TEAM-BY-TEAM SEASON RECAPS
Boise State Broncos (24-8, 14-2 WAC)
For a second-straight season, Boise State won a share of the WAC’s regular season title ... The Broncos finished in a tie for first place with Fresno State with a 14-2 league record ... Juniors Tasha Harris and Jessica Thompson are the highest scoring duo in the WAC, averaging 16.5 and 13.4 points, respectively ... Harris has led team in assists (113) while Thompson has fronted the team in steals (86) ... Harris was named to the First Team All-WAC squad while Thompson received Second Team All-WAC honors ... Harris was also named to the WAC’s All-Defensive team ... BSU had big wins this season over Oral Roberts (73-64), Washington (88-66), Washington State (71-64), Idaho State (78-74), and Fresno State (82-62) ... The team received the WAC’s automatic bid into the WNIT, where it defeated rival Idaho State before falling in the second round at TCU.
Fresno State Bulldogs (22-11, 14-2 WAC)
The Bulldogs enjoyed their best season in team history ... The team won a share of the WAC’s regular season title and also won the WAC Tournament by defeating host New Mexico State in the final ... Both titles mark the first championships in the team’s 43-year history ... The team also made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, falling to nationally-ranked Baylor in the first round ... Other accolades from the season include WAC Player of the Year honors for senior Tierre Wilson, WAC Newcomer of the Year honors for freshman Jaleesa Ross, WAC Coach of the Year honors for head coach Adrian Wiggins, WAC All-Tournament team honors for Wilson, Emma Andrews, and Ross, and WAC Tournament MVP honors for Ross ... The team was one of the top three-point shooting squads in the nation, averaging 7.9 per game.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine (12-18, 6-10 WAC)
The Rainbow Wahine finished sixth this season in WAC regular season play ... The team went 6-10 in league play to get the No. 6 seed at the WAC Tournament, where the team dropped a 55-40 decision to No. 3 New Mexico State in the quarterfinals ... Senior Tanya Smith led the Rainbow Wahine in both scoring (12.0 ppg.) and rebounding (11.8 rpg.) ... Smith finished her season ranked third in the nation in rebounds per game ... Senior Saundra Cariaga was also impressive this season, averaging 11.0 points per game ... Newcomer Tara Hittle (former UH volleyball standout) was a big help on the boards, pulling down 7.2 rebounds a game ... Smith was named to the Second Team all-WAC squad and to the All-Defensive team ... The team was impressive on the boards this season, out-rebounding its opponent by an average of five rebounds per game.
Idaho Vandals (4-25, 3-13 WAC)
The Vandals finished regular season play in eighth place in the WAC standings and received the No. 8 seed at the WAC Tournament, where it dropped a 70-63 decision to No. 9 seed San Jose State ... The team was led this season by sophomore forward Katie Madison, who fronted the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game ... Madison also ranked second on the team in rebounding at 7.0 boards per contest ... Freshman Yinka Olorunnife led the team on the boards, pulling down an average of 7.6 per game ... Madison was named to this year’s Second Team All-WAC squad, while Olorunnife received All-Freshman Team honors ... Idaho’s most impressive game of the season was a 42-31 victory over Colorado State in which the Vandals held CSU to a WAC-record eight field goals in the game ... The Vandals also knocked off Utah State two times this season and San Jose State once.
La Tech Lady Techsters (16-15, 9-7 WAC)
The Lady Techsters finished WAC play with a 9-7 record and finished in a tie for fourth place with Nevada ... The team took the No. 5 seed into WAC touranment play where it defeated No. 4 seed Nevada 82-56 ... The team dropped an 85-58 decision to Fresno State in the semifinals ... Senior JoKierra Sneed led the team all season, averaging 15.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game ... The senior post player was named to the First Team All-WAC squad for her efforts on the season ... Shanavia Dowdell and Whitney Jones also averaged double digit points on the season at 12.3 and 10.6 points per game, respectively ... Newcomer Tarkeisha Wysinger led the Lady Techster defense with 67 steals and averaged 9.0 points per contest this season ... Wysinger was named to the WAC’s All-Freshman Team.
