UTAH VALLEY’S SPOONER-KNIGHT NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley freshman guard Rhaiah Spooner-Knight has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 23-29. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Hamilton, New Zealand, native, recorded her second-consecutive 20-point performance in the Wolverines’ 89-49 win over New Orleans, its largest margin of victory in the NCAA Division I era. In leading Utah Valley to its second-straight non-conference win, the true freshman finished with 20 points on 61.5 percent shooting and hauled in a team-high nine rebounds to finish just shy of her first career double-double. Spooner-Knight also nabbed two steals and dished out an assist.
Other nominees included: Tierra Williams of Chicago State finished with 21 points on 72.7 shooting, five rebounds, three steals and two assists in one game last week ... Grand Canyon’s Deanna Daniels averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 2.0 assists as the Antelopes went 2-0 on the week ... Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals as the Kangaroos went 0-1 on the week ... New Mexico State’s Danesia Williamson averaged 18.7 points and 2.0 steals over three games last week ... Sylvia Shephard of Seattle U was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in a loss last week ... Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff finished with 11 points on 80 percent shooting and five rebounds in a loss to No. 13 Oklahoma State.
WAC PLAY BEGINS THURSDAY
The WAC slate of games begins Thursday, Jan. 2, with three contests, and all nine teams will have played at least one conference game by Saturday. Grand Canyon currently sits atop the standings, having gone 11-2 in non-conference action this season.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring defense (58.5), scoring margin (12.1), rebounding defense (36.6), rebounding margin (1.5), steals (10.9) and turnover margin (4.69). Idaho is tops in field goal percentage defense (37.7), rebounding (42.7), assist-turnover ratio (1.12) and defensive rebounds (29.0). Kansas City leads the league in scoring (74.2), free throw percentage (78.3) and three-point field goal percentage defense (24.9), while Seattle U is tops in field goal percentage (43.1) and assists (17.46). Bakersfield leads the conference in offensive rebounds (16.82), while New Mexico State is tops in three-pointers per game (8.0). Texas-Pan American leads the WAC in blocks (3.46), while Utah Valley leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (39.2).
Individually, Kansas City’s Eilise O’Connor leads the WAC in scoring (19.8) and minutes per game (37.77), while Bakersfield’s Batabe Zempare is tops in rebounding (12.4), offensive rebounds (4.8) and defensive rebounds (7.6). Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok is tops in free throw percentage (94.0), three-point field goal percentage (50.0) and three-pointers per game (3.54), while Idaho’s Connie Ballestero is tops in assists (4.75) and assist/turnover ratio (2.19). Seattle U’s Taelor Ross leads the league in field goal percentage (56.8), while Chicago State’s Paris Williams leads the WAC in steals (3.08) and Brittany Bush of Texas-Pan American is tops in blocks (1.92).
KANSAS CITY’S NEZIANYA MOVES INTO SECOND PLACE IN CAREER REBOUNDING
Kansas City’s Kim Nezianya currently has 738 career rebounds, good for second place all-time in the Kangaroo record books. The fifth-year senior is 126 boards shy of the all-time record of 864 held by Laurie Smith (1981-85).
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 1,026 career points, good for seventh place all-time.
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 1,040 points over five seasons (due to a medical redshirt).
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 now has 1,315 points in 110 career games.
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 1,079 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 1,391 points, 462 rebounds, 409 assists and 170 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 217, she ranks tied for 23rd nationally in active career leaders and this season ranks 80th nationally with an average of 2.38 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.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
This season, WAC teams had 28 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament or the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) last season. The complete list is below.
