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This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - March 10

This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - March 10

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GRAND CANYON’S DANIELS NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon senior forward Deanna Daniels has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of March 3-8. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.

The Las Vegas, Nev., native led the Antelopes to a 2-0 record last week with wins over New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American to close out the season in third place in the WAC standings in their first year at the Division I level. Daniels opened the week with 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in a win over the Aggies. She followed it up with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists in a win over the Broncs. For the week, Daniels averaged 24.0 points on 62 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She entered week averaging 13.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Other nominees included: Chicago State’s Layne Murphy averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last week ... Alyssa Charlston of Idaho averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a pair of wins ... Calli White of Kansas City averaged 17.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals as the Kangaroos went 1-1 on the week ... New Mexico State’s Danesia Williamson finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in a loss to Grand Canyon ... Kacie Sowell of Seattle U averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Redhawks went 1-1 on the week ... Texas-Pan American’s Brittany Bush finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to Grand Canyon ... Katie Kuklok of Utah Valley finished with 12 points and nine in a loss to Bakersfield.

ALL-WAC HONORS ANNOUNCED
The 2013-14 All-WAC teams have been named, following a vote of the WAC’s nine head coaches. Idaho’s Stacey Barr headlines the awards, earning WAC Player of the Year honors, while Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff was named WAC Freshman of the Year and Idaho’s Jon Newlee earned WAC Coach of the Year honors.

A 5-8 guard, in WAC play Barr ranked second in the conference in defensive rebounds (6.44), fourth in both scoring (19.7) and three-pointers per game (2.5), sixth in rebounding (8.6) and 10th in assists (2.94). She posted double-doubles in half her WAC games and had nine games in WAC play with 20 or more points. Barr was a three-time WAC Player of the Week this season.

Goff earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors after scoring in double figures in 14 of 16 WAC games. In conference games only, she ranked second in the WAC in free throw percentage (83.9), and ninth in both scoring (15.0) and three-pointers per game (1.69). Goff was named WAC Player of the Week on March 3.

Newlee was named WAC Coach of the Year after leading the Vandals to their first-ever WAC regular-season title with a 15-1 league record and a 22-8 overall mark. Idaho posted an 18.8 scoring margin in WAC games and ranks in the Top 25 nationally in seven statistical categories. This is Newlee’s second WAC Coach of the Year honor, as he earned the award in his first season with the Vandals in 2008-09.

First Team All-WAC
Stacey Barr, G, Jr., Idaho
Tyonna Outland, F, RS-Jr., Bakersfield
Kaitlyn Petersen, G, Jr., Grand Canyon
Kacie Sowell, P, Sr., Seattle U
Danesia Williamson, G, Jr., New Mexico State

Second Team All-WAC
Alyssa Charlston, P, Sr., Idaho
Kim Nezianya, F, RS-Sr., Kansas City
Eilise O’Connor, G, Sr., Kansas City
Sylvia Shephard, G, Jr., Seattle U
Melissa Sweat, G, Sr., Bakersfield

All-Defensive Team
Brittany Bush, F, Jr., Texas-Pan American
Deanna Daniels, F, Sr., Grand Canyon
Ali Forde, P, So., Idaho
Tyonna Outland, F, RS-Jr., Bakersfield
Sylvia Shephard, G, Sr., Seattle U

All-Newcomer Team
Johnna Brown, F, Sr., Grand Canyon
Shawnte’ Goff, G, Fr., Texas-Pan American
Katie Kuklok, G, So., Utah Valley
Rhaiah Spooner-Knight, G, Fr., Utah Valley
Melissa Sweat, G, Sr., Bakersfield

Player of the Year: Stacey Barr, Idaho
Freshman of the Year: Shawnte’ Goff, Texas-Pan American
Coach of the Year: Jon Newlee, Idaho

IDAHO WINS FIRST-EVER WAC REGULAR-SEASON TITLE
When Idaho defeated Seattle U on March 1, it won the WAC regular-season title, a feat it had not accomplished since the 1984-85 season when it won the old Mountain West Conference (now Big Sky). The win also gave the Vandals their first 20-win season since 2003-04.

WAC TO STREAM TOURNAMENT FROM LAS VEGAS
A total of 12 games from the 2014 WAC Basketball Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., will be available live on WACSports.tv. The only games not shown will be the men’s and women’s championships due to contractual obligations with ESPN.  Those games will be available on ESPN3. Individual tournament games may be purchased for $7.95 each.  The tournament starts on Wednesday, March 12, with the women’s quarterfinals while the men’s quarterfinals will be held the following day. Friday, March 14 features two women’s semifinal games and two men’s semifinal games. More information and how to subscribe to any of these video streaming events can be found at www.WACSports.tv.