Nevada Wolf Pack (18-12, 9-7 WAC)
Nevada was just one win away from tying the program record for wins in a season (19) this season ... Nevada’s win over Idaho on Feb. 16 gave Nevada its most overall wins under fifth-year head coach Kim Gervasoni (18) ...The Pack finished in a tie for fourth place this season in the WAC ... The team took the No. 4 seed into WAC Tournament play where it dropped an 82-56 decision to Louisiana Tech ... Junior Dellena Criner led the Pack this season in scoring at 16.1 points per game ... Criner was also impressive on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 70 steals ... Criner was named to the First Team All-Conference squad and was named the WAC’s Defensive Player of the Year ... Nevada led the WAC in steals this season, averaging 12.8 per game ... Nevada had key wins this season against Idaho State (74-66), UNLV (84-63), Louisiana Tech (74-70), and New Mexico State (83-76).
New Mexico State Aggies (23-9, 11-5 WAC)
New Mexico State enjoyed its most successful seasons in 14 years, compiling 23 overall wins ... The Aggies tied for the nation’s fifth best turnaround in the nation this past year ... The team enjoyed the best RPI (80) among any team in the WAC this season ... The Aggies finished WAC regular season play in third place and had the No. 3 seed at the WAC Tournament, where it went 2-1, falling in the title game, 72-56, to Fresno State ... Senior forward Sherell Neal led the team this season in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game ... Senior Anikia Jawara and freshman Madison Spence also averaged double digits this season at 12.8 and 10.1 points per game, respectively ... Neal received First Team all-WAC honors, while Jawara earned second team honors ... Neal was also named to the All-Defensive team, while Spence was named to the All-Freshman team ... NMSU had key wins this season over New Mexico, Brigham Young, Boise State, and Kent State.
San Jose Spartans (3-28, 1-15 WAC)
The Spartans finished ninth in WAC regular season play with a 1-15 mark ... The team picked up wins against Cal State Northridge and Idaho (twice) ... Junior Natalie White led the team in both scoring (16.0) and rebounding (5.8) this season ... Sophomore Brittany Powell ranked second on the team in scoring at 8.6 points a contest ... The team enjoyed a 70-63 win over Idaho in the first round of the WAC Tournament ... The team then had its best offensive game of the season, but dropped its Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal round game to #1-seed Fresno State, 87-76 ... The Spartans ended their year with season bests of 52.5 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point range in the quarterfinal game against Fresno State.
Utah State Aggies (9-20, 5-11 WAC)
The Aggies placed seventh this season in the WAC with a 5-11 record ... The team took the No. seven seed into the WAC Tournament where it dropped a 61-47 decision to No. 2 Boise State in the quarterfinals ... Seniors Jenny Gross and Taylor Richards led the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game each ... Gross also led the team on the boards, pulling down 5.6 per contest ... The team had some big wins this season, defeating Nevada (56-48) and Fresno State (44-40) in back-to-back games ... The team also nearly knocked off in-state rival BYU, taking a 70-64 loss ... Junior Danyelle Snelgro nearly averaged double digits this season, averaging 9.2 points per game ... As a team, USU had 273 steals this season, led by Snelgro’s 68.
2007-08 WAC NOTES
FRESNO STATE DROPS FIRST-EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE TO BAYLOR
Baylor’s imposing frontline was the perfect complement for the Bears’ biggest weapon: point guard Angela Tisdale. The 5-foot-7 Tisdale scored 26 points and her taller teammates dominated on the boards in Baylor’s 88-67 victory over Fresno State on March 22 in the opening round of the women’s NCAA tournament. Baylor (25-6), the 2005 national champion, never trailed against the Bulldogs (22-11). The No. 3-seeded Bears, with Tisdale scoring seven points, took control with a 17-2 run that put Baylor up 27-11 with just under 9 minutes left in the first half. The closest the No. 14 seeded Bulldogs got after that was 27-21 on the heels of a 10-1 run. Senior guard Tierre Wilson scored 23 points to lead Fresno State, and freshman Emma Andrews added 15. The Bulldogs, winners of 20 of their last 22 games in the regular season and during their run to the WAC tournament title, struggled to stay with the taller Bears inside and couldn’t slow the speedy Tisdale. Baylor, making its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, had a 49-40 edge in rebounding, including 23 offensive rebounds. Freshman reserve Melissa Jones and 6-foot-3 center Danielle Wilson both had double-doubles. Jones finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and Wilson had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Fresno State, which hit a school record 259 3-pointers this season, was 3-for-17 on this day.