Games vs. NCAA Teams
Nov. 8 – Idaho at Gonzaga (Preseason WNIT)
Nov. 10 – Texas-Pan American at Texas Tech
Nov. 18 – New Mexico State at Cal Poly
Nov. 30 – Idaho vs. California (Nugget Classic)
Nov. 30 – Grand Canyon vs. UCLA (Gulf Coast Showcase)
Dec. 6 – Idaho at Montana (Lady Griz Classic)
Dec. 7 – Bakersfield at Cal Poly
Dec. 15 – Bakersfield at California
Dec. 22 – Texas-Pan American at Wichita State (Wichita State Classic)
Dec. 29 – Texas-Pan American at Oklahoma State
Games vs. WNIT Teams
Nov. 16 – Chicago State at Miami (Ohio)
Nov. 19 – Seattle U at Washington
Nov. 20 – Toledo at Kansas City
Nov. 23 – IUPUI at Chicago State
Nov. 26 – Idaho at San Diego
Nov. 26 – Kansas City at Missouri
Nov. 29 – Sam Houston State at Kansas City (Plaza Lights Classic)
Nov. 30 – Texas-Pan American vs. Northern Iowa (UTSA Classic)
Nov. 30 – Eastern Illinois at Kansas City (Plaza Lights Classic)
Dec. 7 – Idaho vs. Appalachian State (Lady Griz Classic)
Dec. 8 – Seattle U at San Diego
Dec. 11 – Utah Valley at Utah
Dec. 14 – Grand Canyon vs. East Carolina (Warhawk Classic)
Dec. 15 – Texas Southern at Kansas City
Dec. 20 – Idaho State at Utah Valley
Dec. 21 – Wyoming at Idaho
Dec. 23 – Hawai‘i at Grand Canyon
Dec. 28 – Seattle U at UC Santa Barbara
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS (5-6, 0-0 WAC)
The Roadrunners defeated Fresno Pacific 81-49 on Monday to remain unbeaten (4-0) at the Icardo Center this season ... Alyssa Shannon had a career-high 20 points, while Brittany Sims added 12 ... Batabe Zempare posted her third double-double of the season, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds ... Zempare leads the WAC and ranks eighth nationally in rebounding (12.4) ... As a team, Bakersfield ranks second in the WAC and 28th in the nation in free throw percentage (74.9) ... The Roadrunners also lead the WAC in offensive rebounds (16.82), rank second in scoring (71.4) and rebounding (41.8), and third in turnover margin (0.73) ... Tyonna Outland ranks third in the conference in scoring (18.4), sixth in free throw percentage (81.4) and minutes per game (34.27), and eighth in offensive rebounds (2.36) ... The Roadrunners play at Cal State Northridge on Thursday, then open WAC play at Utah Valley on Saturday.
CHICAGO STATE COUGARS (2-10, 0-0 WAC)
The Cougars fell 84-62 to Wright State last Sunday and lost 77-63 to Loyola-Chicago on Tuesday ... Against the Raiders, Tierra Williams had 21 points, while Paris Williams added 17 points and seven rebounds ... Cailin Nix scored 11 points and grabbed seven boards ... Against the Ramblers, Layne Murphy posted her first double-double of the season and third of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds ... Chanel Wilson-Stewart and Paris Williams added 11 points each ... Chicago State has had at least eight steals in 19 of its last 22 games ... Tierra Williams became the 10th Cougar ever to reach 100 career three-pointers in the team’s 55-51 win over Southern Illinois on Dec. 20 ... Paris Williams is the only player in the WAC to average at least 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game and has nabbed at least two steals in 15 of her last 17 games ... The Cougars open WAC play by hosting Seattle U on Thursday and Idaho on Saturday.
GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES (11-2, 0-0 WAC)
The Antelopes beat LIU Brooklyn 72-63 last Saturday to close out non-conference play with an 11-2 record ... Deanna Daniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, while also nabbing four steals ... Kaitlyn Petersen also doubled up with 16 points and 10 assists to go along with six boards ... Justine Johnson added 12 points and six assists ... Grand Canyon tied a season-high with seven three-pointers in the game, three of which came from Johnson ... The ‘Lopes ranked No. 25 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 ... GCU players have posted 11 double-doubles so far this season, led by Judy Jones with five and Johnna Brown with four ... Grand Canyon’s current six-game winning streak is the program’s longest run of victories since a nine-game streak last season ... The Antelopes open WAC play at Texas-Pan American on Thursday and at New Mexico State on Saturday.
IDAHO VANDALS (7-7, 0-0 WAC)
The Vandals fell 87-58 at Texas last Saturday to close out non-conference play on a three-game losing skid ... Alyssa Charlston paced the Vandals with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Stacey Barr added 12 points ... Idaho ranks 14th nationally in personal fouls per game (15.5), 22nd in turnovers per game (12.9), 34th in three-pointers per game (7.8) and 38th in assist-turnover ratio (1.12) ... Barr ranks third in the WAC in three-pointers per game (2.29), fourth in scoring (15.9) and seventh in rebounding (7.4) ... Charlston ranks fourth in the WAC in blocks (1.14), fifth in both scoring (15.4) and rebounding (8.1), eighth in field goal percentage (43.5), ninth in minutes played (32.36) and 10th in free throw percentage (78.3) ... Connie Ballestero leads the WAC in assists (4.75) and assist-turnover ratio (2.19), and ranks eighth in three-point percentage (35.9) ... The Vandals open WAC play at Kansas City on Thursday, then play at Chicago State on Saturday.