OUTLAND NAMED USBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association selected Bakersfield guard Tyonna Outland as its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women’s National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 23. As the WAC Player of the Week, Outland was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for women’s basketball, from a list of Division I conference players of the week. Outland averaged 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a 54.0 field goal percentage as Bakersfield picked up two WAC wins against Kansas City and Chicago State.

TWO WAC PLAYERS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS®
Kansas City senior Eilise O’Connor and Idaho senior Alyssa Charlston were named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Women’s Basketball Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). O’Connor was a first team selection, while Charlston was named to the second team.

O’Connor, a San Francisco, Calif., native, holds a 3.99 GPA as a health sciences (pre-dentistry) major and chemistry minor and was a semifinalist for the Senior C.L.A.S.S. Award and the WBCA Allstate Good Works Team. O’Connor is the first ‘Roo women’s basketball player to earn a spot on one of the three teams and just the third Kansas City student-athlete to be named to the first team.

Charlston, a native of Sammamish, Wash., holds a 3.97 GPA, as a broadcasting and digital media major. A three-time Academic All-WAC selection, she has been on the Dean’s List on five occasions. Charlston is the second player in program history to earn the honor and the only Idaho women’s basketball player ever to repeat.

WAC STAT LEADERS
Idaho leads the WAC in scoring margin (11.9), field goal percentage defense (34.9), rebounding (43.3), blocks (4.43), assist-turnover ratio (1.28) and defensive rebounds (30.67). Seattle U is tops in field goal percentage (45.0), rebounding defense (36.2), rebounding margin (4.6) and assists (15.97), while Bakersfield leads the conference in scoring (75.8) and offensive rebounds (15.0). Kansas City leads the WAC in free throw percentage (77.6) and three-point field goal percentage defense (27.0), while Chicago State is tops in steals (8.69). Grand Canyon leads the league in scoring defense (60.4), while New Mexico State is tops in three-pointers per game (8.83). Texas-Pan American leads the WAC in turnover margin (4.34) and Utah Valley is tops in three-point field goal percentage (34.6).

Individually, Kansas City’s Eilise O’Connor leads the WAC in scoring (21.4) and minutes per game (38.21), while teammate Kim Nezianya is tops in rebounding (11.0) and defensive rebounds (7.0). Utah Valley’s Katie Kuklok leads the league in free throw percentage (94.2), three-point field goal percentage (43.5) and three-pointers per game (2.92), while Seattle U’s Wilma Afunugo is tops in field goal percentage (65.1). Grand Canyon’s Kaitlyn Petersen leads the WAC in assists (4.83), while Seattle U’s Sylvia Shephard is tops in steals (2.24). Idaho’s Ali Forde is tops in blocks (1.85), while teammate Connie Ballestero leads the WAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.6) and Batabe Zempare of Bakersfield is tops in WAC in offensive rebounds (4.08).
 
In WAC games only, Idaho led the conference in scoring defense (58.2), scoring margin (18.8), field goal percentage defense (32.5), three-point field goal percentage defense (27.7), rebounding (43.9), blocks (5.63), assists (16.25), assist-turnover ratio (1.44) and defensive rebounds (32.12). Seattle U led the WAC in field goal percentage (46.6), rebounding defense (33.3) and rebounding margin (8.6), while Bakersfield was tops in scoring (78.9) and steals (8.19). New Mexico State led the league in offensive rebounds (13.88) and three-pointers per game (9.5), while Grand Canyon was tops in three-point field goal percentage (35.6). Kansas City led the WAC in free throw percentage (77.0) and Texas-Pan American was tops in turnover margin (4.06).

Individually in WAC games, O’Connor led the conference in scoring (22.8), free throw percentage (89.3) and minutes played (38.56), while Nezianya was tops in rebounding (13.1), offensive rebounds (4.56) and defensive rebounds (8.5). Seattle U’s Kacie Sowell led the WAC in field goal percentage (65.6), while Petersen was tops in assists (5.19) and Shephard led the WAC in steals (2.13). Bakersfield’s Dajy Vines led the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.1), while Idaho’s Christina Salvatore was tops in three-pointers per game (3.0). Forde led the WAC in blocked shots (2.25) and Ballestero was tops in assist/turnover ratio (3.09).

SEATTLE U’S SOWELL GRABS 1,000TH REBOUND
Seattle U senior Kacie Sowell became the fourth player in program history to grab 1,000 career rebounds at the 19:52 mark of the second half against Chicago State on March 8. She now has 1,003 in her four seasons with the Redhawks.

