also fronted the team in rebounding at 10.5 boards per game ... Both Shanavia Dowdell and Tarkeisha Wysinger averaged double figure scoring at 12.0 and 11.0 points per game, respectively ... The team will close out regular season play this week on the road against Hawai?i and San Jose State.
Nevada Wolf Pack (18-10, 9-6 WAC)
With one regular season game remaining, Nevada is 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) ... freshman Johnna Ward made her first career start at New Mexico State on Feb. 28 ... She is the only freshman to start for Nevada this season ... senior Sabrina Keys grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds at New Mexico State on Feb. 28 ... Nevada’s game on March 8 will mark the final regular season home game for the Pack’s five seniors, Coty Feest, Sabrina Keys, Andrea Sitton, Mikail Price and Jessica Cox ... Dellena Criner scored a game-high 29 points at La Tech on March 1. The 29 points she scored was four points off tying her career high (33 points).
New Mexico State Aggies (20-7, 10-4 WAC)
New Mexico State’s 11-game home winning streak came to an end Saturday with a one-point overtime loss to Fresno State ... junior guard Tyshae Walton had a career-high 24 points on March 1 ... NMSU has reached the 20-win plateau for the 10th time in school history ... The Aggies are 6-0 when coming off a loss this year ... The Aggies play Fresno State Thursday, March 6 for the second of back-to-back games against the Bulldogs and this is the 11th time in program history that New Mexico State has played a team in consecutive games in a single-season ... The Aggies are shooting 44.9 percent from the field in their last 10 games.
San Jose Spartans (2-26, 1-14 WAC)
Natalie White had a strong two games last week for San Jose State ... she averaged 21.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in the two games played. White scored a career-high 27 points at Boise State, including 19 in the first half ... she was 8-of-17 from the field including 4-of-6 from three-point range, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds ... against Idaho, White scored 16 points and had two blocked shots and two steals ... White has 50 made three-pointers for the season which ties for the fifth-highest total by a Spartan in a single season ... she is also now fourth all-time in three-pointers made with 115, passing Cricket Williams who had 114 from 2001-04 ... Brittany Imaku just moved into the San Jose State career assists leaders last weekend and enters Saturday night’s game with 242 assists, good for 10th place.
Utah State Aggies (9-17, 5-9 WAC)
Utah State fell at Louisiana Tech, 62-47, Thursday in Ruston, La. ... the loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Aggies ... senior forward Jenny Gross scored a team-high 14 points and pulled down five rebounds ... senior forward Jamelah Brown scored 10 points, while senior guard Taylor Richards tossed in 10 and tied a career-high with eight rebounds ... The Aggies will close out regular season play this week at home against Boise State and Idaho.
WAC NOTES
FRESNO STATE’S MUNRO NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State freshman Hayley Munro has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her play during the week of Feb. 25-March 2. Munro, from Montmorency, Victoria, Australia (Lake Ginniderra), kept Fresno State in the hunt for a WAC regular season title by hitting a beyond half-court shot at the buzzer in overtime to beat New Mexico State 85-84. Munro had a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds in the game. She connected on 7-of-13 (.538) shots from the field and played a career-high 33 minutes. Munro also hit 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc, including the buzzer beater. She was perfect at the free throw line (2-of-2), and also tallied four assists and a block.
Other nominees included: Boise State sophomore center Ja’Lara Walker led the Broncos to a pair of home wins last week, averaging 17.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. Walker broke a 33-year old BSU record for rebounds in a game with 23 ... Hawai?i senior Saundra Cariaga averaged 14.0 points with a perfect 11-of-11 performance at the free throw line as UH went 1-1 ... Idaho sophomore Katie Madison helped the Vandals go 1-1 last week, averaging 24.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game ... New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal averaged 17.5 points and 13.0 rebounds at the Aggies went 1-1 last week.
.....AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
Heading into this week’s games, Boise State sits atop the WAC standings with a 13-2 record, just a half game ahead of Fresno State, which holds a 12-2 mark. With just one game remaining, Boise State could clinch at least a share of the league’s regular season crown with a win at Utah State on Thursday. Fresno State also controls its destiny this week as a pair of wins would at least clinch a share of the regular season title. However, others stand in the way of the accomplishment, including New Mexico State, who currently sits in third place with a 10-4 record. NMSU could position itself into a tie for second place at the end of the week with a pair of wins, coupled with two Fresno State losses. Nevada currently sits in fourth at 9-6, followed by Louisiana Tech in fifth at 8-6. Both Nevada and Louisiana Tech could finish as high as a tie for third in the regular season standings at the end of the week, depending on other outcomes. Hawai?i and Utah State are currently tied for sixth place in the WAC standings with 5-9 records. Idaho is eighth at 2-13, followed by San Jose State in ninth at 1-14.
TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES FOR WAC TOURNAMENT SEEDS
14. Tie-Breaking Principles
a. General Procedures
The following procedures are to be used to determine seeding for a Conference tournament or to establish the automatic qualifier to an NCAA Championship subject to any sport regulation tie-breakers.
[1] Ties for all places in the standings (between two teams or three or more teams) which can be broken based upon head-to-head competition are broken before the implementation of further tie-breaking procedures.
[2] If more than two teams are tied, the three or more tie-breaking procedures shall be implemented. If only two teams are tied, the two-team tie-breaking procedures shall be implemented.
[3] In the case of ties for more than one place, the first tie broken is that of the highest place (i.e., first place, second place, etc.) and continue downward through the standings.
[4] If the tie is for first place and cannot be broken by a head-to-head results, compare the tied teams’ winning percentage against the next highest finishing team and continue through the standings. The team with the best winning percentage against the next highest-finishing team or group of tied teams advances.
If the tie is for any position other than first place, the comparison shall begin at the top of the standings.
[5] Once a tied team has been placed in a position/seed, that team shall be included in all further comparisons of other tied teams from the position/seed in which it has been placed.
b. Tie-Breaking Procedures
[1] Two-Way Tie:
[i] The winner of the head-to-head competition is the higher seed.
[ii] If the tie is for first place, compare the tied teams’ records against the next highest finishing team and continue through the standings. The team with the best record/winning percentage against the next highest finishing team or group of tied teams advances. If the tie is for any position other than first place, the comparison shall begin at the top of the standings.Regulations
[iii] If a tie still remains, the Conference office shall conduct a draw. The drawn team shall receive the higher seed.
[2] Three or More-Way Tie. Once a tie has been reduced to two teams, the two-team tie-breaker is implemented.
[i] Compare the records of the tied teams against each other. The team(s) with the best record(s) versus the other tied teams receives the higher seed or advances to the next tie-breaker; the team with the next best record versus the other tied teams receives the next highest seed or advances to the next tie breaker, etc.
[ii] If the tie is for first place, compare the tied teams’ records against the next highest finishing team and continue through the standings. The team with the best record against the next highest-finishing team or group of tied teams advances. If the tie is for any position other than first place the comparison shall begin at the top of the standings.
[iii] If a tie still remains, the Conference office shall conduct a draw. The first team drawn shall receive
the higher seed, the second team drawn shall receive the next highest seed, etc.
[iv] Men and Women’s Basketball Only. If a tie still remains, the institution with the highest RPI following the conclusion of the WAC’s regular season shall receive the higher seed (replaces iii above).
The official NCAA RPI shall be used, if available. If not, CollegeRPI.com shall be used. [5/06]
FIRST-EVER WAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAY UP TOUR OFF FINDS SUCCESS
The WAC 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. The average WAC home attendance for the 2007-08 season is 10,244. At WAC Play Up Tour stops this season, WAC home attendance was a combined 15,690.
NEW MEXICO STATE AND BOISE STATE REACH 20-WIN MARK, NEVADA ALMOST THERE
Boise State and New Mexico State have each recorded at least 20 wins on the season. BSU picked up its 20th victory against San Jose State on Feb. 28. The milestone marks the first ever back-to-back 20-win seasons in program history and only the fifth all-time for the Broncos. New Mexico State reached win No. 20 of the season as they beat Nevada 70-49 at the Pan American Center on Feb. 28. It is the first time the Aggies have reached 20 wins since the 1995-96 season when they went 20-10. It is the 10th time in school history that NMSU has reached the 20-win plateau. 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).
MUNRO’S BEHIND HALF COURT SHOT MAKES SPORTSCENTER’S TOP PLAYS
Fresno State’s Hayley Munro connected on a shot from behind half court as the buzzer sounded to defeat New Mexico State 85-84 in overtime on March 1. The shot was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Monday, Mar. 3 as the No. 8 top play from the weekend.
HOME IS WHERE THE WAC WINS ARE, BOISE STATE HOLDS NATIONS SIXTH-LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
This season, the home team has dominated WAC play. WAC teams are 44-21 (.677) at home in conference play. In conference play, the top four teams are a combined 28-2 at home. Overall, the WAC is 73-49 (.598) at home this season. Boise State has been the most impressive team on its own hardwood, compiling a perfect 13-0 record. The Broncos have won 16 straight at Taco Bell Arena dating back to last season. The streak of 16 home wins is tied for the sixth-longest home win streak in the nation. New Mexico State has also found success at home with a 14-2 mark at the Pan American Center. Nevada has also been tough at home this season with a 12-2 mark in Reno.