BOISE STATE DEFEATS IDAHO STATE, FALLS AT TCU IN SECOND ROUND OF WNIT
Boise State exploded past Idaho State late in the second half to defeat the Bengals 77-54 in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament March 20 in Boise. The Broncos seized control of the game with a 16-0 run to take a 65-44 lead with four minutes to go. Jamia Malone led the Broncos with a career-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range as the Broncos extended their school record home win streak to 17 games. The victory advanced Boise State into a second round match-up with Texas Christian in Fort Worth, Texas.
Despite a game-high 25 points on a sizzling 11-of-14 shooting from junior guard Tasha Harris, Boise State dropped an 85-56 decision to TCU (Texas Christian) in the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament March 23 in Fort Worth. Harris also connected on 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc in the game. Jessica Thompson helped with nine rebounds, while Ja’Lara Walker grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.TCU forced the Broncos into 26 turnovers which led to 24 points for the Frogs.
FRESNO STATE WINS WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
For the first time in the school’s 43 year history the Fresno State women’s basketball team earned an invitation to the NCAA tournament after beating New Mexico State 72-56 in the championship game of the WAC tournament on on March 15 in Las Cruces, N.M. The Bulldogs had three players in double figures led by Jaleesa Ross’ 20 points, Tierre Wilson’s 17 and Bailey Amundsen’s 11. Fresno State out rebounded New Mexico State 49-29 and shot 43 percent from the field. Erica Henry had a game-high 13 rebounds while Hayley Munro had 11. The Bulldogs are now 22-10 and have won 20 of their last 22 games after a 2-8 start to the season. Nineteen of the Dogs 22 wins have been by 10 points or more. According to the team the turning point in the season came after a tough 11 point loss at Saint Mary’s on December 12. After the defeat Wilson and Henry told the team to not get discouraged and that winning a WAC championship was still possible. That was big and it was a turning point for us in the season.” After the 2-8 start the Bulldogs beat every opponent but three by 10 points or more and in the WAC tournament the average margin of victory was 18 points. It took a while for the Bulldogs to pull away from New Mexico State on Saturday as the Dogs trailed 17-10 with 6:20 left in the first half. Fresno State then closed out the half on an 18-5 run to lead 28-23 at the break. In the first half the Bulldogs shot 34 percent from the field but they then heated up in the second half to shoot 54 percent. Fresno opened the second half by taking a 39-27 lead following a 3-pointer by Wilson with 16:16 left in the game. A layup by Ross three minutes later extended the Bulldogs lead to 46-31. The lead ballooned to as many as 22 at 61-39 following a Marnique Arnold layup with 3:36 left in the game. The Bulldogs tied a WAC tournament record for most 3-pointers made in a tournament with 27. The record is also held by TCU in 2001. Ross was named the tournament MVP as she averaged 21.3 points and shot 60 percent from the field in the three games. Ross also shot 45 percent from the 3-point line, hit on 13 of 14 free throw attempts and averaged four rebounds a game. Wilson and Emma Andrews were also named to the All-Tournament Team. Wilson averaged 12.7 points a game in the three tournament games while Andrews averaged 12 points and had career highs of 16 points against San Jose State and Louisiana Tech.
