This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 22
This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 22
GCU'S SCOTT NAMED TICKETSMARTER WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon's Katie Scott has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 14 through Dec. 20.
Scott, a freshman from Carl Junction, Mo., helped lead the Lopes this week, scoring a combined 35 points in a pair of road wins. Against Eastern Washington, she put up 20 points on 8-of-11 from the field to notch her fourth 20-plus point performance of her short collegiate career. She also snagged six rebounds and had two helpers against the Eagles. On Friday, Scott hit two three-pointers and finished with 15 points, two assists and a steal in just 11 minutes of play as the Lopes pulled out a three-point win over Houston Baptist.
Other nominees included: California Baptist's Ane Olaeta nearly averaged a double-double as she helped lead the Lancers to an 8-0 start, combining for 18 points and 18 assists in a pair of wins over the week… Dixie State's Emily Isaacson finished with 10 points, six boards and zero turnovers to lead the way for DSU as they battled with Portland St. on Wednesday… NM State's Aaliyah Prince scored at least 20 points for the third straight game as she finished with 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in the Aggies' win over Denver… Seattle U's Bree Calhoun did it all for the Redhawks this week, posting a stat line of 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a block in a victory over Eastern Washington… Tarleton's Alexa Hoy managed career-highs in both rebounds (9) and assists (4) to lead the Texans as they took on North Alabama... UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham tallied her third game of 20-plus points this season, hitting a career-high-tying four three-pointers on her way to 21 points in a tight win over Prairie View A&M.
ON TAP
With the holidays on the horizon, five teams competed in their lone game of the week yesterday. Grand Canyon was the only victor as they dominated Arizona Christian at home, 97-65. Meanwhile, Tarleton, Chicago State, Seattle U and Dixie State were all on the road. Tarleton fell to Eastern Michigan, Chicago State was defeated by SIUE, Seattle U came up short in a barn burner with Idaho and Southern Utah took down Dixie State.
The next WAC women's hoops action that we will see won't be until Tuesday, Dec. 29 as NM State travels to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.
BY THE NUMBERS
Grand Canyon currently leads the league in scoring, putting up an impressive 82.2 points per game. The Lopes also pace the conference in field goal percentage (.440), steals per game (15.1) and turnover margin (+11.63). Utah Valley remains the top scoring defense as they are holding teams to a nation-leading 45.0 points per game. UVU also leads the league in scoring margin (+26.0), free throw percentage (.750), field goal percentage defense (.264), three-point field goal percentage defense (.200), rebounding offense (45.0), rebounding margin (+7.5), offensive rebounds (15.0) and offensive rebounding percentage (.380). NM State holds the best three point percentage (.380) while also leading in rebounding defense (36.2). Undefeated California Baptist rejects the most shots, tallying 5.3 blocks a game. The Lancers also post the most assits per game (21.6), have the best assist to turnover ratio (1.5), collect the most defensive rebounds (34.0), and hit the most three-pointers per game (8.4). Lastly, Dixie State has the best defensive rebounding percentage at .739.
Individually, Grand Canyon's Katie Scott leads the WAC in scoring, posting 19.8 points per game. She also leads the conference in field goal percentage (.602). Utah Valley's Nehaa Sohail is still the leading rebounder as she collects 9.5 boards per game. Sohail also snags the most defensive rebounds at 6.5 per game and is tied with Chicago State's Christina Britter for the most offensive rebounds per game (3.0). California Baptist's Ane Olaeta leads the league in assists per game (8.1) and assist to turnover ratio (2.6). Utah Valley's Josie Williams has the best free throw percentage (.923) while fellow Wolverine Eleyana Tafisi has the best three point percentage (1.000). Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell collects the most steals per game (3.6) and the Redhawks Courtney Murphy hits the most three-pointers per game (2.2). California Baptist's Caitlyn Harper blocks the most shots among conference players, swatting 2.3 a game. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham sees the most floor time, recording 37.0 minutes per game.
