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UTRGV'S KJARTANSDÓTTIR NAMED WAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UT Rio Grande Valley's Hildur Björg Kjartansdóttir has been named Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for March 1 through March 6.
Kjartansdóttir, a sophomore from Stykkishólmur, Iceland (Snæfell), tied her career-high with 17 points and set a new career-high with 15 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season as the Vaqueros handed NM State its first and only conference loss of the season. In addition to her points and rebounds, she recorded two assists and two steals as UTRGV secured the second seed in the upcoming WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Batabe Zempare recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Runners defeated Seattle U … Missouri-Kansas City's Samantha Waldron scored 18 and collected five steals as the ‘Roos held off Chicago State … NM State's Moriah Mack came off the bench to score 12 points and bring down eight rebounds against UTRGV … Utah Valley's Sam Loggins scored 22 points with 12 rebounds in a last-minute loss to Grand Canyon.
BY THE NUMBERS
NM State finished the regular season leading the WAC in scoring offense (69.2), scoring margin (+9.1), assists (13.4), steals (10.0), turnover margin (+4.61), assist/turnover margin (0.9) and three-pointers made (7.5). UT Rio Grande Valley had the top scoring defense (59.7) and field goal defense (.362). Missouri-Kansas City is the top team from the free throw line (.736) and Utah Valley is the most accurate from the field (.429). CSU Bakersfield holds the top mark from behind the three-point line (.333) while UTRGV is the best at defending the three (.293). The Vaqueros are also the top rebounding team (41.5) while UMKC is the best at keeping other teams off the glass (29.7).
Individually, UTRGV's Shawnte' Goff earned the scoring title with 15.4 ppg and CSU Bakersfield's Batabe Zempare led the way in rebounding with 9.7 rpg. Utah Valley's Sam Loggins led the WAC in field goal percentage (.498) while CSUB's Alyssa Shannon held the top free throw percentage (.869). Grand Canyon's Courtney Hayes led the league in both assists (6.6) and steals (2.9). UVU's Rebecca MaWhinney was the top three-point shooter by percentage (.409) and NM State's Sasha Weber led the league with 2.5 three-pointers per game. Chicago State's Sh'Toya Sanders was the top shot-blocker at 1.6 per game.
IT'S TOURNAMENT TIME
The WAC heads to Orleans Arena in Las Vegas this week for the 2016 WAC Basketball Tournament. The women will play three quarterfinal games beginning at 2 p.m. PT on Wednesday. NM State earns a bye and will take the court on Friday at Noon PT against the winner of UMKC/Utah Valley. The second semifinal will feature the winner of CSU Bakersfield/Seattle U and UTRGV/Chicago State. The trophy and the conference's automatic berth in the 2016 NCAA Tournament will be handed out on Saturday afternoon, with tip scheduled for 1 p.m. PT on ESPNU.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
NM State senior Sasha Weber has already established herself on a pair of WAC career lists as the guard finished sixth all-time in three-pointers made during conference play with 138 and is also sixth in three-pointers made overall with 259. CSU Bakersfield senior Batabe Zempare also etched her place in the record book with 876 of her 1,110 total rebounds coming as a member of the WAC, good for eighth all-time. Zempare is also tied for third with Tanya Zachary of Hawai'i (1990-92) for rebounding average in conference play at 10.2. Grand Canyon's Courtney Hayes finished conference play tied for fourth all-time in single-season assist average with 7.5 dimes per game.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
One week after 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, CSU Bakersfield senior Batabe Zempare scored her 1,000th career point in a win at Grand Canyon to become the seventh active Division I player with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
FROM DOWNTOWN
CSU Bakersfield's Erika Williams became the eighth active player in the WAC to make 100 career three-pointers. NM State's Sasha Weber leads the list with 259.
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
Nov. 28 - Seattle U vs. Princeton
Nov. 29 - CSU Bakersfield vs. Arizona State
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. 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)