IDAHO TO REPRESENT WAC IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
Idaho will make its second NCAA Tournament appearance when the 16th-seeded Vandals take on No. 1-seed Connecticut in the first round of the Bridgeport Regional at 1:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Ct. The game will air on ESPN2.
The Vandals (17-15) are making their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 1985. Idaho is coming off its first-ever WAC Tournament title win, a 67-64 victory over top-seeded Seattle U Saturday in Las Vegas. The Vandals finished third in the WAC regular-season standings.
UConn (29-5) is led by Stefanie Dolson and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, both of whom are finalists for the Wooden Award, given to the nation’s best player. Dolson averages 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, while Mosqueda-Lewis averages 17.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
The winner of the Idaho/UConn game will play the winner of the No. 8 Vanderbilt/No. 9 Saint Joseph’s game on Monday.
SEATTLE U TRAVELS TO SAINT MARY’S FOR FIRST ROUND OF WNIT
Seattle U will play in the WNIT, traveling to Saint Mary’s for a 7 p.m. game on Thursday, March 21. The Redhawks earned the WAC’s automatic bid to the tournament as the WAC regular-season champion.
Saint Mary’s is 20-10 and returns to the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. The Gaels are led by the West Coast Conference scoring and rebounding leader Jackie Nared, who averages 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Danielle Mauldin adds 13.8 point and 10.8 rebounds per game. The duo has combined for 30 double-doubles, with Mauldin leading the way with 17 this year.
The winner will face the winner of Wyoming vs. Northern Colorado in the second round.
UTAH STATE HOSTS SOUTH DAKOTA IN FIRST ROUND OF WBI
The Aggies will host South Dakota in the Women’s Basketball Invitational at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Utah State is the third seed in the WBI West Region, while USD is the sixth seed.
South Dakota is 17-15 and is led by Nicole Seekamp, who averages 14.2 points per game. Tempestt Wilson is second on the team in scoring with 12.9 points.
This is the second time this season that the Aggies and the Coyotes have met in the Spectrum. On Dec. 20, Utah State snapped a five-game losing streak with a 70-69 win over South Dakota. Christensen drilled a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to propel USU to victory.
The winner of the USU-USD game will take on the winner of the game between second-seeded Lamar and Presbyterian. This is the third-straight season that Utah State has advanced to the postseason as the Aggies made back-to-back WNIT berths in 2011 and 2012.
IDAHO CLAIMS 2013 WAC TOURNAMENT
Idaho defeated top-seeded Seattle U 67-64 to win its first WAC Tournament title in school history. In a game that featured five ties and 13 lead changes, a majority of those in the second half, Idaho was able to fend off the Redhawks to the final buzzer. Tournament MVP Stacey Barr finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. The third-seeded Vandals defeated No. 6-seed San Jose State (84-82) and second-seeded Utah State (67-64) in earlier rounds of the tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Alyssa Charlston, Idaho
Devyn Christensen, Utah State
Sylvia Shephard, Seattle U
Kacie Sowell, Seattle U
MVP: Stacey Barr, Idaho
THREE WAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS FALL
Three WAC Tournament records (two individual and one team) were broken in Las Vegas last week. The records are listed below.
Individual
Three-pointers made – game, 9, Devyn Christensen, Utah State (vs. Seattle U)
Three-pointers attempted – game, 16, Devyn Christensen, Utah State (vs. Seattle U)
Team
Best free throw percentage – game, .944, Louisiana Tech vs. Seattle U
ALL-WAC HONORS ANNOUNCED
The 2012-13 All-WAC teams have been named, following a vote of the WAC’s 10 head coaches. Seattle U’s Kacie Sowell headlined the awards, earning WAC Player of the Year honors.
Sowell leads the WAC with 14 double-doubles this season. In league games, she led the WAC in field goal percentage (56.3), ranked third in rebounding (9.9), fifth in scoring (16.0) and eighth in steals (2.0). A two-time WAC Player of the Week, Sowell ranked fifth nationally in the most recent NCAA statistics.
