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UTAH VALLEY'S BLANKS NAMES WAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley's Deijah Blanks has been named Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21.
Blanks, a sophomore from San Diego (Mount Miguel HS), had a perfect night from the floor on Feb. 18 against Chicago State, going 10-for-10 from the field and 7-for-7 on free throws en route to 29 points and 10 rebounds in a 69-62 win over the Cougars. She followed that up with a 5-for-7 game at Missouri-Kansas City, scoring 13 points to help UVU get the 58-44 win. She averaged 21 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 2.0 steals per game as the Wolverines moved into a tie for second-place in the WAC standings.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Erika Williams averaged 21.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg as the Runners split a pair of games at home against NM State and UT Rio Grande Valley … Chicago State's Kaylee Allen averaged 18.5 ppg as the Cougars dropped their final two home games of 2016 … Grand Canyon's Jessica Gajewski averaged 16.0 ppg as the Lopes won a pair on the road at Chicago State and UMKC … Missouri-Kansas City's Aries Washington averaged 10.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg as the Roos dropped games at home against Grand Canyon and Utah Valley … NM State's Moriah Mack helped the Aggies stay undefeated in conference play, averaging 14.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg in wins at CSU Bakersfield and Seattle U … Seattle U's Taelor Ross surpassed the 1,000-point mark as part of a 23-point, 10-rebound night against NM State … UT Rio Grande Valley's Anushka Maldonado averaged 16.0 ppg as the Vaqueros split a pair of road games at Seattle U and CSU Bakersfield.
BY THE NUMBERS
With just two games remaining in the regular season, NM State leads the conference in scoring offense (69.4), scoring defense (59.3), scoring margin (+10.0), assists (13.6), steals (10.2), turnover margin (+4.69), assist/turnover ration (0.9) and three point field goals made (7.8). UT Rio Grande Valley is still the top defensive team in terms of field goal defense (.365) and rebounding offense (41.4) while Missouri-Kansas City leads the league in free throw percentage (.730), rebounding defense (29.2) and rebounding margin (+7.9). Utah Valley holds the top field goal percentage (.426) and CSU Bakersfield is the best at shooting the three (.334). Grand Canyon is the top team at defending the three (.293) while Chicago State is the top shot blocking team (4.1).
Individually, UTRGV's Shawnte' Goff has a comfortable lead for the scoring title, averaging 15.0 ppg. CSU Bakersfield's Batabe Zempare continues to lead in rebounding (9.4) while NM State's Brianna Freeman holds the top spot in field goal percentage (.502). Grand Canyon's Courtney Hayes is the leader in both assits (6.7) and steals (2.8). CSU Bakersfield guard Alyssa Shannon is the top free throw shooter (.873) and NM State's Sasha Weber is the top three-point shooter, both by percentage (.414) and made per game (2.6). Utah Valley's Sam Loggins leads the WAC in blocked shots (1.7).
In WAC-only play, NM State is averaging 68.8 ppg on offense and Grand Canyon is average 56.1 ppg on defense to lead the way. Goff is averaging 15.3 ppg in WAC play while Zempare is bringing down 9.2 rebounds per game.
CHASING RECORDS
NM State senior Sasha Weber has already established herself on a pair of WAC career lists as the guard is sixth all-time in three-pointers made during conference play at 135 and in three-pointers made overall with 256. Fresno State's Jaleesa Ross sits as the top of both lists with 202 in WAC play and 389 overall. CSU Bakersfield senior Batabe Zempare also looks like she will be in the record book when her season is over as her 10.1 career rebounds per game in league play are tied for fourth.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Last week, Chicago State's Layne Murphy and Seattle U's Taelor Ross joined UTRGV's Shawnte' Goff and NM State's Sasha Weber as active members of the 1,000 point club.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Grand Canyon's Jessica Gajewski became the seventh active player in the WAC to make 100 career three-pointers. NM State's Sasha Weber leads the list with 251.