SEVERAL PLAYERS RANK IN TOP 10 IN WAC SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
Several players made their way into the WAC single-season record books this season in WAC games only. The following are the ranks and categories.

Category Player School Rank
Free throws made Eilise O’Connor Kansas City 1st/134
Field goals made Tyonna Outland Bakersfield 2nd/133
Field goal percentage Kacie Sowell Seattle U 2nd/65.6
Total rebounds Kim Nezianya Kansas City 3rd/209
Rebounding average Kim Nezianya Kansas City 3rd/13.1
Field goal percentage Wilma Afunugo Seattle U 4th/65.1
Scoring average Eilise O’Connor Kansas City 6th/22.8
Total points Eilise O’Connor Kansas City 7th/364
Field goal percentage Ali Forde Idaho 7th/63.2
Scoring average Tyonna Outland Bakersfield 8th/22.4
Free throw percentage Eilise O’Connor Kansas City 9th/89.3
Total points Tyonna Outland Bakersfield 9th/358

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS (18-10, 12-4 WAC)
The Roadrunners defeated Utah Valley 66-51 on Saturday to close out the regular season ... Melissa Sweat led Bakersfield with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals ... Tyonna Outland added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists ... Outland was named first team All-WAC and to the All-Defensive Team, while Sweat was a second-team honoree and named to the All-Newcomer Team ... As a team, Bakersfield ranks 40th nationally in scoring (75.8) and 51st in free throw percentage (73.6) ... Batabe Zempare ranks 20th nationally in rebounds per game (10.8), while Outland is 30th in points per game (20.8) and 45th in total points (582) ... Bakersfield leads the WAC in scoring and offensive rebounds (15.0) ... Outland has 1,40+ career points, good for fifth place all-time at Bakersfield and 390 points shy of the record ... The No. 2 seed Roadrunners face seventh-seeded Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on Wednesday.

CHICAGO STATE COUGARS (3-26, 0-16 WAC)
The Cougars fell 91-41 at Idaho last Thursday and lost 75-63 at Seattle U on Saturday to close out regular-season play ... Against the Vandals, Layne Murphy had 14 points and seven rebounds ... Against the Redhawks, Paris Williams, Tierra Williams and Konner Harris had 14 points each, while Murphy added 10 points ... As a team, the Cougars rank 24th nationally in personal fouls per game (15.9) ... Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (8.69) and ranks third in blocked shots (2.93) ... Jasmine Sanders ranks third in the WAC in steals (1.73), while Tierra Williams is fourth (1.69) ... Tierra Williams and Harris are ninth and 10th, respectively, in three-pointers per game at 1.59 and 1.45 ... Murphy is fourth in minutes per game (34.41) and blocks (1.21), and eighth in rebounding (7.0) ... Chicago State has six players with at least 20 steals for the fourth season in a row ... The No. 8 seed Cougars face top-seeded Idaho in the first game of the WAC Tournament on Wednesday.

GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES (21-8, 10-6 WAC)
The Antelopes closed out the season with a 66-56 win over New Mexico State last Thursday and a 77-55 victory over Texas-Pan American on Saturday to finish in third place in the WAC standings ... Against the Aggies, Deanna Daniels and Justine Johnson had 21 points each, while Johnna Brown and Daniels both grabbed a team-high eight boards ... Against the Broncs, Daniels had 27 points and nine rebounds ... Johnson added 17 points, while Brown pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with six assists ... Petersen was named first team All-WAC, while Daniels was named to the All-Defensive Team and Brown was named to the All-Newcomer Team ... Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring defense (60.4), and ranks second in scoring margin (9.5), field goal percentage defense (39.8), three-point field goal percentage defense (28.0), rebounding defense (37.1), steals (8.55), turnover margin (2.69) and assist-turnover ratio (0.97).

IDAHO VANDALS (22-8, 15-1 WAC)
The Vandals defeated Chicago State 91-41 last Thursday and beat Kansas City 70-63 on Saturday to close out the regular season ... Against the Cougars, Alyssa Charlston led all players with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year ... Agueda Trujillo Fernandez added 19 points, while Stacey Barr had 16 and Ali Forde finished with 10 ... Against the Kangaroos, Barr led all players with 21 points and 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season ... Charlston added 20 points, while Forde finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks ... Barr was named WAC Player of the Year, while Jon Newlee was Coach of the Year Charlston was a second team selection and Forde was named to the All-Defensive Team ... The Vandals rank in the top 50 nationally in nine statistical categories ... Top seeded Idaho faces No. 8 seed Chicago State in the first game of the WAC Tournament Wednesday.