2008 WAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Tasha Harris, Boise State
Anikia Jawara, New Mexico State
Emma Andrews, Fresno State
Tierre Wilson, Fresno State
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State (MVP)
POSTSEASON ALL-WAC HONORS ANNOUNCED
The 2007-08 all-Western Athletic Conference teams were named, following a vote of the WAC’s head coaches. Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson headlined the awards, receiving the 2007-08 WAC Player of the Year honor. Wilson, a 5-8 senior guard from Lawton, Okla. (Eisenhower HS) became just the second player in Fresno State history to earn the award. Third-year head coach Adrian Wiggins earned Fresno State’s first-ever WAC Coach of the Year honors. Wiggins led the Bulldogs to a 14-2 record through WAC play, earning his team a share of this year’s WAC regular season championship. The title marked the first conference championship in Fresno State’s 43-year history. Nevada’s Dellena Criner earned the WAC’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honor. Criner, a 5-7 junior guard from Hayward, Calif. (Fremont), recorded 68 steals in 29 games this season for the Pack. Criner was also named to the first team all-WAC squad and to the all-Defensive team. Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross has been named the WAC’s Newcomer of the Year. Ross, a 5-8 freshman guard from Pinole, Calif. (Pinole Valley), becomes the first Fresno State player to receive the honor. Ross led the WAC this season from beyond the arc, connecting on 79 threes this season.
First Team All-WAC
Dellena Criner, Jr., G, Nevada
Tasha Harris, Jr., G, Boise State
Sherell Neal, Sr., F, New Mexico State
JoKeirra Sneed, Sr., F, Louisiana Tech
Tierre Wilson, Sr., G, Fresno State
Second Team All-WAC
Anikia Jawara, Sr., F, New Mexico State
Katie Madison, So., F, Idaho
Jaleesa Ross, Fr., G, Fresno State
Tanya Smith, Sr., C, Hawai‘i
Jessica Thompson, Jr., G, Boise State
Player of the Year: Tierre Wilson, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Dellena Criner, Nevada
Newcomer of the Year: Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Coach of the Year: Adrian Wiggins, Fresno State
All-Defensive Team
Dellena Criner, Jr., G, Nevada
Cherlanda Franklin , Jr., F, Nevada
Tasha Harris, Jr., G, Boise State
Sherell Neal, Sr., F, New Mexico State
Tanya Smith, Sr., F, Hawai‘i
All-Freshman Team
Hayley Munro, Fr., G/F, Fresno State
Yinka Olorunnife, Fr., F, Idaho
Jaleesa Ross, Fr., G, Fresno State
Madison Spence, Fr., G, New Mexico State
Tarkeisha Wysinger, Fr., G, Louisiana Tech
FRESNO STATE’S WILSON RECEIVES AP HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA HONORS, SIGNS FREE AGENT CONTRACT WITH WASHINGTON MYSTICS
Fresno State senior guard Tierre Wilson earned Honorable All-American honors by the Associated Press after helping lead Fresno State to the programs first ever conference championship. Wilson is the programs first AP All-American and the first All-American at Fresno State since Simone Srubek earned First Team All-American Honors by the American Women’s Sports Federation. She signed a WNBA free agent contract with the Washington Mystics. She is the first Bulldog to sign with a WNBA team. Last year Washington finished the season 16-18 and just missed the playoffs. This year Wilson helped lead Fresno State to the best season in program history as the Bulldogs went 22-11 and won the programs first ever conference championship, tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time program history. She was named WAC Player of the Year and First Team All-WAC. She also earned WAC All-Tournament Team honors and just recently earned AP Honorable Mention All-American honors. Wilson averaged 15.6 points this year and she will leave Fresno State as the fifth All-Time leading scorer in school history.
FRESNO STATE’S WILSON RECEIVES WAC’S FINAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Fresno State senior Tierre Wilson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her play during the week of March 3-9. The award marks the final WAC women’s basketball player of the week honor of the season.
Wilson, from Lawton, Okla. (Eisenhower), led Fresno State to a share of its first-ever conference championship last week. Wilson helped the Bulldogs to a 68-52 win at home over New Mexico State before downing Nevada 82-68 on the road. The two wins secured the Bulldogs a share of the WAC title with Boise State. Wilson scored 15 points with eight rebounds and five assists in the win against New Mexico State. She followed up that performance with a game-high 25 points at Nevada. On the week, Wilson averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. She connected on 50 percent (18-of-36) her shots from the field.
