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NM STATE'S PACK NAMED WAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NM State's Gia Pack has been named Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 18 through Dec. 24.
Pack, a sophomore forward from Phoenix (South Mountain HS), averaged 21.0 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game as the Aggies split a pair of games at the Beach Classic, falling to Northeastern before knocking off host Long Beach State. Against Northeastern, she finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in a 65-64 loss. A day later, she put up 27 points with 12 rebounds in a 72-63 win over LBSU, adding four steals in the winning effort.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Aja Williams averaged 15.5 points per game as the ‘Runners earned a pair of wins over Omaha and Boise State … Grand Canyon's Brie Mobley led the Lopes to a pair of wins with 15.5 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game … Kansas City's Samantha Waldron scored her 1,000th career point in a loss to Denver on Tuesday … Seattle U's Alexis Montgomery continued her strong play with 27.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game in losses to Washington and UC Irvine … UT Rio Grande Valley's Laura Van Tilburg averaged 14.0 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game as the Vaqueros split a pair at home with Canisius and Southern California … Utah Valley's Mariah Seals put up 25 points in a win over Cal Poly.
UP NEXT
With just one week left until conference play begins, it's a light schedule around the WAC. Kansas City heads to Florida for a tournament at Florida Atlantic. The Roos open with Stetson on Friday and will take on either host FAU or Delaware State on Saturday. NM State returns home for a pair and will host UC Santa Barbara on Friday and Western New Mexico on Sunday. Utah Valley hosts Antelope Valley on Friday while CSU Bakersfield heads to the coast to take on Cal Poly before hosting UC Irvine on Saturday. Seattle U heads to CSUN for its last game of the calendar year while Chicago State will wrap up 2017 against Pittsburgh on Sunday.
BY THE NUMBERS
Seattle U leads the WAC in scoring offense (71.4 ppg), assists (14.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.0). CSU Bakersfield is the top defensive team, allowing jsut 54.5 ppg and the ‘Runners also lead the WAC in field goal defense (.367), three point defense (.268) and offensive rebounds (14.9). UT Rio Grande Valley holds the top scoring margin (+0.5) while Grand Canyon is the top free throw shooting team (.759). NM State is best from the field (.418) and behind the three-point arc (.354) while UTRGV leads the WAC in rebounding offense (39.0), rebounding defense (37.7) and rebounding margin (+1.3). NMSU is the top shot blocking team (4.3) while Utah Valley leads the league in steals (10.0) and turnover margin (+3.77).
Individually, Seattle U's Alexis Montgomery continues to lead the WAC in both scoring (21.6) and rebounding (10.1). UTRGV's Laura Van Tilburg is the top shooter (.535) while Utah Valley's Gabrielle Leos leads the WAC in free throw shooting (.844). NM State's Monique Mills is the top three point shooter (.448) and UMKC's Samantha Waldron leads the league in three pointers per game at 2.4. NMSU's Zaire Williams is the top assist woman (5.6) while UVU's Taylor Christensen leads the league in steals (3.5). Chicago State's Ines Mata Boix is the top shot blocker (1.9) and UMKC's Daijane Dillard has the best assist/turnoever ratio (2.6).
THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
Three WAC women's basketball players recently joined Utah Valley's Mariah Seals as active members of the WAC's 1,000-point club. Seattle U's Alexis Montgomery scored her 1,000th point on Nov. 30 at California and Grand Canyon's Jessica Gajewski scored her 1,000th point on Dec. 3 at Bethune-Cookman. Kansas City's Samantha Waldron went over the millenium mark against Denver while teammate Aries Washington is only seven points away.
200 FOR TIDWELL
UT Rio Grande Valley head coach Larry Tidwell earned his 200th career win on opening night against Concordia (Texas).
FIRST-TIME LEADERS
The WAC has three new head coaches in 2017-18 and all three of them are first-year head coaches. NM State's Brooke Atkinson, who was an assistant with the Aggies early in her career, headed to Las Cruces after serving as an assistant at Colorado State. Grand Canyon's Nicole Powell returns to her hometown of Phoenix after working as an assistant at Oregon. Kansas City's Jacie Hoyt comes to the Roos from Kansas State.
