IDAHO TO FACE LOUISVILLE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
Idaho will make its second-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance when the 14th-seeded Vandals take on No. 3 seed Louisville in the first round of the Louisville Region at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Sunday, March 23, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The game will air on ESPN.
The Vandals (25-8) are making their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second in a row. Idaho was the WAC regular-season and tournament champion, defeating third-seeded Seattle U 75-67 to claim the 2014 WAC Tournament title Saturday in Las Vegas.
Idaho is led by WAC Player of the Year and WAC Tournament MVP Stacey Barr, who averages 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Second team All-WAC selection Alyssa Charlston adds 14.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Louisville (30-4) is led by Shoni Schimmel, who averages 17.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. She was a Naismith semifinalist and was also named to the Wade and Wooden Lists.
The winner of the Idaho-Louisville game will play the winner of the No. 7 LSU/No. 10 Georgia Tech game on Tuesday.
BAKERSFIELD TO FACE SAINT MARY’S IN WNIT FRIDAY
Bakersfield earned its first-ever berth to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and will travel to Saint Mary’s for the opening round of the 64-team tournament this Friday, March 21.
The Roadrunners earned the WAC’s automatic qualifier for the WNIT following their second-place finish in the WAC regular-season standings. This will be the Roadrunners’ third appearance in the postseason following two appearances in the WBI, the last coming in 2011.
Bakersfield, which finished the season 19-11, won its quarterfinal game in the WAC Tournament by defeating Utah Valley 65-63 in overtime before falling in the semifinals to Seattle U, 84-79. The Roadrunners are led by first team All-WAC and All-Defensive Team selection Tyonna Outland, who averages 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Melissa Sweat adds 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and was named second team All-WAC and to the WAC All-Newcomer Team.
Saint Mary’s enters the WNIT with a 22-9 mark. The Gaels rallied to defeat San Diego in the West Coast Conference quarterfinals, then lost to No. 18 Gonzaga in the semifinals. Saint Mary’s is led by Jackie Nared and Danielle Mauldin, both of whom were named All-WCC first team. Nared averages 21.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while Mauldin averages 17.5 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
GRAND CANYON NO. 1 SEED IN WBI, HOSTS BOISE STATE THURSDAY
Grand Canyon is heading to the postseason, as the Antelopes are the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the 16-team Women’s Basketball Invitational and will host eighth-seeded Boise State at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 20.
Grand Canyon is 21-8 on the year, finishing in third place in the WAC standings in its first year competing at the Division I level. The Antelopes are led by Deanna Daniels, who was named to the WAC All-Defensive Team and averages 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and Kaitlyn Petersen, a first team All-WAC selection who averages 13.7 points, a WAC-best 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Boise State is 17-13 overall and fell in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament after finishing the regular season tied for third in the league standings at 12-6 overall. The Broncos are led by Deanna Weaver and Yaiza Rodriguez Ortego. Weaver, who was named MWC Newcomer of the Year, first team All-MWC and to the MWC All-Defensive Team, averages 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Rodriguez Ortego, who was named to the MWC All-Freshmen Team, averages 9.8 points and 3.3 assists per game.
The winner of the Grand Canyon-Boise State game will take on either Stephen F. Austin or Texas State on Saturday or Sunday. The 16-team tournament features east and west regions with eight teams on each side. All games in the tournament will be played on campus sites.
IDAHO CLAIMS 2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
Stacey Barr scored 28 points and Alyssa Charleston added 17 to lead Idaho to a 75-67 win over Seattle U in the championship game of the WAC Tournament to claim its second consecutive tournament title. The top-seeded Vandals defeated No. 8 seed Chicago State (84-43) and fifth-seeded New Mexico State (75-65) in earlier rounds of the tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State
Ashley Ward, Seattle U
Kacie Sowell, Seattle U
Alyssa Charlston, Idaho
MVP: Stacey Barr, Idaho
FIVE WAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS FALL
Five WAC Tournament individual records were either tied or broken in Las Vegas last week. The records are listed below.