CBU AMONG ELITE COMPANY
California Baptist is currently one of only five schools with at least eight victories and one of only three schools that hoists an undefeated record with at least eight wins. Other than the Lancers, only other schools that remain undefeated after eight games are No. 4 NC State and No. 9 Texas A&M. The Lancers were also the first NCAA Division I team to reach eight wins as they took down Cal Poly, 61-51, on Dec. 19.
The Lancers were looking to extend their win streak to 12 when they took on UC San Diego yesterday. However, the game was halted at halftime due to COVID-19 protocol concerns.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Currently, the WAC hosts two of the nation's top defenses in Utah Valley and Grand Canyon. Utah Valley ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense, holding teams to 45 points a game on 26.4% shooting. Grand Canyon also ranks in the top five in a separate category as they have collected the fifth most steals in the country (96).
Individually, Seattle U's Bree Calhoun and McKenzie Williams rank inside the top-10 in a few categories. Calhoun has dished out the 6th-most assists (41) and has also collected the 10th-most steals (21). Williams ranks sixth in free throws made (43) and eighth in free throws attempted (51). Grand Canyon also has a couple of standouts of their own as Katie Scott has hit the 10th-most field goals (52) while Taylor Caldwell ranks sixth in both steals (25) and steals per game (3.57).
LANCERS CRACK MID-MAJOR POLL
Following a 5-0 start, California Baptist earned a spot on CollegeInsider.com's Women's Mid Major Top 25, picking up the 25th spot. This marks the first time that a WAC school has cracked the Mid Major Top 25 since NM State was No. 25 in the poll released on Nov. 11, 2019.
After taking down UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 11, the Lancers pushed their win streak to nine, dating back to last season. CBU's winning spree ties them with UConn and Bucknell for the eighth-longest active win streak in Division I.
SCORE AND SCORE SOME MORE
Seattle U's 106-39 win over Northwest produced a night of scoring that is unmatched in Redhawk history. SU set a Division I program scoring record with 106 points while they tied their DI program record in both assists (29) and three-pointers made (15).
Tarleton also posted numbers that were etched into the history books as they blew out Champion Christian College, 95-27. The Texans reached a new program record for three-pointers made, knocking down 16 triples. Tarleton also forced 32 turnovers to set a new record for a Misty Wilson-coached team. The 68-point win is also the most dominating victory during Wilson's tenure.
CRASHING THE GLASS
Seattle U took down Utah State 75-72 in overtime on Thursday, Dec. 3. In the Redhawks overtime win, they collected 66 rebounds, marking the third-most by an NCAA team up to that point in the season and the most by a Seattle U team since 2010.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
Grand Canyon's Katie Scott scored 29 points to lead the Lopes past Loyola Marymount on Dec. 5. Scott's 29 points are the most scored by any freshman in the WAC since CSU Bakersfield's Ashley Austin scored 30 against Kansas City on Feb. 16, 2019.
TEXANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS
Despite a slow start, Tarleton put together an 80-39 win over Bacone College on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The 41-point margin marks the Texans most dominating victory since 2017 when they took down Arlington Baptist 104-52.
STAT LEADERS BACK
California Baptist's Ane Olaeta returns for her senior season after leading the WAC in assists (6.0). The WAC Preseason Player of the Year is also the leagues leading scorer amongst returners as she finished ninth a year ago, averaging 12.2 points per game. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham is also back after leading the conference in three-point percentage (.427).
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Utah Valley has been named the favorite to win the 2020-21 women's basketball title and California Baptist's Ane Olaeta was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
After finishing second in the conference a year ago, the Wolverines earned the top spot with 57 points and two first-place votes in the preseason poll. California Baptist collected four first-place votes and tallied 55 points, followed by Grand Canyon with two first-place votes and 47 points. NM State garnered the final first-place vote and a total of 45 points as they were picked to finish fourth while UT Rio Grande Valley came in just behind the Aggies with 44 points. Seattle U claimed sixth with 29 points. Newcomer Tarleton followed the Redhawks to capture the seventh spot with Dixie State and Chicago State rounding out the group.
