2010 WAC Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament Presented by Verizon Wireless
Lawlor Events Center ● Reno, Nevada
March 10-13, 2010 Hosted by University of Nevada and the Reno-Tahoe Convention and Visitors Bureau
Men's Championship New Mexico State defeated Utah State 69-63 to claim the 2010 WAC Tournament title. It marks NM State's second title and first since 2007. Jahmar Young was named tournament MVP after scoring 19 points in the championship game. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 25 points, while Tai Wesley posted a double-double of 13 points and 12 boards.
All-Tournament Team Luke Babbitt, Nevada Troy Gillenwater, New Mexico State Jared Quayle, Utah State Tai Wesley, Utah State Jahmar Young, New Mexico State (MVP)
Women's Championship Louisiana Tech defeated Fresno State 68-66 to claim the 2010 WAC Tournament championship. The title marks LA Tech's fifth overall WAC Tournament championship and first since 2006. Shanavia Dowdell was named the tournament's MVP after scoring a game-high 20 points and pulling down a game-high 19 rebounds. Whitney Jones had 13 points for Tech, while Tarkeisha Wysinger and Adrienne Johnson each had 10. Hayley Munro led Fresno State with 15 points and Jaleesa Ross helped with 14.
All-Tournament Team Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech (MVP) Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech Hayley Munro, Fresno State Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State Yinka Olurunnife, Idaho
Men's Semifinals Utah State shot 59 percent from the field and drained 10 three-pointers en route to an 85-55 win over Louisiana Tech in the first semifinal game Friday night. Jared Quayle led all players with 16 points, followed by Brady Jardine with 13. LA Tech was led by Olu Ashaolu, Kyle Gibson and David Jackson with 10 points apiece. The Aggies, who out-rebounded the Bulldogs 39-26, advance to the WAC Tournament championship game for the second year in a row.
New Mexico State's Jahmar Young hit a jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining to give the Aggies an 80-79 win over host Nevada in the final semifinal game of the night Friday. Young finished with 15 points and five assists, while Troy Gillenwater posted 21 points and eight rebounds. Wendell McKines tallied his ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Nevada was led by Luke Babbitt with a career-high 33 points to go with eight rebounds. Armon Johnson added 13 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the year.
Women's Semifinals Fresno State advances to Saturday's championship game after an 80-66 victory over Idaho. Jaleesa Ross led Fresno State with a game-high 25 points, including five shots from beyond the arc. Ross' five treys gives her 102 on the season and 286 in her career. Fresno State set a new WAC Tournament record for free throw percentage, knocking down a perfect 13-of-13 shots from the free throw line. The mark surpasses the previous mark of .941 (16-of-17) set by TCU at the 1997 tournament. Yinka Olurunnife led Idaho with 23 points.
Louisiana Tech defeated Nevada 80-77 in the women's second semifinal. Adrienne Johnson scored a game-high 29 while Shanavia Dowdell helped with 24. Johnson hit 11-of-12 shots from the field and 7-of-10 shots from the free throw line. Nevada had four players in double figures, led by Tahnee Robinson who had 18 points. Men's Quarterfinals Four Utah State players scored in double figures as the No. 1 Aggies defeated No. 8 Boise State 84-60 in the first of four WAC Tournament quarterfinal games on Thursday. Tai Wesley led Utah State with 18 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Brian Green and Pooh Williams also scored 18 apiece, both career highs. The Aggies out-rebounded the Broncos 47-27. Boise State was led by Deaquon Montreal with 16 points and Robert Arnold with 14.
In the second quarterfinal game, No. 4 Louisiana Tech defeated fifth-seeded Fresno State 74-66 behind a career-high 31 points from Jamel Guyton. He also pulled down 11 boards for his second double-double of the season. Fresno State was led by Paul George's double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
All five Nevada starters scored in double figures and the No. 2 Wolf Pack shot 55 percent from the field in an 87-71 win over No. 7 Idaho in the third quarterfinal game Thursday. Luke Babbitt led all players with 21 points, followed by Brandon Fields with 15, Joey Shaw with 14, Armon Johnson with 13 and Dario Hunt with 12. The Vandals were paced by Luciano de Souza with 20 points. Marvin Jefferson added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
In the final quarterfinal game of the night, third-seeded New Mexico State coasted to a 90-69 win over No. 6 San Jose State. NM State out-shot SJSU 55 percent to 43 percent and won the rebounding battle 38-25. Jonathan Gibson led the Aggies with 22 points, while Wendell McKines posted his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds. The Spartans' Adrian Oliver led all scorers with 23 points.
Women's Quarterfinals Four Fresno State players scored in double figures as the No. 1 Bulldogs defeated No. 8 Hawai‘i 83-55 in the first of four WAC Tournament quarterfinal games on Wednesday. Jaleesa Ross led the Bulldogs with 15 points. Fresno State knocked down 11 shots from long range in the game. Dita Liepkalne and Keisha Kanekoa led Hawai‘i with 12 points each.
In the day's second quarterfinal game, No. 4 Idaho defeated No. 5 New Mexico State 75-63. The Vandal win marks the first WAC Tournament victory in team history for Idaho. Yinka Olorunnife led Idaho with a game-high 23 points on an impressive 9-of-11 shooting. The Vandals connected on 10 shots from beyond the arc in the game. Crystal Boyd led New Mexico State with 17 points.
Third-seeded Nevada downed No. 6 seed Boise State 64-59 in the day's third quarterfinal matchup. Tahnee Robinson led the Wolf Pack with a game-high 20 points, while Shavon Moore added 14 and Johnna Ward had 12. Tasha Harris led Boise State with 19 points and Lauren Lenhardt had 10.
Jasmine Bendolph scored a game-high 24 points to lead No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech to an 82-65 win over No. 7 Utah State in Wednesday's final quarterfinal game. Adrienne Johnson helped with 22 points, while Brietta Thomas and Tarkeisha Wysinger each had 11. LaCale Pringle-Buchanan led Utah State with 18 points.