THAT'S A LOT OF REBOUNDS
CSU Bakersfield's Batabe Zempare recently became the seventh active NCAA Division I women's basketball player to grab at least 1,000 career rebounds, breaking the millenium mark against NM State on Jan. 23. She also had a good chance at hitting 1,000 points for her career, currently sitting a 982.
MILESTONE WINS
Seattle U head coach Joan Bonvicini became the 23rd collegiate coach to hit the 700-win mark and the 17th Division I coach to reach the milestone when her Redhawks defeated Chicago State on Jan. 9. Grand Canyon head coach Trent May also earned a milestone win, collecting his 300th victory on Jan. 16 at Utah Valley.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
When CSU Bakersfield took on then-No. 14 Stanford on Dec. 22, ‘Runner head coach Greg McCall faced off against his daughter, and Cardinal forward, Erica. The younger McCall finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes played.
NO FREEBIES
CSU Bakersfield held No. 7 Oregon State to just two free throw attempts, tying the WAC record held by Hawai'i and last done in 2008-09 against Utah State.
WELCOME HOME
Seattle U finally made their true home debut on Dec. 19 when the Redhawks hosted Boise State at the newly renovated Connolly Center. The Broncos spoiled the homecoming, earning the 84-66 win.
JUMPING ON THE JAYHAWKS
Missouri-Kansas City picked up its first Division I win of the year in big fashion, knocking off Big 12 Kansas on Thursday at famed Allen Fieldhouse. The Kangaroos held the Jayhawks to just two points in the first quarter and a big game by Kiana Law led UMKC to its fourth all-time win against KU.
CLEANING THE GLASS
CSU Bakersfield senior Batabe Zempare broke her own school record for rebounds in a game with 22 against San Jose State.
COMEBACK KIDS
Utah Valley scored 37 points in the fourth quarter against San Francisco to force overtime and eventually win by six. The come-from-behind win is the biggest comeback in program history.
ISTANBUL (NOT CONSTANTINOPLE)
The Nov. 21 game between UT Rio Grande Valley and Eastern Michigan featured the first-ever matchup of Turkish-born players in an NCAA women's basketball game, including freshman Idil Türk (Istanbul) and EMU senior Sera Ozelci (Ankara). It was the second-ever matchup of players of Turkish decent, as American-born Yasemin Kimyacioglu (Santa Clara) faced her sister, Sebnem (Stanford), in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Turk finished with nine points.
BLOCK PARTY
Seattle U center Taelor Ross recorded her 100th career block in a win over Evergreen. Chicago State's Layne Murphy also passed the 100 block mark this season. The WAC record for blocks in a career is 303 by Christen Roper of Hawai'i.
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
NM State is the favorite to win the 2015-16 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball title and the Aggies' Brianna Freeman was selected 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 Aggies, who won their first WAC title last season, received 49 points and seven first place votes in the preseason poll. CSU Bakersfield was selected second with 39 points. Seattle U earned the third spot with 33 points and the remaining first place vote while UT Rio Grande Valley was selected fourth with 30 points. Grand Canyon was predicted fifth with 27 points, followed by Utah Valley (26), Missouri-Kansas City (13) and Chicago State (7).
Freeman, the 2014-15 WAC Player of the Year and 2015 WAC Tournament MVP, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. Joining her on the first team are teammates Sasha Weber and Shanice Davis, UT Rio Grande Valley's Shawnte' Goff and Seattle U's Taelor Ross.
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media have selected NM State as the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champions in 2015-16 and Aggie junior Brianna Freeman as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Aggies earned nine of 10 first place votes in the media poll to collect 79 of 80 possible points. CSU Bakersfield earned the other first place vote to take second with 65 points. UT Rio Grande Valley, last season's WAC Tournament runner-up, was picked third with 54 points. Seattle U picked up 48 points to earn the fourth position, followed shortly behind Grand Canyon in fifth with 43 points. Utah Valley took sixth with 40 points followed by Missouri-Kansas City (19) and Chicago State (12).
