2023-24 WAC WBB Release - Week Two
TWO TEAMS REMAIN UNBEATEN AFTER FIRST WEEK OF SEASON
Two WAC teams capped the first week of the 2023-24 season with unbeaten records. California Baptist won three games, while Grand Canyon won a pair of games to kick off the season at the top of the league standings. Utah Tech was second in the WAC standings with a 2-1 mark, and Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin and Utah Valley followed with matching 1-1 starts.
STARTING THE SEASON OFF WITH A BANG
Down 19 points to Saint Mary’s with 7:32 left to play in the fourth quarter, the Lopes rallied back with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field including four 3s. Naudia Evans called game as she knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Lopes atop of Saint Mary’s 55-53. Evans led Grand Canyon with 15 points, while Trinity San Antonio chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
GILLEN GETTING IT GOING EARLY
Utah Tech’s Breaunna Gillen enjoyed three standout performances for Utah Tech during opening week. She earned WAC Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points on 62.5 percent shooting, along with 9.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.0 steals. She nearly recorded her second career triple-double against La Verne with 21 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. She followed that performance up with 24 points and eight rebounds in a 73-58 win vs. Jacksonville State. On Nov. 14, Gillen continued to produce big numbers as she tallied 15 points and eight rebounds against UNLV.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN IN NCAA RANKINGS
In the latest NCAA DI national statistics rankings that were released on Nov. 14, Stephen F. Austin ranked first nationally in steals per game with 21.5, and third in turnovers forced per game with an average of 31. Sophomore guard Kyla Deck currently ranks second in the nation with six steals per game.
DREW SPERAW NAMED TO NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
WAC Associate Commissioner for Basketball Drew Speraw was recently named as one of five new additions to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
Currently comprised of 12 voting members across Division I, FBS and FCS, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee works to ensure that the appropriate oversight for the sport of women’s basketball is maintained across the country. Along with enhancing the development of and public perception of the sport, along with prioritizing the student-athlete experience, the committee supervises the qualifications and selection procedures for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.