Olaeta is atop the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. The senior guard is joined on the first team by Utah Valley's Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho, UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham and Aaliyah Prince of NM State.
Second team honors went to Grand Canyon's Laura Piera, NM State's Soufia Inoussa, Tarleton's Alexa Hoy and Seattle U's duo Courtney Murphy and McKenzi Williams.
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media have selected California Baptist as the preseason favorites to be named the 2020-21 conference champions while the Lancers' Ane Olaeta was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
In just their third year in the league, California Baptist earned five first-place votes and 61 points from the media to capture the top spot. Utah Valley came in just behind CBU with 60 points and received one first-place vote. UT Rio Grande Valley collected the third spot as they earned 56 points while NM State picked up a first-place vote to put them in fourth with 53 points. The media gave the fifth spot to Seattle U with 41 points. Grand Canyon tallied the final first-place vote and 39 points to finish sixth, followed by Tarleton in seventh, Dixie State in eighth and Chicago State in ninth.
Olaeta leads the group of Preseason All-WAC award getters and is joined by teammate Britney Thomas. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham, Utah Valley's Maria Carvalho and NM State's Aaliyah Prince are also among the first-team honorees.
Second-team selections include Utah Valley's Josie Williams, Seattle U's Courtney Murphy, California Baptist's Georgia Dale and Caitlyn Harper, and NM State's Soufia Inoussa.
NEW FACES ALL AROUND
There will be a total of four new faces among head coaches in the WAC. JD Gustin and Misty Wilson will lead newcomers Dixie State and Tarleton into the league, respectively. Chicago State brings in rookie head coach Tiffany Sardin to lead their program and Molly Miller, who currently holds the nation's best active winning percentage, will be at the helm for Grand Canyon.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCH-UPS
With a fluid schedule that is bound to change, the WAC has 12 games against
teams that advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and four games against
teams that participated in the 2019 NIT. The complete list is below.
Games vs. 2019 NCAA Tournament Teams
Nov. 28 Seattle U at Oregon, L, 51-116
Nov. 30 Chicago State at DePaul, L, 66-128
Dec. 15 Utah Valley at BYU, 3 p.m. MT
Games vs. 2019 NIT Teams
Dec. 5 Loyola Marymount at Grand Canyon, W, 76-54
Dec. 5 Tarleton at Lamar, L, 58-73
Dec. 12 NM State at Pepperdine, L, 46-54
Dec. 15 California Baptist at Pepperdine, 5 p.m. PT
Dec. 18 Prairie View A&M at UT Rio Grande Valley, 7 p.m. CT
Dec. 19 UT Arlington at UT Rio Grande Valley, 4 p.m. CT
Dec. 21 Seattle U at Idaho, 2 p.m. PT
A WARM WAC WELCOME
The WAC adds two new schools as Dixie State and Tarleton join the conference. The Dixie State Trailblazers come over from the DII Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and while the Texans of Tarleton competed in the DII Lone Star Conference a year ago. The two newcomers are replacing CSU Bakersfield (Big West) and Kansas City (Summit League). Dixie and Tarleton join California Baptist as schools transitioning from Division II to Division I. The Lancers enter the third year in the WAC and will be eligible for NCAA postseason in the 2022-23 season. Dixie and Tarleton will complete their transition and be eligible for NCAA postseason play in 2024-25.
WAC TOURNAMENT MAKES TRIP NO. 10 TO VEGAS
After COVID-19 cut the 2020 WAC Basketball Tournament short, the conference will head back to #WACVegas for the 2021 tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament will be held March 10-13 and will include all six NCAA-eligible teams as well as transitioning member California Baptist.