BOISE STATE AND FRESNO STATE CLAIM SHARE OF WAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE
Fresno State won a share of the WAC regular season championship for the first time in the program’s 43-year history. The Bulldogs share the regular season title with Boise State, who has now won the regular season crown in back-to-back seasons.
FIRST-EVER WAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAY UP TOUR FINDS SUCCESS
The WAC launched it’s first-ever Play Up Tour for Women’s Basketball this season, after much success at the tour stops at various football, volleyball and soccer games throughout the Fall season. The Play Up Tour heightens awareness of the WAC brand as well as reinforces the association between the schools and the WAC.
At each stop, fans joined the WAC before the game to pickup free WAC beanies and t-shirts. Fans also registered to win a trip to the 2008 WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.
The WAC Women’s Basketball Play Up Tour was held in correlation with the NCAA’s Pack the House Challenge. The NCAA’s Pack the House challenge is an effort to grow the sport of women’s basketball and to further develop national grassroots programs aimed at increasing attendance and awareness. Between January 1 and February 17 NCAA member schools competed against schools in their own conference as well as all Division I schools for a chance to be the 2008 NCAA Women’s Basketball Pack the House Challenge Champion. The WAC’s Play Up Tour dates coincided with the Pack the House challenge date at every school with the exception of Fresno State. The WAC visited Fresno State for the Bulldogs “Think Pink” night to raise breast cancer awareness on the court, across campus and in the community.
The average WAC home attendance for the 2007-08 season is 10,362. At WAC Play Up Tour stops this season, WAC home attendance was a combined 15,690.
FRESNO STATE, BOISE STATE, AND NEW MEXICO STATE REACH 20-WIN MARK
Boise State, New Mexico State and Fresno State have each hit the 20-win mark this season. BSU picked up its 20th victory against San Jose State on Feb. 28. The milestone marks the first ever back-to-back 20-win seasons in program history and only the fifth all-time for the Broncos. New Mexico State reached win No. 20 of the season as they beat Nevada 70-49 at the Pan American Center on Feb. 28. It is the first time the Aggies have reached 20 wins since the 1995-96 season when they went 20-10. It is the 10th time in school history that NMSU has reached the 20-win plateau. Fresno State recorded its second 20-win season under the direction of head coach Adrian Wiggins on March 12 against San Jose State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament. With 18 wins, Nevada came up just short of its first 20-win season in program history. Nevada’s win over Idaho on Feb. 16 gave Nevada its most overall wins under fifth-year head coach Kim Gervasoni (18).
MUNRO’S BEHIND HALF COURT SHOT MAKES SPORTSCENTER’S TOP PLAYS
Fresno State’s Hayley Munro connected on a shot from behind half court as the buzzer sounded to defeat New Mexico State 85-84 in overtime on March 1. The shot was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Monday, March 3 as the No. 8 top play from the weekend. The shot helped Fresno State earn the No. 1 seed at the WAC Tournament.
HOME IS WHERE THE WAC WINS ARE, BOISE STATE HOLDS NATIONS EIGHTH-LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
This season, the home team dominated WAC play. WAC teams went 46-26 (.638) at home in conference play. In conference play, the top four teams were a combined 29-3 at home. Overall, the WAC went 78-55 (.586) at home during the 2007-08 season. Boise State was the most impressive team on its own hardwood, compiling a perfect 14-0 record. The Broncos have won 17 straight at Taco Bell Arena dating back to the 2006-07 season. The streak of 17 home wins is tied for the sixth-longest home win streak in the nation. New Mexico State also found success at home this season with a 16-3 mark at the Pan American Center. Nevada was also tough at home this season with a 12-3 mark in Reno. Fresno State went 10-3 at home this season.
BRONCOS WIN STREAK RANKS ENDS AT 15 GAMES
Boise State won 15 consecutive games dating from a Jan. 12 victory at Louisiana Tech to a 72-66 loss at New Mexico State in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament on March 14. The Broncos have lost just two games in over two months to wrap up the 2007-08 season.
