BAKERSFIELD’S VINES NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
New Mexico State guard Sasha Weber has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 1 through Dec. 7.
Weber, a junior from Lacey, Wash. (Timberline HS), had a breakout week for the breakout Aggies as New Mexico State finally found its way into the win column. She posted identical 23 point and four rebound games in home wins over Eastern New Mexico and New Mexico. The win over the Lobos on Sunday was the first for NM State in 13 games. On the week, Weber was 15-of-26 from the field, including 7-of-14 from behind the arc. She was also 9-of-12 from the charity stripe and turned the ball over just three times over two games.
Other nominees included: Bakersfield forward Batabe Zempare averaged 13.5 ppg and 12.0 rpg in a pair of wins over UC Irvine and UC Riverside…Utah Valley guard/forward Rhaiah Spooner-Knight had 19 points and eight rebounds in an eight-point win over Mountain West leader Boise State…Missouri Kansas-City guard Calli White averaged 17.0 ppg in a pair of losses…Seattle U guard Alexis Montgomery set new career highs for scoring and rebounding with 26 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Loyola Marymount…Grand Canyon guard Jessica Gajewski hit a season-high six field goals in a loss to Nevada…Texas-Pan American guard Tonisha Walker led the Broncs in scoring against Texas Lutheran in their lone win of the week.
BY THE NUMBERS
League-leading Bakersfield continues to lead the WAC in a number of statistical categories as well, including scoring offense (76.3), scoring margin (+9.7), free throw percentage (.769), three-point field goal percentage (.380), assists (16.29), steals (12.57), turnover margin (+8.43) and assist/turnover ratio (1.11). Grand Canyon leads the way among the top defensive teams in the conference, allowing a WAC-best 60.4 ppg and a WAC-low 36.9 rebounds per game. Utah Valley holds the lead in field goal percentage (.435), field goal percentage defense (.371) and rebounding offense (41.2) Missouri-Kansas City is best defending behind the arce, allowing a three-point field goal percentage of just .297. New Mexico state is tops in blocks (4.00) and three-pointers made (7.57).
Individually, Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland continues to lead the WAC in scoring, averaging 18.3 ppg. Utah Valley’s Karlee Norris holds the lead in rebounding at 9.0 rpg while Seattle U’s Wilma Afunugo is the most accurate shooter in the conference at .593. Bakersfield point guard Alyssa Shannon leads the conference in assists (5.57) while Missouri-Kansas City’s Calli White is best at the free throw stripe, shooting .929. Grand Canyon’s Courtney Hayes has a WAC-best 2.86 steals per game and Texas-Pan American’s Tonisha Walker leads the conference behind the arc, shooting .462. Bakersfield’s Brooklyn Hinkens averages 2.71 three-pointers per game from outside and Utah Valley’s Sam Loggins is averaging 1.78 blocks per game inside.
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.
PLAYING THE BEST
Texas-Pan American took on its fourth Top 25 opponent of the season last Wednesday when the Broncs traveld to 11th-ranked Baylor. Their best showing came on Nov. 16 as UTPA nearly knocked-off fifth-ranked Texas A&M on a neutral court at the Maggie Dixon Classic, falling to the Aggies, 63-61.
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.
ENCHANTING WEEK
New Mexico State had a big week, knocking off a pair of in-state rivals. After earning an easy win over DII Eastern New Mexico, the Aggies broke a 12-game losing streak to University of New Mexico, kncoking off the Logos, 70-59, in Las Cruces.
WELCOME TO SEATTLE
The Seattle U Redhawks are in the midst of a stretch of 11 of 12 games at home. SU’s lone road game before mid-January will be a Dec. 29 non-conference contest at Oregon, 285 miles from the Connolly Center.
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.
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).