KANSAS CITY KANGAROOS (4-9, 0-0 WAC)
The Kangaroos fell 80-74 to Western Illinois on Sunday to close out non-conference play ... Eilise O’Connor narrowly missed the second ever triple-double in school history, notching team highs of 18 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals ... It was her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career ... Grace Mitchell recorded her first-ever double-double with 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while Kim Nezianya finished with 18 points and nine rebounds ... O’Connor ranks second all-time in Kangaroo history in career assists (409) and eighth in steals (170) ... Calli White’s 35 three-point field goals rank as the sixth-most in school history by a freshman, just 25 behind the record ... Nezianya moved into second place all-time on the UMKC career rebounding list with 738, 126 shy of the record ... As a team, Kansas City ranks eighth nationally in free throw percentage (78.3) and 10th in three-point field goal percentage defense (24.9) ... The ‘Roos open WAC play by hosting Idaho on Thursday and Seattle U on Saturday.
NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES (3-10, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies went 0-2 at the UTSA Holiday Classic, falling to Northwestern State (73-63) and the host Roadrunners (65-56) ... Against the Demons, Danesia Williamson tied her career high with 28 points, while Breanna Freeman and Tyler Ellis grabbed 13 and 12 rebounds, respectively ... Against UTSA, Williamson paced the Aggies with 22 points, while Sasha Weber added 17 ... Freeman pulled down a team-best nine rebounds ... Williamson was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 25.0 points and 1.5 steals over the two games ... As a team, the Aggies lead the WAC and rank 24th nationally in three-pointers per game (8.0) ... NM State also ranks second in the WAC in blocked shots (3.15), third in three-point field goal percentage (32.8) and fourth in rebounding defense (41.7) ... Vanessa Garner ranks second in the WAC in free throw percentage (87.0) ... The Aggies host Grand Canyon on Saturday to open WAC play.
SEATTLE U REDHAWKS (5-8, 0-0 WAC)
The Redhawks fell 78-75 at UC Santa Barbara last Saturday to close out non-conference play ... Seattle U led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but was outscored 44-26 in the second half ... Kacie Sowell had a team-high 23 points, while Sylvia Shephard was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists ... The Redhawks lead the WAC and rank 28th nationally in assists per game (17.5) ... Seattle U also leads the WAC in field goal percentage (43.1), ranks third in rebounding defense (39.8) and steals (9.46), and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (31.4), blocked shots (2.77), assist-turnover ratio (0.87) and defensive rebounds (26.62) ... Sowell ranks second in the WAC in rebounds (8.7), third in field goal percentage (51.4), sixth in scoring (14.5) and seventh in steals (1.85) ... The Redhawks open WAC play at Chicago State on Thursday, then play at Kansas City on Saturday.
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN BRONCS (6-7, 0-0 WAC)
The Broncs fell 90-48 at No. 13 Oklahoma State last Sunday ... Shawnte’ Goff, who was not expected to play due to injury, came off the bench to lead the Broncs in scoring for the fourth time this season with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. She also led the Broncs in rebounding for the first time this season with five ... The Broncs lead the WAC in blocks (3.46), rank second in scoring defense (62.5), field goal percentage defense (37.8), turnover margin (4.69) and offensive rebounds (15.0), and third in three-pointers made per game (7.31) ... Brittany Bush leads the WAC in total blocks (25) and blocks per game (1.92), and ranks fifth in offensive rebounding (3.08) and eighth in total rebounding (7.4) ... Goff is second in the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (44.6) and tied for fifth in three-pointers per game (2.08) ... The Broncs open WAC play Thursday, hosting Grand Canyon.
UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (3-10, 0-0 WAC)
The Wolverines defeated New Orleans 89-49 last Saturday to close out non-conference play ... It was the program’s largest margin of victory in the Division I era ... Rhaiah Spooner-Knight posted her second consecutive 20-point performance and also hauled in a team-high nine rebounds to finish just shy of her first career double-double ... Katie Kuklok and Tina Doughty added 12 and 10 points, respectively ... As a team, the Wolverines lead the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (39.2), rank second in field goal percentage (42.8), rebounding defense (39.0) and assist-turnover ratio (0.89), third in scoring (70.6), scoring margin (2.9), free throw percentage (74.7), field goal percentage defense (38.5) and assists (14.16), and fourth in scoring defense (67.7) ... Kuklok leads the WAC in free throw percentage (94.0), three-point field goal percentage (50.0) and three-pointers per game (3.54), and ranks second in scoring (19.6) ... The Wolverines host Bakersfield on Saturday to open WAC play.