Field goals attempted – game, 29, Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State (vs. Idaho)
Field goals attempted – tournament, 54, Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State (two games)
Free throws made – game, 17, Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State (vs. UTPA)
Free throws attempted – game, 19, Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State (vs. UTPA)
Free throws made – tournament, 21, Stacey Barr, Idaho (three games)
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS (19-11, 12-4 WAC)
The Roadrunners defeated seventh-seeded Utah Valley 65-63 in overtime of the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, then fell 84-79 to No. 3 seed Seattle U in the semifinals ... Against the Wolverines, the ‘Runners trailed by four in overtime before Erika Williams made four straight free throws to pull within one ... Tyonna Outland then scored Bakersfield’s final six points and finished with 17 ... Against the Redhawks, Melissa Sweat led Bakersfield with 29 points, while Outland added 24 ... 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 42nd nationally in scoring (75.5) ... Batabe Zempare ranks 22nd nationally in rebounds per game (10.7), while Outland is 32nd in points per game (20.8) and 38th in total points (623) ... The Roadrunners earned the WAC’s automatic bid to the WNIT and will play at Saint Mary’s in the first round on Friday.
CHICAGO STATE COUGARS (3-27, 0-16 WAC)
The No. 8 seed Cougars fell 84-43 to top-seeded Idaho in the first game of the WAC Tournament last Wednesday to close out the season ... Jasmine Sanders led Chicago State with 14 points and four assists, while Cailin Nix added 11 points and Layne Murphy had a team-high nine rebounds ... As a team, the Cougars rank 24th nationally in personal fouls per game (15.9) ... Chicago State ranks second in the WAC in steals (8.70) and third in blocked shots (2.90) ... Sanders ranks third in the WAC in steals (1.74), while Tierra Williams is fourth (1.70) ... Tierra Williams and Konner Harris are ninth and 10th, respectively, in three-pointers per game at 1.53 and 1.47 ... Murphy is fifth in minutes per game (34.53) and blocks (1.20), and eighth in rebounding (7.0) ... Tierra Williams ranks ninth in the WAC in minutes per game (32.6) ... For the fourth season in a row, Chicago State had six players with at least 20 steals on the season.
GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES (22-8, 10-6 WAC)
The third-place Antelopes were idle last week as they aren’t eligible for the WAC Tournament because of the reclassification to Division I ... Kaitlyn Petersen was named first team All-WAC, while Deanna Daniels was named to the All-Defensive Team and Johnna Brown was named to the All-Newcomer Team ... Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring defense (60.4) and steals (8.76), and ranks second in scoring margin (9.5), field goal percentage defense (39.4), three-point field goal percentage (34.1), three-point field goal percentage defense (27.7), turnover margin (2.72) and assist-turnover ratio (1.00), third in rebounding defense (38.1) and assists (15.03), and fourth in free throw percentage (71.9), field goal percentage (42.4), rebounding margin (0.9), offensive rebounds (12.83) and three-pointers per game (6.55) ... The top seed in the West Region, the ‘Lopes host Boise State in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) on Thursday.
IDAHO VANDALS (25-8, 15-1 WAC)
The top-seeded Vandals won their second-consecutive WAC Tournament with wins over Chicago State (84-43), New Mexico State (75-65) and Seattle U (75-67) ... Stacey Barr was named tournament MVP after averaging 26.0 points on 55 percent shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists over the three games ... Alyssa Charlston was also named to the all-tournament team ... Barr was named WAC Player of the Year, while Jon Newlee was Coach of the Year ... Charlston was a second team All-WAC selection and Ali Forde was named to the All-Defensive Team ... The Vandals rank sixth nationally in turnovers per game (12.1), 10th in field goal percentage defense (35.1) and personal fouls per game (14.8), 14th in assist-turnover ratio (1.3), 15th in three-pointers per game (8.6), 34th in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.1), 40th in winning percentage (75.8) and 47th in assists (15.6) ... The 14th-seeded Vandals face No. 3 seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday in Iowa City, Iowa.
KANSAS CITY KANGAROOS (11-19, 7-9 WAC)
The Kangaroos cut a second half 19-point deficit to one point on two occasions, but fell 81-76 to Seattle U in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament last Wednesday to close out the season ... Kim Nezianya led the ‘Roos with 24 points and 10 rebounds for her WAC-leading 18th double-double of the season ... Eilise O’Connor added 22 points and five boards ... O’Connor and Nezianya were both named to the All-WAC second team ... Kansas City ranks 11th nationally in free throw percentage (77.2) and 12th in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.0) ... O’Connor ranks 17th in the nation in free throw percentage (87.9), 24th in points per game (21.4) and 26th in total points (643), while Nezianya is 18th in both rebounds per game (11.0) and double-doubles (18) ... O’Connor was a first team Academic All-American ... O’Connor led the WAC in scoring, while Nezianya was tops in rebounding ... Calli White finished the season with 73 three-pointers, breaking the previous freshman record of 60.
NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES (11-20, 7-9 WAC)
The Aggies defeated No. 4 seed Texas-Pan American 86-74 in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament before falling 75-65 to eventual champion Idaho in the semifinals ... Danesia Williamson was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 31.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over the two games ... 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 11th nationally in three-pointers per game (8.8) ... The Aggies also rank second in the WAC in blocked shots (2.9) and fourth in assist-turnover ratio (0.85) ... Sasha Weber ranks third in the WAC in three-pointers per game (2.48), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (37.0), eighth in minutes per game (32.61), and 10th in both scoring (13.7) and assists per game (2.77) ... Brianna Freeman ranks ninth in the WAC in blocks (0.65), while Tyler Ellis is 10th in rebounding (6.7).
SEATTLE U REDHAWKS (16-16, 9-7 WAC)
The Redhawks defeated No. 6 seed Kansas City 81-76 in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, then beat No. 2 seed Bakersfield 84-79 in the semifinals before falling to Idaho 75-67 in the championship game ... Kacie Sowell and Ashley Ward were named to the all-tournament team. Sowell averaged 13.3 points and 10.0 rebounds over the two games, while Ward averaged a team-best 17.3 points to go along with 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists ... Sowell was named first team All-WAC, while Sylvia Shepard was a second team honoree and was named to the All-Defensive Team ... Seattle U leads the WAC and ranks 18th nationally in field goal percentage (45.3) and leads the WAC and ranks 43rd in the nation in assists per game (15.8) ... Sowell ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage (55.6) ... The Redhawks also lead the WAC in rebounding defense (35.8) and rebounding margin (4.5), and rank second in defensive rebounds (28.0).
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN BRONCS (14-16, 8-8 WAC)
Despite leading by 12 points at halftime, the Broncs fell 86-74 to fifth-seeded New Mexico State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament last Wednesday to close out the season ... Kaelynn Boyd had 21 points and Shawnte’ Goff added 20 ... Jasmine Thompson recorded her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds ... Goff was named the WAC Freshman of the Year and to the All-Newcomer Team, while Brittany Bush was named to the All-Defensive Team ... UTPA leads the WAC and ranks 25th nationally in turnover margin (4.13), and ranks third in the WAC and 52nd nationally in three-pointers per game (7.2) ... The Broncs also rank second in the WAC in offensive rebounds (14.17), third in scoring defense (65.8), and fourth in three-point field goal percentage defense (31.4) ... Goff ranks fourth in the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (38.0) and sixth in free throw percentage (77.8), while Bush is third in blocks (1.38) and fifth in rebounding (7.9).
UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (7-23, 4-12 WAC)
The seventh-seeded Wolverines fell 6563 in overtime to No. 2 seed Bakersfield in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament last Wednesday ... Sam Loggins had a career-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season ... Rhaiah Spooner-Knight also doubled up with 17 points and 10 boards, her fourth double-double of the season ... Katie Kuklok and Rhaiah Spooner-Knight were both named to the WAC All-Newcomer Team ... As a team, the Wolverines rank 47th nationally in personal fouls per game (16.4) ... Kuklok ranks fourth in the nation in free throw percentage (93.5), 14th in three-point field goal percentage (43.1) and 23rd in three-pointers per game (2.88) ... The Wolverines lead the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (34.3), rank second in free throw percentage (73.6), field goal percentage (42.6) and rebounding defense (38.1), and third in field goal percentage defense (39.9).
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
HURLBUT NAMED WBCA ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR
WAC Deputy Commissioner Connie Hurlbut is the recipient of the 2014 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Administrator of the Year Award, presented annually to an administrator, athletic director, associate or assistant athletic director, or senior woman administrator who has excelled at encouraging the growth and quality of women’s basketball programs and women’s athletic programs overall. The candidate also must have served as a professional role model for student-athletes. Hurlbut, who joined the WAC staff in 2009 and serves as the senior associate commissioner and senior woman administrator, has been involved in collegiate and professional athletics for more than 25 years.