Seattle U’s Sylvia Shephard earned the WAC Defensive Player of the Year honor, which was added in 2008. In 18 WAC games, the junior guard nabbed five steals three times, four steals twice and had three steals five times. Shephard is the anchor of the Seattle U defense that led the league and ranks sixth nationally in steals per game.
New Mexico State’s Stefanie Gilbreath earned WAC Newcomer of the Year honors after scoring in double figures in all 18 WAC games. In WAC games, she ranked third in the conference in scoring (19.4) and three-pointers per game (2.44), fifth in free throw percentage (83.3), ninth in blocks (0.94) and 12th in rebounding (7.3).
Seattle U head coach Joan Bonvicini was named WAC Coach of the Year after leading the Redhawks to the regular-season title with a 15-3 mark. One of 30 finalists for the Naismith College Women’s Coach of the Year, this is her fifth conference coach of the year award, as she earned the honor at Long Beach State (1981, 1984, 1986) and at Arizona (1998). Bonvicini was named Independent Coach of the Year in 2011-12 and was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981.
Five different schools are represented on the first team. Joining Sowell are Idaho’s Alyssa Charlston, Utah State’s Devyn Christensen, San Jose State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan and Texas State’s Diamond Ford.
The All-WAC second teamers are Gilbreath, Shephard, Whitney Frazier of Louisiana Tech, Utah State’s Jennifer Schlott and Emiko Smith of Denver.
The All-WAC third team consists of Stacey Barr of Idaho, San Jose State’s Riana Byrd, Jenna Johnson of Utah State, UTSA’s Kamra King and Brittany Lewis of Louisiana Tech.
Shephard headlines the All-Defensive team and is joined by Byrd, Johnson, Seattle U’s Daidra Brown and Denver’s Maiya Michel.
The All-Freshman team contains five players from five different teams, including Byrd, Kailey Edwards of Denver, Texas State’s Erin Peoples, Lulu Perry of Louisiana Tech and Idaho’s Christina Salvatore.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Seattle U leads the WAC in scoring margin (4.9), field goal percentage (42.3), three-point field goal percentage defense (28.0), rebounding defense (35.5), rebounding margin (5.2), assists (15.0) and steals (12.7). Idaho is tops in field goal percentage defense (37.6), rebounding (42.4), blocks (4.6) and three-pointers per game (8.1). Utah State leads the WAC in scoring (76.7), free throw percentage (80.1) and three-point field goal percentage (33.2). Meanwhile, UTSA is tops in scoring defense (57.7) and turnover margin (3.47), while Texas State leads the WAC in and assist-turnover ratio (0.87).
Texas State’s Diamond Ford leads the WAC in scoring (21.5) and minutes per game (38.07), while Utah State’s Devyn Christensen is tops in free throw percentage (92.3) and three-point field goals per game (3.39). Denver’s Emiko Smith leads the league in assists (6.19) and assist-turnover ratio (2.16), while San Jose State’s Riana Byrd is tops in rebounding (10.9) and blocks (2.13). Seattle U’s Kacie Sowell is tops in field goal percentage (56.2), while teammate Sylvia Shephard leads the league in steals (3.20). Utah State’s Makenlee Williams is tops in three-point field goal percentage (42.7).
In WAC games only, Seattle U leads the league in field goal percentage (42.8), three-point field goal percentage defense (26.2), rebounding defense (36.0), rebounding margin (5.5), assists (16.0) and steals (11.5). Idaho leads the WAC in field goal percentage defense (35.6), three-point field goal percentage (34.0), rebounding (43.4), blocks (5.22), and three-pointers per game (8.39). Utah State is tops in scoring (79.8), scoring margin (7.9), free throw percentage (81.0) and assist-turnover ratio (0.9). UTSA is tops in scoring defense (60.9) and turnover margin (4.2).
