NEW MEXICO STATE WINS 2015 WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE
Top-seed New Mexico State defeated No. 3 Texas-Pan American 70-52 to win it’s first ever WAC Tournament title on Saturday afternoon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
All-tournament selection Sasha Weber led the Aggies with 20 points and seven rebounds to their first-ever conference tournament championship in program history. Tournament MVP Brianna Freeman also helped lead the Aggies with 17 points and nine rebounds sending New Mexico State into the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in the team’s history.
The Broncs were led by Cha’zaye Wright’s 15 points and eight rebounds while all-tournament selection Shawnte’ Goff recorded 11 points and one rebound.
FREEMAN LEADS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Regular season Player of the Year Brianna Freeman was named 2015 WAC Tournament MVP after helping to lead the Aggies to their first NCAA appearance since 1988. Joining Freeman on the team was teammate Sasha Weber, who led NM State with 20 points in the championship game. Texas-Pan American sophomore Shawnte’ Goff represented the Broncs while Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland and Seattle U’s Taelor Ross were also named to the All-Tournament team.
GOING DANCING
When New Mexico State takes the floor on Saturday at Maryland, they will be looking to become the first WAC team in 11 seasons to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2004, Louisiana Tech defeated Montana and Texas Tech en route to the Sweet Sixteen, falling to Duke in Norfolk, Va.
POSTSEASON PARTY
The Aggies aren’t the only ones playing this week as Bakersfield will play in the WNIT for the second straight year, headed south on I-5 to UCLA for a first-round matchup with the Bruins on Thursday. Texas-Pan American will also be continuing its season this week, heading east to Louisiana-Lafayette for a showdown with the Ragin’ Cajuns in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, also on Thursday.
BY THE NUMBERS
Bakersfield wrapped up the regular season leading the WAC in scoring offense at 74.0 ppg. Grand Canyon was the top defensive team at 58.7 ppg while regular season champion New Mexico State held the top scoring margin at +8.0. Bakersfield also led the conference in free throw percentage (.742), three-point field goal percentage (.346), assists (16.10) and assist/turnover ratio (1.10).
Utah Valley was the top shooting team this season, attacking at a .419 clip. The Wolverines also held the best field goal defense at .380. Seattle U was the top rebounding team in the regular season at 40.8 while Missouri-Kansas City held the best rebounding margin at +2.5. Texas-Pan American blocked a WAC-best 100 shots for an average of 3.33 while NM State stole a league-best 11.19 per game. UTPA also led the conference in turnover margin at +6.20 while NMSU made a WAC-best 8.07 three-pointers per game.
Individually, Tyonna Outland led the WAC atih a 19.4 ppg scoring average. Teammate Batabe Zempare averaged 10.2 rebounds per game in the regular season while CSUB’s Alyssa Shannon posted a league-best 4.72 assists per game. New Mexico State’s Brianna Freeman was the top shooter, making .536 of her attempts. Missouri-Kansas City’s Calli White was the top free throw shooter at .859 while NM State’s Shanice Davis led the WAC with 2.56 steals per game. NM State’s Sasha Weber made a league-best 2.26 three-pointers per game. Seattle U’s Taelor Ross led the conference with 1.66 blocks per game and Texas-Pan American’s T’Ondria Nolen finished the regular season with a conferece-best 2.20 assist/turnover ratio.
SCORING MILESTONES
Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland scored her 2000th point in the Roadrunners’ regular season finale against Utah Valley to become the 339th Division I women’s basketball player to reach the plateau. Scoring their 1000th point earlier this season were New Mexico State junior Sasha Weber and Chicago State’s Paris Williams.
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. Missouri-Kansas City sophomore Calli White joined the club in a non-conference game at North Florida. During WAC play, both Chicago State’s Konner Harris and Bakersfield’s Tyonna Outland sank their 100th career three-pointer.
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).