BAKERSFIELD’S OUTLAND NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bakersfield guard Tyonna Outland has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 29 through Jan. 4.
Outland, a senior from Compton, Calif. (Lynwood HS), posted a pair of 20-point games as the Roadrunners split on the week. She scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting in a win over LIU Brooklyn, including 22 points in the second half. In one 18-point stretch, Outland was responsible for 16 Bakersfield points. On Saturday, she recorded her 24th career 20-plus point game with 22 points at Cal Poly but the Roadrunners couldn’t get the win, falling 69-64.
Outland previously won player of the week honors on Nov. 24. This is the fifth career honor for Outland.
Other nominees included: New Mexico State guard Zaire Williams scored a career-high 25 points in a win at Southern Utah…Grand Canyon guard Jessica Gajewski tied a career-high 18 points in a win over San Diego Christian after scoring 14 points on the road in a win at Incarnate Word…Utah Valley forward Rhaiah Spooner-Knight led the Wolverines to a win over Omaha with 18 points and five rebounds…Missouri-Kansas City guard Calli White scored a season-high 20 points in a loss at UC Riverside and made a season-high four three pointers in a loss at Cal State Fullerton.
BY THE NUMBERS
Heading into the first week of conference play, preseason favorite Bakersfield leads the WAC in scoring (72.6), free throw percentage (.775), assists (15.21), turnover margin (+7.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.09). Grand Canyon is the top defensive team, allowing just 59.2 ppg while New Mexico State holds the best scoring margin at +6.5 ppg. Utah Valley leads the WAC in field goal percentage (.417) and field goal percentage defense (.379). NMSU is the top three-point shooting team at .344 while Texas-Pan American is the top team at defending the three, allowing just .278 shooting from behind the arc.
Seattle U is the best rebounding team in the conference this season at 40.5 rpg and Missouri-Kansas City is tops at limiting boards, allowing just 36.4 rpg by its opposition. Chicago State continues to lead the conference in blocks, averaging 3.62 per game. New Mexico State leads the conference in steals at 11.38 per game.
Individually, Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland continues to lead the league in scoring at 18.8 ppg. Teammate Batabe Zempare is tops in both rebounding (9.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (.548) while fellow Roadrunner Alyssa Shannon holds the lead in assists at 5.43 apg and assist/turnover ratio at 2.71. Missouri-Kansas City’s Calli White is the top free throw shooter at .889 while New Mexico State’s Shanice Davis holds the lead in steals at 2.23 spg. NMSU freshman Zaire Williams isn’t playing like a freshman behind the arc, hitting three-pointers at a .441 clip. CSUB senior Brooklyn Hinkens is making a WAC-best 2.21 three-pointers per game while Chicago State’s Jakeisha Wells leads the conference in blocks at 2.09 bpg.
OPENING CONFERENCE PLAY
Saturday marks the opening of WAC play with four games across the league. Grand Canyon visits Bakersfield, Utah Valley heads to Seattle U, Texas-Pan American travels to Chicago State and New Mexico State plays at Missouri-Kansas City. With defending champion Idaho no longer in the conference, the WAC is guaranteed a new champion in 2015.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Missouri-Kansas City’s Calli White sits just two three-pointers away from 100 for her career in just her sophomore season. Bakersfield senior Brooklyn Hinkens will join teammate Tyonna Outland in the 100-game club on Tuesday when the Roadrunners hot UC Santa Barbara.
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.
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).