FRESNO STATE CLAIMS SECOND CONSECUTIVE WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE
Top-seeded Fresno State repeated as WAC Tournament champion after a 56-49 win over third-seeded Nevada in the title game. Tournament MVP Jaleesa Ross led the Bulldogs with 22 points and nine rebounds in the championship game, becoming the only player in WAC history to earn the award in back-to-back years. With the win, Fresno State improved to 24-8 on the season, tying the school record for wins and becoming the first team to repeat as tournament champions since Louisiana Tech did it in 2003 and 2004.
All-Tournament Team
Dellena Criner, Nevada
Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech
Joh-Teena Filipe, Fresno State
Shavon Moore, Nevada
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State (MVP)
BULLDOGS TO COMPETE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Fresno State will make its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance when the 13th-seeded Bulldogs take on No. 4-seed California in the first round of the California Regional on Saturday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The Bulldogs (24-8 overall, 12-4 WAC) are making their second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Fresno State is coming off its WAC Tournament title win, a 56-49 victory over Nevada Saturday in Reno, Nev. The Bulldogs swept the WAC titles after sharing the regular-season WAC championship with Louisiana Tech. The winner of the Fresno State-California game will play the winner of the Virginia/Marist game on Monday.
LOUISIANA TECH TO HOST SMU IN WNIT FIRST ROUND
Louisiana Tech will host SMU in the first round of the WNIT Thursday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Tech’s appearance in the postseason WNIT will be the program’s first. Louisiana Tech (20-12) earned the automatic bid out of the WAC by virtue of its share of the WAC regular-season championship. Although the Lady Techsters fell to Nevada 91-88 in overtime in the semifinals of the 2009 WAC Tournament last week, they earned the spot in the WNIT after top-seed Fresno State captured the WAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. SMU (20-11, 12-4 CUSA) was the Conference USA regular-season champion, but lost to Central Florida in the semifinals of the CUSA Tournament. The winner of the contest between Louisiana Tech and SMU will go on the road to face Illinois State in the second round. The Redbirds were the regular-season champion out of the Missouri Valley Conference but lost to Evansville in the league tournament.
CRINER, DOWDELL NAMED REGIONAL FINALISTS FOR ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Nevada guard Dellena Criner and Louisiana Tech forward Shanavia Dowdell are two of 52 players named as regional finalists for the 2009 State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team. Criner and Dowdell earned spots on the All-Region 7 team, joining San Diego State guard Jene Morris and Utah guard Morgan Warburton. The State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team selection committee will review the 52 candidates and cut the list to 40 finalists on March 25. Those 40 finalists will be in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team.
FRESNO STATE SETS WAC RECORDS FOR THREE-POINTERS MADE, ATTEMPTED IN A SEASON
With at least one game remaining, Fresno State has already set the WAC records for three-point field goals made (305) and attempted (875). The previous records of 290 and 795, respectively, were held by the 1998-99 Colorado State team.
ROSS SETS FRESNO STATE SINGLE SEASON THREE-POINTERS RECORD
Fresno State sophomore Jaleesa Ross set the Fresno State single-season three-point record at the WAC Tournament last week. Ross captured the record when she hit the first of four treys at the 13:13 mark of the first half in the championship game against Nevada. The guard had tied the record the day before against Utah State. She now has 93 three-pointers this season for an average of 2.9 per game, good for seventh nationally.
Boise State Broncos (16-15, 9-7 WAC)
The Broncos fell 73-65 to Nevada in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament to close out an injury-laden season ... The game was close throughout with the largest lead being eight points held by both teams, but the Wolf Pack outscored the Broncos 11-2 in the final three minutes ... Nevada held off Boise State by hitting seven-of-eight free throws in the last 1:10 of the game ... Melissa Rima led the Broncos with 12 points, while Jamia Malone and Heather Pilcher added 11 points apiece ... The loss marked the first time Boise State failed to win its opening game at the WAC Tournament ... The Broncos’ 16-15 final record was its third straight winning season.