WAC FEATURES THREE OF THE TOP-12 REBOUNDERS IN THE NATION
The Western Athletic Conference featured three of the top-12 rebounders in the nation this past season. At the conclusion of the 07-08 season, Hawai‘i senior center Tanya Smith ranked third nationally in the category, pulling down 11.8 boards per game. Louisiana Tech senior forward JoKeirra Sneed ranked 12th in the nation at 10.3 rebounds per game. New Mexico State senior forward Sherell Neal averaged 10.2 rebounds per game, which ranked 14th nationally.
HAWAI‘I’S SMITH TIES ALL-TIME WAC SINGLE-GAME REBOUND MARK, BSU’S WALKER BREAKS SCHOOL’S SINGLE-GAME REBOUNDING MARK
Hawai‘i senior center Tanya Smith pulled down a career-high 25 rebounds in a Jan. 26 win over Idaho, tying the WAC’s single-game rebound record set by Cheryl Ford (Louisiana Tech) during the 2003 conference tournament. Smith’s 25 rebounds sets a new WAC record for the most rebounds ever recorded in a single regular season conference game, surpassing Ford’s mark of 23 set against SMU during the 2002-03 season. Nationally, the 25 rebounds ties Smith with Syracuse’s Fantasia Goodwin for the second-most rebounds recorded in a single game this season. Boise State’s Ja’Lara Walker is the only other player in the WAC this season to pull down at least 20 rebounds this season. Walker recorded 23 rebounds, which broke a 33-year old school record for rebounds in a game dating back to February 27, 1975 when former Bronco Diane Westbrook had 21 against Eastern Oregon. Walker’s 23 rebounds is the fifth-best single-game performance in the nation this season.
ONE OF TOP-SCORING DUOS IN THE COUNTRY
Boise State’s Tasha Harris and Jessica Thompson were one of the highest-scoring duos in the country this season. Together, the pair averaged 29.9 points per game--the most points among any two teammates in the Western Athletic Conference. Harris led the WAC in scoring at 16.5 points per game. Thompson ranked eighth in the league at 13.4 points a contest.
DO I HEAR 30?
Only two players in the WAC reached the 30-point plateau this season. Boise State junior Tasha Harris reached the threshold on Nov. 30 against Portland on the road. Nevada guard Dellena Criner is the only WAC player to reach the mark twice, scoring 32 in a win over Idaho State at home on Dec. 2 and a career-high 33 against Boise State on Jan. 19. Criner also led the league with nine 20-point performances this season. Harris was also the only player in the WAC this season to record 10 assists in a single game.
NEW MEXICO STATE’S NEAL BECOMES MEMBER 1,000-POINT/1,000-REBOUND CLUB
Senior forward Sherell Neal became just the third Aggie ever and 10th active player in Division I to have over 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Neal ended her career with 1,436 points and 1,049 rebounds. As a member of the WAC, Neal had 1,193 points and 856 rebounds. The 856 rebounds ranks sixth all-time on the WAC career records charts.
STREAKIN’
New Mexico State’s Sherell Neal ended her career by pulling down five or more rebounds in 56 consecutive games. Louisiana Tech’s JoKeirra Sneed recorded five or more boards in 29-straight games. Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross caught fire from long range this past season, connecting on a shot from beyond the arc in 23-straight games. Boise State’s Tasha Harris has now hit a three in 19-straight games. Fresno State’s Emma Andrews has hit 12-straight free throws. Louisiana Tech’s Sneed ended her career by recording 17-straight double digit scoring games.
LOTS OF STEALS
Nevada senior Cherlanda Franklin recorded 11 steals against Hawai‘i on Jan. 12. The mark was the fourth-best single-game steal performance in the nation this season.