GCU'S Scott NAMED TICKETSMARTER WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon's Katie Scott has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Dec. 14 through Dec. 20.
Scott, a freshman from Carl Junction, Mo., helped lead the Lopes this week, scoring a combined 35 points in a pair of road wins. Against Eastern Washington, she put up 20 points on 8-of-11 from the field to notch her fourth 20-plus point performance of her short collegiate career. She also snagged six rebounds and had two helpers against the Eagles. On Friday, Scott hit two three-pointers and finished with 15 points, two assists and a steal in just 11 minutes of play as the Lopes pulled out a three-point win over Houston Baptist.
Other nominees included: California Baptist's Ane Olaeta nearly averaged a double-double as she helped lead the Lancers to an 8-0 start, combining for 18 points and 18 assists in a pair of wins over the week… Dixie State's Emily Isaacson finished with 10 points, six boards and zero turnovers to lead the way for DSU as they battled with Portland St. on Wednesday… NM State's Aaliyah Prince scored at least 20 points for the third straight game as she finished with 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in the Aggies' win over Denver… Seattle U's Bree Calhoun did it all for the Redhawks this week, posting a stat line of 14 points, six rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a block in a victory over Eastern Washington… Tarleton's Alexa Hoy managed career-highs in both rebounds (9) and assists (4) to lead the Texans as they took on North Alabama... UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham tallied her third game of 20-plus points this season, hitting a career-high-tying four three-pointers on her way to 21 points in a tight win over Prairie View A&M.
ON TAP
With the holidays on the horizon, five teams competed in their lone game of the week yesterday. Grand Canyon was the only victor as they dominated Arizona Christian at home, 97-65. Meanwhile, Tarleton, Chicago State, Seattle U and Dixie State were all on the road. Tarleton fell to Eastern Michigan, Chicago State was defeated by SIUE, Seattle U came up short in a barn burner with Idaho and Southern Utah took down Dixie State.
The next WAC women's hoops action that we will see won't be until Tuesday, Dec. 29 as NM State travels to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.
BY THE NUMBERS
Grand Canyon currently leads the league in scoring, putting up an impressive 82.2 points per game. The Lopes also pace the conference in field goal percentage (.440), steals per game (15.1) and turnover margin (+11.63). Utah Valley remains the top scoring defense as they are holding teams to a nation-leading 45.0 points per game. UVU also leads the league in scoring margin (+26.0), free throw percentage (.750), field goal percentage defense (.264), three-point field goal percentage defense (.200), rebounding offense (45.0), rebounding margin (+7.5), offensive rebounds (15.0) and offensive rebounding percentage (.380). NM State holds the best three point percentage (.380) while also leading in rebounding defense (36.2). Undefeated California Baptist rejects the most shots, tallying 5.3 blocks a game. The Lancers also post the most assits per game (21.6), have the best assist to turnover ratio (1.5), collect the most defensive rebounds (34.0), and hit the most three-pointers per game (8.4). Lastly, Dixie State has the best defensive rebounding percentage at .739.
Individually, Grand Canyon's Katie Scott leads the WAC in scoring, posting 19.8 points per game. She also leads the conference in field goal percentage (.602). Utah Valley's Nehaa Sohail is still the leading rebounder as she collects 9.5 boards per game. Sohail also snags the most defensive rebounds at 6.5 per game and is tied with Chicago State's Chritina Britter for the most offensive rebounds per game (3.0). California Baptist's Ane Olaeta leads the league in assists per game (8.1) and assist to turnover ratio (2.6). Utah Valley's Josie Williams has the best free throw percentage (.923) while fellow Wolverine Eleyana Tafisi has the best three point percentage (1.000). Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell collects the most steals per game (3.6) and the Redhawks Courtney Murphy hits the most three-pointers per game (2.2). California Baptist's Caitlyn Harper blocks the most shots among conference players, swatting 2.3 a game. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham sees the most floor time, recording 37.0 minutes per game.