Freeman, the 2014-15 WAC Player of the Year and 2015 WAC Tournament MVP, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. Joining her on the first team is teammate Sasha Weber, UT Rio Grande Valley's Shawnte' Goff, Utah Valley's Rhaiah Spooner-Knight and CSU Bakersfield's Alyssa Shannon.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Four of five First Team All-WAC players from last season return for the 2015-16 season as CSU Bakersfield's Tyonna Outland is the lone graduate. NM State will bring back the trio of Brianna Freeman, Sasha Weber and Shanice Davis while UTRGV's Shawnte' Goff looks to expand on a solid sophomore season.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
This season, WAC teams will face some tough competition in the non-conference portion of the schedule, with as many as 16 games against NCAA Tournament participants and as many as 16 against Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) participants. The complete list is below.
Games vs. NCAA Teams
Nov. 13 - Utah Valley at Brigham Young
Nov. 15 - Seattle U at Montana
Nov. 18 - Seattle U at Washington
Nov. 19 - Utah Valley at Boise State
Dec. 15 - CSU Bakersfield at Oregon State
Nov. 23 - Grand Canyon at Gonzaga
Nov. 24 - Chicago State at DePaul
Nov. 28 - CSU Bakersfield vs. South Carolina (at Honolulu)
Nov. 28 - Seattle U vs. Princeton (at Los Angeles)
Nov. 29 - CSU Bakersfield vs. Arizona State (at Honolulu)
Dec. 5 - UT Rio Grande Valley at Oklahoma State
Dec. 19 - Boise State at Seattle U
Dec. 22 - CSU Bakersfield at Stanford
Dec. 22 - Missouri-Kansas City at Northwestern
Jan. 2 - Seattle U at CSUN
Games vs. WNIT Teams
Nov. 13 - Hawai'i at Grand Canyon
Nov. 13 - Pacific at CSU Bakersfield
Nov. 19 - Sacramento State at NM State
Nov. 21 - UT Rio Grande Valley at Eastern Michigan
Nov. 23 - San Francisco at Utah Valley
Nov. 27 - CSU Bakersfield at Hawai'i
Nov. 28 - UT Rio Grande Valley at TCU
Dec. 2 - CSU Bakersfield at Fresno State
Dec. 3 - Utah Valley at Eastern Washington
Dec. 5 - CSU Bakersfield at UCLA
Dec. 5 - Kansas State at Chicago State
Dec. 7 - UT Rio Grande Valley at Kansas State
Dec. 21 - Northern Colorado at Grand Canyon
Dec. 30 - Hawai'i at CSU Bakersfield
Dec. 30 - NM State at Fordam (depending on 12/29)
Dec. 31 - Long Beach State at Seattle U
ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS TO HOST 2016 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2016 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the sixth year in a row. This year's tournament includes all seven eligible teams and will be held Wednesday-Saturday, March 9-12.
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RULES CHANGES
The NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee made a number of rules changes, most of which are intended to align the college game with the international and pro game.
Key Rule Changes
- The time limit to replace a disqualified player is reduced to 15 seconds. When the head coach fails to replace a disqualified player before the second horn, the head coach is assessed a bench technical foul. (Rules 2-10.9 and 10-4.5)
- Playing time for varsity games shall consist of four 10-minute periods. The intermission between the first and second and the third and fourth periods shall be the length of the elctronic-media timeout. (Rule 5-6.1)
- When a timeout is charged to the offensive team during the last 59.9 seconds of the fourth period and/or any extra period, the team has the option to advance the throw-in spot to the 28-foot mark in the frontcourt on the same side of the court as the scorers' table. (Rule 5-14.2)
- A team is awarded two free throws for each common foul beginning with the fifth team fould in a period. (Rule 8-2.1)
- The 10-second count shall reset on all stoppages of the game clock except when the defense causes the ball to be out of bounds, the offense retains possession after a held ball, or there is a technical foul assessed to the offensive team. (Rule 9-10)
- When an offensive post player with her back to the basket in the lane area is in control of the ball, a post defender may only place one forearm or one hand with a bend in the elbow on the offensive player. (Apendix III, Section 3)