RECORD WIN STREAKS AND IMPRESSIVE STARTS
With its 9-3 record to open the season, Nevada tied the best start in its program’s history. The 1985-86 and 1999-00 Nevada teams also started the season with 9-3 marks. Nevada finished its non-conference schedule 9-4 which marks the best non-conference finish under Kim Gervasoni and the most non-conference wins in program history since the 1999-00 team finished its non-conference schedule 11-4. Nevada also recorded the fewest non-conference losses (4) since the 1999-00 season. New Mexico State also got off to an impressive start this season. NMSU’s 13-3 start marks the best start to the season for the program since the 1993-94 season when NMSU held a 14-3 mark. Fresno State is also rewriting its record books. The Bulldogs won nine straight games in a stretch this season, tying a school record set by the 1986-87, 1984-85, and the 1979-80 teams. Fresno State’s 6-0 start to conference play tied the team’s record for the best start in conference history and the most consecutive conference wins for the Bulldogs. Fresno State has now won 20 of its last 22 games.
IDAHO RECORDS BEST DEFENSIVE EFFORT IN WAC HISTORY
With their 42-31 victory over Colorado State on Dec. 18, the Vandal women put together one of the best defensive performances in Western Athletic Conference and school history. Idaho allowed just eight field goals to break the WAC record of nine that Colorado State and Rice previously shared. The 31 points are also tied for the fewest ever allowed by an Idaho team and the lowest since a 67-31 victory over Whitworth on Dec. 7, 1982.
NEVADA RECORDS HOME WIN #200
Nevada’s win over New Mexico State on Jan. 26 marked the 200th home victory for the Wolf Pack.
NEW MEXICO STATE PICKS UP WIN NUMBER 300 IN PAN AMERICAN CENTER
New Mexico State picked up its 300th all-time victory in the Pan American Center with a 76-68 win over Texas State on Nov. 24. The Aggies join Louisiana Tech as the second team in the Western Athletic Conference with 300 victories in their home arena. The Aggies currently hold a 33-137 all-time mark at the Pan American Center.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Teams from the WAC ranked 50th or better in eight team statistical categories and five individual categories at the end of the season. Fresno State holds the highest team national ranking, coming in at third in the nation with 7.9 threes per game. Nevada ranks sixth in steals at 12.8 per game. Individually, Hawai‘i center Tanya Smith ranks third nationally in rebounding at 11.8 per game.
WHITE SETS SAN JOSE STATE THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS MARK
With 15 three-point field goals attempted at Washington State, Natalie White broke the San Jose State single game three-pointers attempted record. She broke the record of 14 three-pointers set by two former Spartans. Kari Steele attempted 14 three-pointers in her final home game of her career against Air Force on February 15, 1997, while Gretchen Seeley had 14 attempts at Long Beach State on February 13, 1994. White’s 15 three-point attempts in the game also marks the second-highest number of threes taken in a single game in the WAC this season.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Hawai‘i senior Tanya Smith led the WAC with 20 double-doubles this season. Smith’s 20 double-doubles surpasses her nine double-doubles from just a year ago. Smith ended her career with 34 double-double performances. Louisiana Tech’s JoKeirra Sneed follows closely behind with 19. Sneed’s 19 double-doubles more than triples her double-double mark from last season. Sneed wrapped up her career with 22 double-doubles. The career double-double leader in the WAC this past season was New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal, who has 41 career double-doubles.
BOISE STATE PERFECT THIS SEASON AGAINST 2007 POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Boise State wrapped up its non-conference slate this season with a perfect 4-0 record against teams that advanced to postseason national tournaments last season. The Broncos went 1-0 vs. 2007 WNIT teams (Montana) and 3-0 against teams that advanced to last year’s NCAA Tournament (Washington, Oral Roberts, Idaho State). BSU recorded its fourth consecutive winning season against non-conference opponents dating back to the 2004-05 season.
CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
In its 62-61 road victory over SEC foe Alabama on Dec. 5, Louisiana Tech trailed by five points with less than 50 seconds to play before scoring the final six points of the game to pull off the win. Nastassja Levingston registered a four-point play with 43 seconds left before Shanavia Dowdell hit a layup with 8.7 seconds to play to seal the victory.