CBU AMONG ELITE COMPANY
California Baptist is currently one of only five schools with at least eight victories and one of only three schools that hoists an undefeated record with at least eight wins. Other than the Lancers, only other schools that remain undefeated after eight games are No. 4 NC State and No. 9 Texas A&M. The Lancers were also the first NCAA Division I team to reach eight wins as they took down Cal Poly, 61-51, on Dec. 19.
The Lancers were looking to extend their win streak to 12 when they took on UC San Diego yesterday. However, the game was halted at halftime due to COVID-19 protocol concerns.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Currently, the WAC hosts two of the nation's top defenses in Utah Valley and Grand Canyon. Utah Valley ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense, holding teams to 45 points a game on 26.4% shooting. Grand Canyon also ranks in the top five in a separate category as they have collected the fifth most steals in the country (96).
Individually, Seattle U's Bree Calhoun and McKenzie Williams rank inside the top-10 in a few categories. Calhoun has dished out the 6th-most assists (41) and has also collected the 10th-most steals (21). Williams ranks sixth in free throws made (43) and eighth in free throws attempted (51). Grand Canyon also has a couple of standouts of their own as Katie Scott has hit the 10th-most field goals (52) while Taylor Caldwell ranks sixth in both steals (25) and steals per game (3.57).
LANCERS CRACK MID-MAJOR POLL
Following a 5-0 start, California Baptist earned a spot on CollegeInsider.com's Women's Mid Major Top 25, picking up the 25th spot. This marks the first time that a WAC school has cracked the Mid Major Top 25 since NM State was No. 25 in the poll released on Nov. 11, 2019.
After taking down UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 11, the Lancers pushed their win streak to nine, dating back to last season. CBU's winning spree ties them with UConn and Bucknell for the eighth-longest active win streak in Division I.
SCORE AND SCORE SOME MORE
Seattle U's 106-39 win over Northwest produced a night of scoring that is unmatched in Redhawk history. SU set a Division I program scoring record with 106 points while they tied their DI program record in both assists (29) and three-pointers made (15).
Tarleton also posted numbers that were etched into the history books as they blew out Champion Christian College, 95-27. The Texans reached a new program record for three-pointers made, knocking down 16 triples. Tarleton also forced 32 turnovers to set a new record for a Misty Wilson-coached team. The 68-point win is also the most dominating victory during Wilson's tenure.
CRASHING THE GLASS
Seattle U took down Utah State 75-72 in overtime on Thursday, Dec. 3. In the Redhawks overtime win, they collected 66 rebounds, marking the third-most by an NCAA team up to that point in the season and the most by a Seattle U team since 2010.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
Grand Canyon's Katie Scott scored 29 points to lead the Lopes past Loyola Marymount on Dec. 5. Scott's 29 points are the most scored by any freshman in the WAC since CSU Bakersfield's Ashley Austin scored 30 against Kansas City on Feb. 16, 2019.
TEXANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS
Despite a slow start, Tarleton put together an 80-39 win over Bacone College on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The 41-point margin marks the Texans most dominating victory since 2017 when they took down Arlington Baptist 104-52.
STAT LEADERS BACK
California Baptist's Ane Olaeta returns for her senior season after leading the WAC in assists (6.0). The WAC Preseason Player of the Year is also the leagues leading scorer amongst returners as she finished ninth a year ago, averaging 12.2 points per game. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham is also back after leading the conference in three-point percentage (.427).
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Utah Valley has been named the favorite to win the 2020-21 women's basketball title and California Baptist's Ane Olaeta was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
After finishing second in the conference a year ago, the Wolverines earned the top spot with 57 points and two first-place votes in the preseason poll. California Baptist collected four first-place votes and tallied 55 points, followed by Grand Canyon with two first-place votes and 47 points. NM State garnered the final first-place vote and a total of 45 points as they were picked to finish fourth while UT Rio Grande Valley came in just behind the Aggies with 44 points. Seattle U claimed sixth with 29 points. Newcomer Tarleton followed the Redhawks to capture the seventh spot with Dixie State and Chicago State rounding out the group.
