BAKERSFIELD’S OUTLAND NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bakersfield junior guard Tyonna Outland has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 16-22. This is her second WAC Player of the Week honor of the season.
The Compton, Calif., native led Bakersfield to an 81-61 win over Houston Baptist last week, scoring 28 points, one off of her career high, on 52.6 percent shooting. Outland tied her career high with 10 field goals, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists and was 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) from the free throw line. She also surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for her career at the 5:32 mark of the first half and jumped from ninth to seventh place in school history with 1,017 career points.
Other nominees included: Jasmine Sanders of Chicago State finished with 14 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal as the Cougars went 1-0 last week ... Kansas City’s Eilise O’Connor averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals as the Kangaroos went 1-1 on the week ... Moriah Mack of New Mexico State finished with 14 points on 63 percent shooting, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in the Aggies’ only game last week ... Texas-Pan American’s Jasmine Thompson averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists over three games last week ... Rhaiah Spooner-Knight of Utah Valley finished with 21 points on 78 percent shooting, seven rebounds and four steals as the Wolverines went 1-0 last week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Idaho leads the WAC in rebounding (43.3), rebounding margin (1.8), assist-turnover ratio (1.20) and defensive rebounds (29.62). Grand Canyon leads the league in scoring defense (58.2), scoring margin (12.3) and rebounding defense (37.0), while Kansas City is tops in scoring (74.2), free throw percentage (77.6) and three-point field goal percentage defense (24.3). Texas-Pan American leads the conference in field goal percentage defense (36.7), blocks (3.5) and turnover margin (5.08), while Seattle U leads the league in field goal percentage (42.6) and assists (17.08). Bakersfield is tops in offensive rebounds (17.20), while Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (11.1). New Mexico State is tops in three-pointers per game (8.18), while Utah Valley leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (38.9).
Individually, Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok leads the WAC in scoring (20.3), free throw percentage (93.4), three-point field goal percentage (50.6) and three-pointers per game (3.67), while Bakersfield’s Batabe Zempare is tops in rebounding (12.4), offensive rebounds (4.8) and defensive rebounds (7.6). Idaho’s Connie Ballestero is tops in assists (4.75) and assist/turnover ratio (2.19), while Seattle U’s Taelor Ross leads the league in field goal percentage (58.4). Chicago State’s Paris Williams leads the WAC in steals (3.3), while Brittany Bush of Texas-Pan American is tops in blocks (2.08) and Kansas City’s Eilise O’Connor leads the league minutes per game (37.58).
KANSAS CITY’S NEZIANYA SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Kansas City senior Kim Nezianya became the 12th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points at the 8:45 mark of the second half at San Francisco on Dec. 18. She now has 1,022 points over five seasons (due to a medical redshirt).
BAKERSFIELD’S OUTLAND SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Bakersfield junior guard Tyonna Outland became the eighth player in program history to score 1,000 career points at the 5:32 mark of the first half on Dec. 19 against Houston Baptist. Outland now has 1,017 career points, good for seventh place all-time.
UTAH VALLEY’S KUKLOK, DOUGHTY BOTH SET FREE THROW RECORD THIS SEASON
Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok scored a season-best 34 points at Utah on Dec. 11, tying the program’s single-game mark for free throws made after going 16-of-17 from the charity stripe. Teammate Tina Doughty went 16-of-18 from the free throw line in the season opener against Nevada on Nov. 8. Doughty also tied the mark for free throws attempted.
IDAHO’S CHARLSTON MOVES UP VANDAL CAREER SCORING LIST
Idaho senior Alyssa Charlston moved into eighth place on Idaho’s all-time scoring list. The senior has 1,302 points in 109 career games.
KANSAS CITY’S NEZIANYA APPROACHES SECOND PLACE IN CAREER REBOUNDING
Kansas City’s Kim Nezianya currently has 729 career rebounds, three shy of second place all-time in the Kangaroo record books. The fifth-year senior is 135 boards shy of the all-time record of 864 held by Laurie Smith (1981-85).
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN POSTS BIGGEST COMEBACK IN PROGRAM HISTORY
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. 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 1,068 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 1,373 points, 450 rebounds, 401 assists and 167 steals.
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 216, she ranks 22nd nationally in active career leaders and this season ranks 61st nationally with an average of 2.5 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.
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.
This is the fourth year in a row the tournament has been held at the Orleans Arena. This year’s tournament includes all eight eligible teams and will be held March 12-15.
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.
TWO WAC PLAYERS ARE ALLSTATE GOOD WORKS 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. 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.
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®.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Two of the first team All-WAC players from last year return for the 2013-14 season in Idaho’s Alyssa Charlston and reigning WAC Player of the Year Kacie Sowell of Seattle U. Other WAC honorees that return are Seattle U’s Sylvia Shephard, the reigning WAC Defensive Player of the Year, who was named second team All-WAC and to the All-Defensive Team. Idaho’s Stacey Barr, a third team All-WAC selection, and Christina Salvatore, an All-Freshman honoree, round out the group.
Tierra Williams of Chicago State earned the Great West Sixth Woman Award and was named second team All-Great West, while teammates Paris Williams (honorable mention) and Layne Murphy (all-newcomer) were also honored.
Grand Canyon’s Judy Jones was named PacWest Player and Newcomer of the Year and was a first team all-conference pick.
Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City was named first team All-Summit, while KaeLynn Boyd of Texas-Pan American was named to the Great West All-Newcomer Team. Tina Doughty of Utah Valley was named second team All-Great West and to the all-newcomer team.