DENVER ? Louisiana Tech forward Shanavia Dowdell has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for March 1-8. This is the second WAC Player of the Week honor in a row for Dowdell and her fourth of the season.
The junior from Calera, Ala., led the Techsters to a pair of wins last week and a share of the WAC regular-season title. Louisiana Tech, the No. 2 seed in this week’s WAC Tournament presented by Verizon Wireless, have won seven in a row. In an 80-62 win over Fresno State, Dowdell recorded her 15th double-double of the season with 24 points and 16 rebounds. She also blocked three shots. In Tech’s 78-69 win over New Mexico State, Dowdell scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for her WAC-leading 16th double-double of the year. For the week, she averaged 26.5 points on 55 percent shooting, 16.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Other nominees included: Jaleesa Ross of Fresno State averaged 14.7 points on 52 percent shooting from the field and 47 percent from three-point range ... Idaho’s Yinka Olorunnife averaged a double-double ? 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds on the week ... Cherlanda Franklin of Nevada averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds as the Wolf Pack went 2-0 on the week ... New Mexico State’s Madison Spence averaged 13.5 points and 3.0 assists on the week ... Natalie White of San Jose State scored 19 points on 78 percent shooting and grabbed six rebounds in the Spartans’ only game last week ... Utah State’s Ana Pares averaged 11.5 points as the Aggies went 1-1 on the week.