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
NM State is the favorite to win the 2017-18 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball title and Seattle U's Alexis Montgomery 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 third straight WAC title last season, received 47 points and six first place votes in the preseason poll. CSU Bakersfield picked up the remaining two first place votes for a total of 39 points to edge out Seattle U by one point for second place. Utah Valley was selected fourth while Grand Canyon, UT Rio Grande Valley and Kansas City were all separated by just two points for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots. Chicago State rounded out the poll.
Montgomery leads the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. Joining her on the first team are NM State's Brooke Salas, Grand Canyon's Brie Mobley and Utah Valley's Taylor Christensen and Mariah Seals.
Second team selections include Utah Valley's Sam Lubcke, CSU Bakersfield's Jazmyne Bartee and Aja Williams, Kansas City's Samantha Waldron and NM State's Zaire Williams.
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 2017-18 and Seattle U's Alexis Montgomery as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Aggies earned seven first place votes in the media poll to collect 82 points to top the poll. Seattle U was second with four first place votes and 76 points while CSU Bakersfield came in third with 60 points. Grand Canyon was selected fourth with 55 points and Utah Valley earned fifth with 46 points. UT Rio Grande Valley, Kansas City and Chicago State rounded out the poll.
Montgomery leads the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. Joining her on the first team are NM State's Brooke Salas, Utah Valley's Sam Lubcke, Grand Canyon's Brie Mobley and CSU Bakersfield's Jazmyne Bartee.
Second team selections include CSU Bakersfield's Aja Williams, Utah Valley's Mariah Seals and Taylor Christensen, and Kansas City's Kristen Moore and Samantha Waldron.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Just two of five First Team All-WAC players from last season return for the 2016-17 season as WAC Preseason Player of the Year Alexis Montgomery and NM State's Brooke Salas return for this season. Second Team honoreers Brie Mobley (Grand Canyon), Taylor Christensen (Utah Valley) and Jazmyne Bartee (CSU Bakersfield) are back as well.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
This season, WAC teams will face some tough competition in the non-conference portion of the schedule, with 14 games against NCAA Tournament participants and 11 against Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) participants. The complete list is below.
Games vs. NCAA Teams
Nov. 10 - Kansas City at Western Illinois
Nov. 12 - Duke at Grand Canyon
Nov. 15 - Utah Valley at Oregon State
Nov. 19 - CSU Bakersfield at Stanford
Nov. 20 - Kansas City at Iowa State
Nov. 22 - Western Illinois at Chicago State
Nov. 24 - NM State vs. Texas Southern (at UTEP)
Nov. 29 - Chicago State at Western Illinois
Nov. 30 - Seattle U at California
Dec. 7 - Long Beach State at Grand Canyon
Dec. 10 - Grand Canyon at Washington
Dec. 18 - Chicago State at Kansas State
Dec. 20 - CSU Bakersfield at Boise State
Dec. 20 - Seattle U at Washington
Games vs. WNIT Teams
Nov. 17 - UT Rio Grande Valley at Oklahoma State
Nov. 19 - Grand Canyon at UNLV
Nov. 20 - Northern Illinois at Chicago State
Nov. 21 - Utah Valley at Brigham Young
Nov. 26 - Morehead State at Chicago State
Nov. 26 - UC Davis at Seattle U
Dec. 3 - Grand Canyon at Bethune-Cookman
Dec. 3 - Chicago State at Wright State
Dec. 3 - CSU Bakersfield at SMU
Dec. 9 - CSU Bakersfield at South Dakota
Dec. 29 - Kansas City vs. Stetson (at FAU)
READY TO GO
After playing through a four-year transition period to NCAA Division I, Grand Canyon is eligible for the postseason this year. The Lopes are predicted to finish fourth by the media and fifth by the coaches
COMING SOON
California Baptist is scheduled to join the WAC for 2018-2019 competition. They will begin their four year transition process to Division 1. This will make them ineligible to compete in post season tournaments (WAC and NCAA) until 2022-2023 season. They will be coming from the Pacific West Conference where they won five championships (M&W Cross Country, W. Basketball, W. Golf, and Softball) during 2016-2017 season.
ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS TO HOST 2018 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2018 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the eighth year in a row. This year's tournament includes all eight teams and will be held Wednesday-Saturday, March 7-10.
COMING TO YOU LIVE
The WAC Digital Network will broadcast 104 regular season women's basketball games. In addition, the WDN will produce 15 regular-season games as well as all games at the 2017 WAC Basketball Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for broadcast on ESPN3