IDAHO’S BARR NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Idaho junior guard Stacey Barr has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 2-8. This is her second WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and her career.
The Melbourne, Australia, native helped propel the Vandals to a 2-1 record last week, lending two 20-point performances. In Idaho’s lone home contest, she was the only Vandal to score in double digits, totaling a game-high 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds. In Idaho’s loss to Montana, Barr totaled eight points and seven rebounds. She closed out the week by matching her season high in points in the Vandals’ 83-60 win over Appalachian State in the consolation of the 33rd Lady Griz Classic. Barr made a season high nine field goals on her way to scoring 23 points, including 20 in the second half, making eight field goals in the final 20 minutes of play. Barr added a team-high 12 rebounds, helping her to her fourth double-double of the season. For the week, she averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists and was perfect at the free-throw line, going 13-for-13 over the three games last week.
Other nominees included: Chicago State’s Paris Williams averaged 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two games last week ... Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City averaged 14.0 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks as the Kangaroos went 1-1 on the week ... New Mexico State’s Brianna Freeman averaged 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds on the week ... Jasmine Thompson of Texas-Pan American averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals as the Broncs went 1-1 on the week ... Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals over two games last week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Texas-Pan American leads the WAC in field goal percentage defense (32.9), three-point field goal percentage defense (24.1), rebounding (44.1), blocks (4.0) and turnover margin (7.38). Grand Canyon leads the league in scoring defense (55.4), scoring margin (13.9), rebounding defense (36.1), rebounding margin (4.8), and steals (11.2). Idaho is tops in assist-turnover ratio (1.18) and defensive rebounds (28.9), while Kansas City leads the conference in scoring (73.8) and free throw percentage (78.9). Seattle U leads the league in in field goal percentage (42.6) and assists (17.11), while Bakersfield is tops in offensive rebounds (17.86). New Mexico State leads the WAC in and three-pointers per game (8.44), while Utah Valley is tops in three-point field goal percentage (38.6).
Individually, Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok leads the WAC in scoring (19.9), three-point field goal percentage (50.7) and three-pointers per game (4.0), while Bakersfield’s Batabe Zempare is tops in rebounding (12.3), offensive rebounds (5.1) and defensive rebounds (7.1). Idaho’s Connie Ballestero is tops in assists (4.) and assist/turnover ratio (2.18), while Seattle U’s Taelor Ross leads the league in field goal percentage (57.3). August Touchard of Grand Canyon leads the WAC in free throw shooting percentage (96.0), while Chicago State’s Paris Williams is tops in steals (3.3). Brittany Bush of Texas-Pan American leads the WAC in blocks (2.5), while Kansas City’s Eilise O’Connor leads the league minutes per game (36.8).
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN POSTS BIGGEST COMEBACK IN PROGRAM HISTORY AGAINST HBU
On Dec. 3, Texas-Pan American was down 25 points (42-17) with 2:56 remaining in the first half at Houston Baptist. The Broncs pulled off the biggest comeback in program history when they defeated the Huskies 76-74. UTPA came back to win from the third-largest deficit in NCAA history, while tied for the fourth-largest overall comeback, the second largest regulation comeback and the third largest road comeback in NCAA history. It was also the largest comeback in five years.
SEATTLE U SCORES 100 POINTS VS. DIVISION I OPPONENT FOR FIRST TIME
Seattle U recorded the program’s first ever 100-point game vs. a Division I opponent in a 105-100 loss to Oregon on Dec. 4 at KeyArena in Seattle. The lead changed 16 times in the contest. The previous high scoring output for the Redhawks was 92 vs. Sacramento State on Dec. 17, 2010.
REDHAWKS’ WARD SCORES 1,000TH POINT
With her layup at the 9:55 mark in the first half of the Redhawks’ win over Cornell on Nov. 30, senior Ashley Ward tallied her 1,000th career point. The guard now has 1,032 points on her career and joins fellow Seattle U senior Kacie Sowell in the 1,000-point club.
KANSAS CITY’S O’CONNOR JOINS SPECIAL CLUB
Kansas City senior guard Eilise O’Connor is the first player in school history to score more than 1,200 points, grab more than 400 rebounds, dish out more than 350 assists and collect more than 150 steals. The WAC’s active leading scorer, O’Connor has 1,308 points, 436 rebounds, 387 assists and 163 steals.
TWO WAC PLAYERS NAMED ALLSTATE GOOD WORKS TEAM CANDIDATES
Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City and Kacie Sowell of Seattle U are among the 52 Division I nominees for the 2014 Allstate WBCA Good Works Teams®. The award recognizes basketball student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the greater good of their communities through volunteerism and civic service. In its second year, the team honors players at all levels of college basketball who represent the sport’s finest in the areas of leadership and charitable achievements amongst their peers. A voting panel will select the 10-member team comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA Division I level and five student-athletes from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA from the nominees. The final roster of award recipients will be unveiled in February.
SEATTLE U’S SHEPHARD NABS 200TH CAREER STEAL
Seattle U senior guard Sylvia Shephard nabbed her 200th career steal on Nov. 24 vs. Portland. The WAC’s active leader in steals with 209, she ranks tied for 21st nationally in active career leaders and this season ranks 66th nationally with an average of 2.56 per game.
UVU SETS FIELD GOAL RECORD AGAINST WALLA WALLA
Utah Valley shot a program-best 66.7 percent (46-of-69) from the field in its rout of Walla Walla on Nov. 9. The 114-point output was the third-highest total in program history and the 86-point margin of victory is the second-highest.
UTAH VALLEY’S DOUGHTY SETS FREE THROW RECORD AGAINST NEVADA
Utah Valley’s Tina Doughty went 16-of-18 from the free throw line against Nevada on Nov. 8, setting the program single-game record for free throws made. She also tied the mark for free throws attempted.
THREE WAC PLAYERS NAMED SENIOR CLASS CANDIDATES
Three WAC student-athletes – Alyssa Charlston of Idaho, Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City and Kacie Sowell of Seattle U – are among the 30 candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award® in women’s basketball. All three student-athletes were named to the Preseason All-WAC first team by both the coaches and the media, while Sowell was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans. The winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four®.
ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS TO HOST 2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2014 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the fourth year in a row. This year’s tournament includes all eight eligible teams and will be held Wednesday-Saturday, March 12-15.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR WAC TOURNAMENT
All-session tickets for the 2014 WAC Tournament, which will consist of 14 games in eight sessions, are on sale now through WAC institutions and through the Orleans Arena Box Office. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets from their institution’s ticket office to avoid service fees associated with ticket sales through the Orleans Arena site. Single-session tickets, which allow access to the two games in each session, will not be available for purchase until March 12 and can only be purchased through the Orleans Arena Box Office.