Fresno State Bulldogs (24-8, 12-4 WAC)
The Bulldogs went 3-0 at the WAC Tournament last week, defeating Hawai?i (65-50), Utah State (57-54) and Nevada (56-49) to claim its second-consecutive WAC Tournament title ... Jaleesa Ross was named tournament MVP after averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.0 assists over the three games, becoming the first player ever to earn the award in back-to-back seasons ... Joh-Teena Filipe was also named to the all-tournament team after averaging 11.7 rebounds and 8.7 points per game ... The Bulldogs face fourth-seeded California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles on Saturday ... Fresno State is 5-20 all-time vs. the Bears, including an 83-79 loss last season.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (8-23, 4-12 WAC)
The Rainbow Wahine defeated San Jose State 70-57 in the opening round of the WAC Tournament before falling 65-50 to top-seeded Fresno State in the quarterfinals ... In the win over the Spartans, Keisha Kanekoa scored a game-high 18 points, while Dita Liepkalne scored 12 points and added five rebounds ... The victory was Hawai?i’s first WAC Tournament win in six seasons ... Against the Bulldogs, Hawai?i held an early second-half lead before Fresno State rallied back to take the lead at the 18-minute mark. UH cut the lead to five with under 12 minutes left but couldn’t get any closer ... Megan Tinnin led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Idaho Vandals (13-15, 10-6 WAC)
The Vandals fell 59-58 in overtime to Utah State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, capping the best season in program history ... Idaho had two chances to take the lead, but committed a turnover with 13 seconds to go and missed a shot as time expired ... Derisa Taleni scored a game-high 24 points, while Yinka Olorunnife had 11 points and 13 boards for her 11th double-double of the season... Olorunnife grabbed her 300th rebound of the season in the loss, becoming the first Idaho player ever to surpass 300 boards in a season. She finished with 310 on the year, good for seventh all-time in the WAC. She also had 186 rebounds in WAC games, good for fourth all-time on the WAC single-season list.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (20-12, 12-4 WAC)
The Techsters went 1-1 at the WAC Tournament last week, defeating New Mexico State 81-68 in the quarterfinals before falling 91-88 in overtime to Nevada in the semifinals ... Shanavia Dowdell was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 19.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals over the two games ... The Techsters host SMU in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday ... It is Louisiana Tech’s first-ever appearance in the postseason WNIT ... Tech leads the all-time series with SMU 17-0, including a 9-0 mark in Ruston ... The winner will play at Illinois State in the second round.
Nevada Wolf Pack (18-14, 10-6 WAC)
The Pack defeated Boise State (73-65) and Louisiana Tech (91-88, OT) before falling 56-49 to Fresno State in the championship game of the WAC Tournament last week ... Dellena Criner and Shavon Moore were named to the all-tournament team. Criner averaged 18.7 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals over the three games, while Moore averaged 10.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals ... Criner is one of 52 players nationally to be named as regional finalists for the State Farm Coaches’ All-America team ... Criner closes out her career ranked in the top 10 at Nevada in seven career categories ? games played (124, 1st), steals (271, 1st), FTM (551, 2nd), assists (375, 3rd), FT% (.779, 3rd), scoring (1629, 4th) and 3FGM (124, 5th).
New Mexico State Aggies (9-22, 5-11 WAC)
The Aggies fell81-68 to Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament last week, ending a streak of three-straight appearances in the championship game ... New Mexico State shot 40 percent from the field in the game, but had 21 turnovers and gave up 26 offensive rebounds and 36 points in the pain to the Lady Techsters ... Tyshae Walton, Madison Spence and Danisha Corbett tallied 13 points apiece for the Aggies, while Walton, in her last game as an Aggie, set a new career high with eight rebounds ... Niki Holt rounded out her career ranked third all-time at New Mexico State with 116 career blocks ... Holt’s 61 blocks this season also rank third in the Aggies single-season list.
San Jose Spartans (2-28, 1-15 WAC)
The Spartans fell 70-57 to San Jose State in the opening round of the WAC Tournament last week ... Shaunna Ridge and Sayja Sumler led San Jose State with 12 points and Chasity Shavers added 10 points ... Ashley Brown nabbed six steals in the game to match the most steals in a game by a WAC player this season ... Natalie White closed out her career ranked first all-time at San Jose State in free throw percentage (.820), second in three-point field goals attempted (568), third in games played (118), fourth in three-point field goals made (164), sixth in field goals attempted (1273), seventh in scoring (1,229) and ninth in field goals made (437) ... White also ranks eighth in the WAC in career free throw percentage.
Utah State Aggies (16-15, 9-7 WAC)
The Aggies defeated Idaho 59-58 in overtime in the quarterfinals before falling 57-54 to eventual champion Fresno State in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament last week ... The win over Idaho, USU’s sixth overtime game of the season, gave the Aggies their first-ever WAC Tournament win ... Against Idaho, Danyelle Snelgro led USU with 15 points, while Ana Pares added 12 ... Snelgro paced the Aggies vs. the Bulldogs, scoring a team-high 11 points, while Amber White scored a career-high 10 ... Alice Coddington grabbed 10 boards in the loss ... Utah State concluded the season above .500 for the first time since the 1978-79 season ... Snelgro ended her career as Utah State’s all-time leader in steals (216) and ranked fifth in points (1,043).