United Athletic Conference

 

California Baptist's Britney Thomas has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for November 30-December 6.

 

Thomas, a redshirt fifth-year senior from San Jacinto, Calif., averaged a double-double during the week to help lead the Lancers to two victories. Against San Diego State, Thomas dominated as she went 12-of-14 from the field and snagged 12 rebounds to carry California Baptist past the Aztecs 75-71. She backed up that performance with an 11 point, nine-rebound game at home as CBU took down UC Riverside 67-58. In the win over UCR, Thomas also shined on the defensive end, coming up with two blocked shots.

 

Other nominees included: Chicago State's Nadia Thorman-McKey recorded a team-high 18 points to go along with six boards and an assist as the Cougars fell to 20th ranked DePaul… Grand Canyon's Katie Scott combined to score 54 points in a pair of Lopes wins this week and was one rebound shy of a double-double in the win over Benedictine Mesa… NM State's Aaliyah Prince finished with a career-high 25 points and added three steals in the Aggies overtime loss at UTEP… Seattle U's McKenzi Williams posted her first career double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to lead the Redhawks to an overtime win over Utah State… Tarleton's Emily Cunningham scored in double digits for the third and fourth consecutive game as she posted 10 points against Bacone College and 12 points at Lamar… UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham set career-highs of her own in points (26) and steals (4) as she helped the Vaqueros pick up wins over UTSA and Texas A&M Corpus Christi to go 2-1 for the week.

 

The third week of WAC women's basketball gets underway with an early Tuesday morning tip-off between California Baptist and William Jessup. UT Rio Grande Valley also competes on Tuesday as they travel to Corpus Christi to take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi for the second time this season. Grand Canyon welcomes Northern Arizona in the lone Wednesday matchup while three more teams are in action on Thursday. NM State travels to Cal Poly, Tarleton will be at Oral Roberts and Seattle U hosts Northwest (Wash.).

 

Friday, California Baptist is on the road against UC Santa Barbara to begin this weekend's slate of games. On Saturday, Tarleton will host Champion Christian College, Grand Canyon will be in Cedar City, Utah, as they take on Southern Utah, Dixie State looks to open their season as they host Park University and NM State battles with Pepperdine in the second wave of their California road trip.

 

Grand Canyon maintains the lead in scoring offense, averaging 83 points per game. The Lopes also sit atop the conference in steals per game (14.0), turnover margin (+14.33) and offensive rebounds per game (17.3). Utah Valley lead the league in scoring defense (47.0), free throw percentage (.739), field goal percentage defense (.276), three-point percentage defense (.154) and blocked shots per game (5.0). California Baptist holds the best scoring margin after two weeks (+20.2) while also pacing the WAC in rebounding offense (49.0), rebounding margin (+7.0), assists (20.8), assist to turnover ratio (1.4), defensive rebound percentage (.760) and defensive rebounds (38.0). Tarleton has the top field goal percentage (.463) and also has the best rebounding defense (36.2). NM State is the league leader in three-point percentage (.438), offensive rebound percentage (.390) and is tied with Grand Canyon for the most three-pointers made per game (7.0).

 

Individually, Grand Canyon's Katie Scott is the league's leading scorer, averaging 20.7 points per game. Utah Valley's Nehaa Sohail collects the most rebounds per game (11) and offensive rebounds per game (4.0). Sohail is also tied with teammate Josie Williams for most blocks per game (2.0). California Baptist's Britney Thomas is at the top in field goal percentage (.700) and defensive rebounds per game (7.5). Thomas' teammate Ane Olaeta leads the conference in assists, averaging 6.8 helpers a game. NM State's Soufia Inoussa is perfect from the line to lead the WAC in free throw percentage while also leading in three-pointers made per game (2.3). Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell manages the most steals per game at 4.0 and holds the best assist to turnover ratio (2.7). Utah Valley's Eleyana Tafisi has the best three-point percentage (1.000) and Chicago State's Nadia Thorman-McKey leads in minutes played per game (37.5).

 

Grand Canyon has turned the ball over the fewest among WAC teams this season, averaging only 13.3 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, they force the most turnovers on the defensive side of the ball at 27.7 a game. The Lopes have also either set or tied their DI-era school record for turnovers forced in each of their first three games this season leading them to the conference's best turnover margin through the first two weeks.

 

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 this season and the most by a Seattle U team since 2010.

 

In California Baptist's 75-71 over San Diego State, 50 of the Lancer 75 points came in the paint. This is more than any single-game total for the Lancers than any game a year ago.

 

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.

 

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.

 

On Wednesday, Dec. 2, UT Rio Grand Valley trailed Texas A&M-Courpus Christi 38-27 with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter when sophomore Tiffany McGarity took over to lead the Vaqueros to a 58-51 victory. McGarity hit a trio of three-pointers to lead a 24-7 run to give UTRGV a lead they would never relinquish.

 

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). 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

Dec. 5 Loyola Marymount at Grand Canyon, W, 76-54

Dec. 5 Tarleton at Lamar, L, 58-73

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

 

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.

 

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.