SJSU’S CUNNIGAN NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
San Jose State sophomore guard Ta’Rea Cunnigan has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 12-18. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Winchester, Calif. native averaged 26.5 points on 54 percent shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 steals, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game as the Spartans went 1-1 on the week. Cunnigan opened the week with a career-high 25 points, six rebounds, six steals and three assists in an 81-72 win against Utah Valley. She then broke her career-high in scoring with 28 points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season at Evansville. She added team bests of five steals, three blocks and two assists.
Other nominees included: Morgan Van Riper-Rose of Denver averaged 14.5 points and 1.5 rebounds on the week ... New Mexico State’s Kelsie Rozendaal averaged 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as the Aggies went 1-1 on the week ... Ashley Ward of Seattle U averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.5 assists on the week ... Texas State’s Jasmine Baugas finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a win over North Texas ... Devyn Christensen of Utah State averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game on the week..
WAC STAT LEADERS
Texas State leads the WAC in scoring (85.0), field goal percentage (.435), three-point field goal percentage (.356), blocks (4.5) and assist-turnover ratio (0.82). UTSA is tops in scoring defense (38.2), scoring margin (22.8), field goal percentage defense (.261), three-point field goal percentage defense (.167) and turnover margin (8.75). Seattle U leads the WAC in rebounding (44.0), rebounding defense (32.3), rebounding margin (5.0) and assists (14.67). Utah State is tops in free throw percentage (85.3) and steals (15.67).
Individually, Utah State’s Devyn Christensen leads the WAC in scoring (23.0) and steals (5.33). Seattle U’s Kacie Sowell is tops in rebounding (10.7), while Frannie Vaaulu leads the WAC in field goal percentage (.657). Denver’s Emiko Smith and Seattle U’s Ashley Ward lead the league in assists (5.0). Smith also leads the WAC in assist-turnover ratio (3.0). San Jose State’s Riana Byrd is tops in blocks (2.25), while Texas State’s Diamond Ford is also averaging a WAC-best 3.50 three-pointers per game. Kaylan Martin is tops in three-point field goal percentage (.750). New Mexico State’s Camila Rosen leads the WAC in blocked shots (1.78).
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Two of the first team All-WAC players from last year return for the 2012-13 season in Idaho’s Alyssa Charlston and Utah State’s Devyn Christensen. Other WAC honorees that return are Louisiana Tech’s Whitney Frazier, who was named to both the All-Defensive and All-Freshman Teams, and fellow All-Freshman honorees Ta’Rea Cunnigan of San Jose State and Krissy Karr of Idaho.
Diamond Ford of Texas State was named first team All-Southland, while Emiko Smith of Denver was named second team All-Sun Belt. Ashley Ezeh of Texas State was named third team All-Southland, while UTSA’s Judy Jones was an honorable mention honoree.