Olaeta is atop the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. The senior guard is joined on the first team by Utah Valley's Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho, UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham and Aaliyah Prince of NM State.
Second team honors went to Grand Canyon's Laura Piera, NM State's Soufia Inoussa, Tarleton's Alexa Hoy and Seattle U's duo Courtney Murphy and McKenzi Williams.
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media have selected California Baptist as the preseason favorites to be named the 2020-21 conference champions while the Lancers' Ane Olaeta was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
In just their third year in the league, California Baptist earned five first-place votes and 61 points from the media to capture the top spot. Utah Valley came in just behind CBU with 60 points and received one first-place vote. UT Rio Grande Valley collected the third spot as they earned 56 points while NM State picked up a first-place vote to put them in fourth with 53 points. The media gave the fifth spot to Seattle U with 41 points. Grand Canyon tallied the final first-place vote and 39 points to finish sixth, followed by Tarleton in seventh, Dixie State in eighth and Chicago State in ninth.
Olaeta leads the group of Preseason All-WAC award getters and is joined by teammate Britney Thomas. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham, Utah Valley's Maria Carvalho and NM State's Aaliyah Prince are also among the first-team honorees.
Second-team selections include Utah Valley's Josie Williams, Seattle U's Courtney Murphy, California Baptist's Georgia Dale and Caitlyn Harper, and NM State's Soufia Inoussa.
NEW FACES ALL AROUND
There will be a total of four new faces among head coaches in the WAC. JD Gustin and Misty Wilson will lead newcomers Dixie State and Tarleton into the league, respectively. Chicago State brings in rookie head coach Tiffany Sardin to lead their program and Molly Miller, who currently holds the nation's best active winning percentage, will be at the helm for Grand Canyon.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCH-UPS
With a fluid schedule that is bound to change, the WAC has 12 games against
teams that advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and four games against
teams that participated in the 2019 NIT. The complete list is below.
Games vs. 2019 NCAA Tournament Teams
Nov. 28 Seattle U at Oregon, L, 51-116
Nov. 30 Chicago State at DePaul, L, 66-128
Dec. 15 Utah Valley at BYU, 3 p.m. MT
Games vs. 2019 NIT Teams
Dec. 5 Loyola Marymount at Grand Canyon, W, 76-54
Dec. 5 Tarleton at Lamar, L, 58-73
Dec. 12 NM State at Pepperdine, L, 46-54
Dec. 15 California Baptist at Pepperdine, 5 p.m. PT
Dec. 18 Prairie View A&M at UT Rio Grande Valley, 7 p.m. CT
Dec. 19 UT Arlington at UT Rio Grande Valley, 4 p.m. CT
Dec. 21 Seattle U at Idaho, 2 p.m. PT
A WARM WAC WELCOME
The WAC adds two new schools as Dixie State and Tarleton join the conference. The Dixie State Trailblazers come over from the DII Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and while the Texans of Tarleton competed in the DII Lone Star Conference a year ago. The two newcomers are replacing CSU Bakersfield (Big West) and Kansas City (Summit League). Dixie and Tarleton join California Baptist as schools transitioning from Division II to Division I. The Lancers enter the third year in the WAC and will be eligible for NCAA postseason in the 2022-23 season. Dixie and Tarleton will complete their transition and be eligible for NCAA postseason play in 2024-25.
WAC TOURNAMENT MAKES TRIP NO. 10 TO VEGAS
After COVID-19 cut the 2020 WAC Basketball Tournament short, the conference will head back to #WACVegas for the 2021 tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament will be held March 10-13 and will include all six NCAA-eligible teams as well as transitioning member California Baptist.