BAKERSFIELD’S SHANNON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bakersfield guard Alyssa Shannon has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 22 through Dec. 28.
Shannon, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif. (Stockdale HS), helped lead the hometown Roadrunners to a 78-69 win over visiting Hawai’i. She totaled 16 points, going eight for eight from the free throw line, and dished out eight assists, made three steals and grabbed three rebounds. The 5-2 guard also tallied her first career block against the Rainbow Wahine.
Other nominees included: Missouri-Kansas City forward Grace Mitchell recorded her first double-double of the season and the third of her career with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to SIU Edwardsville.
BY THE NUMBERS
The top team in the standings, Bakersfield is also the top team on the WAC scoring list, averaging 72.2 ppg. The Roadrunners are also tops in scoring margin (+5.2), free throw percentage (.782), three-point field goal percentage (.352), assists (15.08) and turnover margin (+7.67). Grand Canyon is the top defensive team, allowing just 59.9 ppg, while Utah Valley is the best shooting team at .415 on the year. Seattle U is the leading rebounding team at 40.4 boards per game while Grand Canyon holds the top rebounding margin at +0.8. Chicago State is averaging a WAC-best 4.00 blocks per game and New Mexico State leads in steals at 10.91 per game and three-point field goals made at 7.45 per game.
Bakersfield senior Tyonna Outland leads the conference in scoring, averaging 17.8 ppg while teammate Batabe Zempare is the top rebounder at 9.46 per game. New Mexico State’s Moriah Mack is shooting a conference-best .548 from the field and is tied with teammate Shanice Davis for the WAC-lead in steals at 2.27 per game. Bakersfield point guard Alyssa Shannon leads the conference in assists (5.75) and assist/turnover ratio (2.88). Missouri-Kansas City guard Calli White leads the WAC in free throw percentage (.872). Utah Valley’s Mariah Seals is shooting a conference-best .411 from behind the arc but it is Bakersfield’s Brooklyn Hinkens making 2.25 threes per game. Chicago State’s Jakeisha Wells is collecting 2.09 blocks per game.
LIGHT WEEK
With just two games last week, the WAC gets back to business this week with 15 games as teams prepare for the opening of conference play on Jan. 10. The last game of the calendar year will be on Wednesday night in Seattle as Seattle U hosts UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. PST, meaning the final buzzer should sound just before the ball drops at Times Square in New York.
THE 100 THREE-POINTER CLUB
The opening weekend saw a pair of players record their 100th career three-pointer and Bakersfield senior guard Brooklyn Hinkens hit the milestone against Air Force and New Mexico State sophomore Abby Scott made her 100th career long-ball at UTEP.
CLEANING UP THE GLASS
Bakersfield senior Tyonna Outland joined teammate Batabe Zempare in the 500-rebound club with eight rebounds in a win over UC Riverside.
EXTRA TIME
The WAC saw its first overtime game on Nov. 28 as New Mexico State took Weber State to double-overtime before falling 100-97. NMSU junior Sasha Weber took advantage of the extra 10 minutes, collecting a career-best 16 rebounds en route to her fourth career double-double.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Only one of the first team All-WAC players from last season return for the 2014-15 season in Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland. Other WAC honorees returning are Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff, the reigning Freshman of the Year, who was also on the All-Newcomer Team. Teammate Brittany Bush returns after earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team, while Utah Valley’s Rhaiah Spooner-Knight returns after being named to the All-Newcomer Team.
PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
Bakersfield is the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball title, while Roadrunners’ senior Tyonna Outland was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the year in a vote of the league’s eight head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
The Roadruners received 48 points and six first-place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. Texas-Pan American was predicted second with 35 points, including one first-place vote.
Outland, the lone First Team All-WAC returner, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC Honorees. Joining her on the first team are teammate Batabe Zempare, New Mexico State’s Sasha Weber, Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff, and Utah Valley’s Rhaiah Spooner-Knight.
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
The Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball media have selected Bakersfield as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2014-15 season, and Roadrunner senior guard Tyonna Outland has been selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Roadrunners earned 10 first-place votes, earning 94 points. Seattle U was picked second with 67 points and one first-place vote. Texas-Pan American and New Mexico State tied for third with 60 points, with the Broncs also earning a first-place vote.
Outland, the lone First Team All-WAC returner, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC Honorees. Joining her on the first team are teammate Batabe Zempare, New Mexico State’s Sasha Weber, Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff, and Utah Valley’s Rhaiah Spooner-Knight.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
This season, WAC teams have 26 games scheduled 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. 15 - Texas-Pan American at DePaul (Maggie Dixon Classic)
Nov. 16 - Texas-Pan American vs. Texas A&M (Maggie Dixon Classic)
Nov. 19 - Bakersfield at Arizona State
Nov. 26 - Texas-Pan American at Texas
Nov. 29 - Idaho at Seattle U
Nov. 30 - Fresno State at Bakersfield
Dec. 3 - Texas-Pan American at Baylor
Dec. 7 - DePaul at Chicago State
Dec. 13 - Bakersfield at Nebraska
Dec. 18 - Louisville at Grand Canyon
Games vs. WNIT Teams
Nov. 14 - Northwestern at Chicago State
Nov. 14 - New Mexico State at UTEP
Nov. 21 - Seattle U at Washington State
Nov. 29 - Grand Canyon at Navy (Navy Classic)
Dec. 2 - Southern Utah at Utah Valley
Dec. 4 - Washington at Seattle U
Dec. 16 - Cal Poly at New Mexico State
Dec. 17 - Montana at Seattle U
Dec. 19 - Utah Valley at Montana (Lady Griz Classic)
Dec. 19 - New Mexico State vs. Pacific (Beach Classic)
Dec. 21 - Texas-Pan American at VCU
Dec. 23 - Hawai’i at Bakersfield
Dec. 29 - New Mexico State at Southern Utah
Dec. 29 - Seattle U at Oregon
Jan. 3 - Bakersfield at Cal Poly
Jan. 6 - Utah Valley at Southern Utah
ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS TO HOST 2015 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2015 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the fifth year in a row. This year’s tournament includes all even eligible teams and will be held Wednesday-Saturday, March 11-14.
WAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE NOW
All-session tickets for the 2015 Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament set for Mar. 11-14 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas are now available for purchase through the ticket offices at individual WAC schools.
All-session tickets include access to each men’s and women’s tournament game, totaling 12 games in six sessions. All-session tickets are also available through the Orleans Arena box office. Prices begin at $100.
Single-session tickets will not be available until Mar. 11 and will only be available for purchase through the Orleans Arena box office.
Student Single-session end zone seating can be purchased on a session basis during the week of the tournament (on-site at the Orleans Arena). Tickets are $10 per session. Individual institutions may elect to conduct an on-campus pre-sale of student tickets for its first guaranteed game.
ESPNU TO TELEVISE WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
ESPN will once again broadcast the WAC men’s and women’s tournament championship games from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 14. The women’s game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 1 p.m. (PT). The men’s championship game will also be broadcast by ESPNU at 8 p.m. (PT).