Individually in WAC games, Texas State’s Ford is tops in scoring (21.7) and minutes per game (38.72), while SJSU’s Byrd leads the league in rebounding (11.2) and blocks (2.1). Sowell leads the league in field goal percentage (56.3), while Denver’s Smith is tops in assists (6.9) and assist-turnover ratio (2.0). USU’s Christensen leads the WAC in free throw percentage (91.2), while teammate Jenna Johnson and San Jose State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan are tops in steals (2.72). Texas State’s Ayriel Anderson leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.1), while Idaho’s Christina Salvatore is tops in three-pointers per game (3.0).
SEATTLE U’S SOWELL SCORES 1,000TH POINT
With her layup at the 10:12 mark of the second half in Seattle U’s quarterfinal WAC Tournament game against New Mexico State on March 13, junior Kacie Sowell scored her 1,000th career point. She now has 1,037 points over her three years, good for ninth place all-time at Seattle U.
TEXAS STATE’S FORD BREAKS PROGRAM SCORING RECORD
With 27 points in the first round of the WAC Tournament, Texas State senior Diamond Ford broke the program’s single-season scoring record with 644 points. The previous record of 633 was held by Carlotta Fisbeck (1969-70).
BONVICINI FINALIST FOR NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR
Seattle U coach Joan Bonvicini is one of 30 finalists for Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year. The list of 30 will be narrowed down to the top four finalists on March 20, with the winner named on April 9. Bonvicini is currently 11th on the NCAA Division I all-time wins list. In February 2007, she became just the 18th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 600-win mark.
TWO PLAYERS RANK IN TOP 10 IN WAC SINGLE-SEASON SCORING
Texas State’s Diamond Ford and San Jose State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan cracked the WAC single-season top 10 for scoring in WAC games. Ford ranked second with 391 points, while Cunnigan was sixth with 369.
THREE WAC PLAYERS RANK IN TOP 25 NATIONALLY IN SCORING
Three WAC players – Diamond Ford of Texas State, San Jose State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan and Devyn Christensen of Utah State – rank in the top 25 nationally in scoring. Ford averages 21.5 points per game, good for 10th place, while Cunnigan is 17th (20.2) and Christensen is 22nd (19.8).
SJSU’S BYRD BREAKS ONE RECORD, RANKS SECOND IN OTHER
San Jose State freshman Riana Byrd set the program single-season record for blocked shots on Feb. 28 vs. UT Arlington. She finished the season with 64 swats, which ranks seventh on the career list. In addition, Byrd’s 327 rebounds on the year place her second on the program’s single-season list and are a freshman record for the program.
SALVATORE SETS IDAHO SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINT RECORD
With her three-pointer at the 6:19 mark of the second half against UTSA on Feb. 28, Idaho freshman Christina Salvatore broke the Idaho single-season three-pointer made record of 76, set by Susan Woolf during the 1998-99 season. Salvatore now has 87 long balls this season.
SJSU’S CUNNIGAN EARNS ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
San Jose State sophomore Ta’Rea Cunnigan earned Capital One Academic All-District VIII honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A native of Winchester, Calif., the two-year starter has a 3.61 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in kinesiology. Cunnigan is the only player in the WAC and one of just four sophomores in the nation named to an Academic All-District team.
DENVER’S SMITH SECOND AMONG ACTIVE PLAYERS IN ASSISTS
With 725 assists in her four years, Denver’s Emiko Smith ranks second in the nation among active players in career assists. Though she doesn’t qualify because the Pioneers are only in the conference for one year, Smith’s assist total tops the WAC record of 644.
EIGHT OVERTIME GAMES IN WAC PLAY, MOST THIS CENTURY
There were eight overtime games in conference play this season, the most in this century. The previous high was six in 2003-04, while there were just two overtime games during WAC play in all of 2011-12.