BRONCOS 13-GAME WIN STREAK RANKS SEVENTH NATIONALLY
Boise State has now won 13 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 13-game win streak is the seventh-longest win streak in the nation. Chattanooga holds the nation’s longest win streak at 21 games.
WAC FEATURES THREE OF THE TOP-15 REBOUNDERS IN THE NATION
The Western Athletic Conference currently features three of the top-15 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 11th in the nation at 10.3 rebounds per game. New Mexico State senior forward Sherell Neal averages 10.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 14th nationally.
HAWAI?I’S SMITH TIES ALL-TIME WAC SINGLE-GAME REBOUND MARK, BSU’S WALKER BREAKS SCHOOL’S SINGLE-GAME REBOUNDING 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. Boise State’s Ja’Lara Walker is the only other player in the WAC this season to pull down at least 20 rebounds this season. Walker recorded 23 rebounds, which broke a 33-year old school record for rebounds in a game dating back to February 27, 1975 when former Bronco Diane Westbrook had 21 against Eastern Oregon.
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 30.4 points per game--the most points among any two teammates in the Western Athletic Conference. Harris ranks second in the WAC in scoring at 16.2 points per game. Thompson ranks seventh in the league at 14.2 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 nine 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.
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 four more rebounds to accomplish the feat. As a member of the WAC, Neal has 1,138 points and 803 rebounds. The 803 rebounds ranks seventh all-time on the WAC career records charts.
STREAKIN’
New Mexico State’s Sherell Neal has pulled down five or more rebounds in 51 consecutive games dating back to last season. Louisiana Tech’s JoKeirra Sneed has recorded five or more boards in 26-straight games. Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross has caught fire from long range, connecting on a shot from beyond the arc in 17-straight games. Boise State’s Tasha Harris has hit a three in 14-straight games. Hawai?i’s Saundra Cariaga has hit 19-straight free throws. Louisiana Tech’s Sneed has recorded 14-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 program’s 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 76-68 win over Texas State on Nov. 24. The Aggies join Louisiana Tech as the second team in the Western Athletic Conference with 300 victories in their home arena. The Aggies currently hold a 311-136 all-time mark at the Pan American Center.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Teams from the WAC rank 50th or better in eight team statistical categories and seven individual categories. Fresno State holds the highest team national ranking, coming in a third in the nation with 8.1 threes per game. Nevada ranks sixth in steals at 12.9 per game. Individually, Hawai?i center Tanya Smith ranks second nationally in rebounding at 11.9 per game.
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 second-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 18 double-doubles each this season. Sneed’s 18 double-doubles more than triples her double-double mark from last season. Sneed now has 21 career double-doubles. Smith’s 18 double-doubles surpasses her nine double-doubles from just a year ago. Smith now has 32 career double-double performances. The current career double-double leader in the WAC is New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal, who has 38 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 (65-80) 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 (66-35) picked up the milestone win at Long Beach State on Dec. 7. Hawai?i head coach Jim Bolla (55-55) got win 50 at home against UC Irvine on Dec. 29. Head Coach Kim Gervasoni (59-90) 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 (57-31) got the win at home against Idaho on Jan. 9. Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell (60-30) 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 1,381 points, ranking her first among active players in the Western Athletic Conference. The 1,381 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 1,256 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 1,162 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 1,114 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 1,136 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 1,23 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 452-38 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.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS FROM 06-07
Six of the top 10 scorers returned for the 2007-08 season, including the top two scorers, Katie Madison of Idaho (19.1) and Sherell Neal of New Mexico State (15.7). Nevada’s Dellena Criner, who was fourth in scoring (14.6) and Tierre Wilson who as fifth in scoring (14.4) returned this season. Boise State’s Jessica Thompson, who was seventh in scoring during the 06-07 season, averaging 13.7 ppg also returned along with New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara who was eighth (13.1). Seven of the top 10 rebound leaders returned this season. Neal was the leading returning rebounder with a 10.8 rpg average last season (first in the WAC). Hawai?i’s Tanya Smith was second in rebounding during 06-07, averaging 9.2 rpg. Other returning rebounds leaders included: Idaho’s Katie Madison (8.9), New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara (7.5), San Jose State’s Brittany Powell (6.4), Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson (6.4) and Idaho’s Sara Dennehy (6.4).
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
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.