KANSAS CITY KANGAROOS (11-18, 7-9 WAC)
The Kangaroos defeated Seattle U 73-71 in overtime last Thursday, then fell 70-63 at Idaho on Saturday to close out the regular season ... Against the Redhawks, Eilise O’Connor had 24 points and five steals, while Kim Nezianya added 21 points and 11 boards ... Against the Vandals, Calli White had 18 points, all on three-pointers, while O’Connor added 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists ... Nezianya posted her WAC-leading 17th double-double of the season ... O’Connor and Nezianya were both named to the All-WAC second team ... Kansas City ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage (77.6) and 12th in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.0) ... O’Connor ranks 16th in the nation in free throw percentage (87.8), 23rd in points per game (21.4) and 34th in total points (621), while Nezianya is 17th in both rebounds per game (11.0) and double-doubles (17) ... O’Connor was a first team Academic All-American ... The No. 6 seed ‘Roos play third-seeded Seattle U in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament Wednesday.

NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES (10-19, 7-9 WAC)
The Aggies fell 66-56 to Grand Canyon last Thursday in their only game of the week ... NM State shot a season-low eight percent from three-point range, making a season-low two long balls in the loss ... Danesia Williamson led all players with 28 points, while Brianna Freeman finished with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds ... Williamson was named first team All-WAC after averaging 21.4 points, 4.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in WAC play ... NM State leads the WAC and ranks 12th nationally in three-pointers per game (8.8) ... The Aggies also rank second in the WAC in blocked shots (3.0) and fourth in offensive rebounds (12.9) ... Sasha Weber ranks fifth in the WAC in three-pointers per game (2.34), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (35.8), ninth in minutes per game (32.45), and 10th in both assists per game (2.83) and steals per game (1.38) ... The fifth-seeded Aggies face No. 4 seed Texas-Pan American in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament Wednesday.

SEATTLE U REDHAWKS (14-15, 9-7 WAC)
The Redhawks fell 73-71 in overtime to Kansas City last Thursday, then beat Chicago State 75-63 on Saturday to close out the regular season ... Against the Kangaroos, Wilma Afunugo had 15 points, while Kaylee Best added 14 ... Sylvia Shephard posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds ... Against the Cougars, Kacie Sowell led all players with 21 points and eight rebounds ... Shephard added 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals, while Afunugo finished with 12 points and eight rebounds ... Sowell was named first team All-WAC, while Shepard was a second team honoree and was named to the All-Defensive Team ... Seattle U leads the WAC and ranks 23rd nationally in field goal percentage (45.0) and leads the WAC and ranks 41st in the nation in assists per game (16.0) ... Sowell ranks ninth nationally in field goal percentage (58.7) ... The third-seeded Redhawks face No. 6 seed Kansas City in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament Wednesday.

TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN BRONCS (14-15, 8-8 WAC)
The Broncs fell 77-55 at Grand Canyon on Saturday ... Brittany Bush had her sixth double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 boards ... Shawnte’ Goff, KaeLynn Boyd and Jasmine Thompson scored 11 points apiece ... Goff was named the WAC Freshman of the Year and to the All-Newcomer Team, while Bush was named to the All-Defensive Team ... UTPA leads the WAC and ranks 23rd nationally in turnover margin (4.34), and ranks third in the WAC and 52nd nationally in three-pointers per game (7.3) ... The Broncs also rank second in the WAC in offensive rebounds (14.21), third in scoring defense (65.1), and fourth in three-point field goal percentage defense (31.7), blocks (2.69) and steals (8.0) ... Goff ranks fourth in the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (37.4) and sixth in free throw percentage (78.7), while Bush is third in blocks (1.43) and fifth in rebounding (8.1) ... The No. 4 seed Broncs face fifth-seeded New Mexico State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament Wednesday.

UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (7-22, 4-12 WAC)
The Wolverines fell 66-51 at Bakersfield on Saturday in their final regular-season game ... Sam Loggins paced Utah Valley with 13 points, while Katie Kuklok added 12 points, all on three-pointers, to go along with nine rebounds ... Kuklok and Rhaiah Spooner-Knight were both named to the All-Newcomer Team ... As a team, the Wolverines rank and 41st nationally in free throw percentage (74.1) and 47th in personal fouls per game (16.4) ... Kuklok ranks third in the nation in free throw percentage (94.2), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (43.5) and 22nd in three-pointers per game (2.92) ... The Wolverines lead the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (34.6), rank second in field goal percentage (42.7), third in rebounding defense (37.7), and fourth in both field goal percentage defense (40.3) and defensive rebounds (26.72) ... The seventh-seeded Wolverines face No. 2 seed Bakersfield in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on Wednesday.