FRESNO STATE’S MOORE NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State sophomore guard Ki-Ki Moore has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for Nov. 21-27. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor of her career for Moore.
The San Francisco, Calif., native averaged 24.0 points on 68 percent shooting (17-of-25), including an 80 percent clip (4-of-5) from three-point range, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as the Bulldogs captured the SMU Hoops for the Cure tournament title last week. Moore was named tournament MVP after the ‘Dogs went 2-0 with wins over Tennessee State and the host Mustangs. She opened the week with team highs of 20 points and eight rebounds against the Golden Eagles. Against SMU, Moore tied her career high with 28 points and added five assists, three steals and three boards.
Other nominees included: Hawai‘i’s Breanna Arbuckle averaged 14.0 points on 62 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game on the week ... Alyssa Charlston of Idaho averaged 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds ... Louisiana Tech’s Kiara Young averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds. 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game last week ... Kate Kevorken of Nevada averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game on the week ... New Mexico State’s Tabytha Wampler averaged 15.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game ... Brittany Johnson of San Jose State averaged 23.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on the week ... Utah State’s Brooke Jackson averaged 19.0 points on 71 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals as the Aggies went 2-0 on the week.
ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS TO HOST WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2012 WAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 7-10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. It will be the second year in a row the tournament has been at the Orleans. The tournament features all eight men’s and women’s teams.
LOUISIANA TECH FAVORED IN PRESEASON POLLS
Louisiana Tech, which won the WAC regular-season title last year, was the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference in both the coaches and media polls.
In the coaches poll, the Lady Techsters received 47 points and five first-place votes to beat out Utah State for the top spot. The Aggies captured second place with 40 points and two first-place votes. Fresno State came in third with 36 points and received the other first-place vote.
In the media poll, Louisiana Tech 13 first-place votes, earning 144 points. Meanwhile, Fresno State was picked to finish second with 129 points and three first-place votes, just ahead of Utah State in third place with 126 points and the other three first-place votes.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAMS
The coaches and media also voted on preseason all-WAC teams. Both the coaches and media selected Utah State senior Ashlee Brown as the WAC’s preseason Player of the Year.
Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches All-WAC Teams
First Team
Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech
Ashlee Brown, Utah State
Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech
Rosie Moult, Fresno State
Kayla Williams, Nevada
Second Team
Devyn Christensen, Utah State
Kamilah Jackson, Hawai‘i
Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Hawai‘i
Taylor Thompson, Fresno State
Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State
Preseason Women’s Basketball Media All-WAC Teams
First Team
Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech
Ashlee Brown, Utah State
Kamilah Jackson, Hawai‘i
Rosie Moult, Fresno State
Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State
Second Team
Shantale Bramble-Donaldson, Louisiana Tech
Amanda Johnson, Nevada
Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech
Taylor Thompson, Fresno State
Kayla Williams, Nevada
WAC STAT LEADERS
Utah State’s Ashlee Brown currently leads the WAC in scoring with 19.7 points per game. Tabytha Wampler of New Mexico State is tops in rebounding with an average of 11.0 boards. Nevada’s Kate Kevorken leads the WAC in field goal percentage (.605), while Utah State’s Maddy Plunkett is tops in three-point field goal percentage (.545). Nevada’s Danika Sharp is tops in free throw percentage (1.000), while Fresno State’s Rosie Moult and San Jose State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan are the leaders in steals (2.5). Breanna Arbuckle of Hawai‘i is tops in blocked shots (1.43) and Louisiana Tech’s Jasmine Bendolph leads the league in assists (5.17) and minutes played (37.0). Taylor Thompson of Fresno State leads the WAC in assist-turnover ratio (1.92), while Moult leads the league with 3.33 three-pointers per game.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
WAC teams have several key non-conference matchups this season, including games against at least 26 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament or the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) last season.
TOP PLAYERS RETURNING
A total of three players from all-WAC first and second teams return this season. Utah State’s Ashlee Brown is the lone returner from the first team, while Louisiana Tech’s Jasmine Bendolph and Fresno State’s Rosie Moult return from the second team. None of the All-Defensive Team return, while four of the five All-Freshman Team honorees return.