SJSU CLOSE CALLS
Nine games this past season for San Jose State were determined by seven points or less. The only Spartan victory was a four-point margin over Cal State Northridge, 59-55. The Spartans lost by one point in overtime to Pacific, 75-74; three points at Sacramento State, 60-57; four points, 74-70 against Cal Poly and 64-60 to Long Beach State; six points in overtime at Washington State, 78-72; seven points to Idaho, 53-46; and seven points to Kansas, 59-52; one point to Utah State, 61-60.
FRESNO’S NON-CONFERENCE SUPER SLATE
Fresno State did not make things easy on itself this season. The team played seven of its 13 non-conference games against teams that made it to last season’s NCAA Tournament or WNIT.
NEVADA WINS NUGGET CLASSIC
Dellena Criner scored a career-high 32 points while freshman Johnna Ward added 19 as the University of Nevada women’s basketball team defeated Idaho State 74-66 in the championship game of the Nugget Classic on Dec. 2. The win marked the Pack’s second Nugget Classic title under Nevada head coach Kim Gervasoni as the Pack also won the tournament in 2005. Brandi Fitzgerald and Criner (MVP) were each named to the All-Tournament team.
NEW MEXICO STATE ENDS 11-YEAR LOSING STREAK TO RIVAL, DEFEATS NEW MEXICO, COACH SPENCE PICKS UP WIN #50
Down by two at the half, the New Mexico State women’s basketball team outscored New Mexico by 18 points in the second half to end a 22-game losing streak to the Lobos with a 58-42 victory Dec. 2 at the Pan American Center. The 16-point victory ends the 11-year losing streak to the Lobos. The win marked head coach Darin Spence’s 50th win with the Aggies.
COACHING RECORD SCHOOL MARKS
The number 50 seemed to be a common theme among coaches in the Western Athletic Conference this past season. Numerous WAC coaches either picked up win number 50 or were on the verge of 50 wins during their tenure at their respective schools. New Mexico State coach Darin Spence (68-82) picked up his 50th win as an Aggie by defeating in-state rival New Mexico State on Dec. 2. Overall, Spence recently picked up win number 380. Fresno State’s Adrian Wiggins (71-36) picked up the milestone win at Long Beach State on Dec. 7. Hawai‘i head coach Jim Bolla (56-57) got win 50 at home against UC Irvine on Dec. 29. Head Coach Kim Gervasoni (59-92) became just the second coach in Nevada team history to pick up win number 50, getting the win at home against San Francisco on Dec. 30. Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long (59-33) got the win at home against Idaho on Jan. 9. Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell (63-32) recorded BSU career win number 50 at home against Nevada on Jan. 19.
SIX WAC PLAYERS REACH 1,000-POINT CLUB
Senior forward Sherell Neal became the 16th New Mexico State women’s basketball player to score over 1,000 career points in the Aggies season opener Nov. 9, when she led the team to a 65-61 victory at UC Irvine. Neal now has 1,436 points, ranking her first among active players in the Western Athletic Conference. The 1,436 points ranks her seventh on the all-time scoring list at NMSU. Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson reached the 1,000-point milestone on Dec. 15 in a win over Cal-State Bakersfield. Wilson now has 1,334 career points and ranks sixth in Fresno State scoring history. Boise State junior Jessica Thompson became just the 13th player in BSU history to reach the 1,000 point threshold. Thompson scored her 1,000th point at New Mexico State on Jan. 10. Thompson now has 1,209 points, ranking her sixth on the Boise State all-time scoring list. Utah State’s Taylor Richards became just the fifth player in USU history to reach the 1,000 point mark, notching her 1,000th point at New Mexico State on Jan. 12. Richards now has 1,138 points which ranks her third on USU’s all-time scoring list. Nevada’s Dellena Criner became just the eighth player in Wolf Pack history to reach the 1,000-point mark, reaching the milestone against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 24. Criner now has 1,159 points, ranking her fifth. BSU’s Tasha Harris connected on her 1,000th point in a win over Fresno State on Jan. 28. Harris now has 1,193 points, which ranks her seventh all-time in Boise State history.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Through the non-conference preseason schedule this year, WAC teams played 26 games featuring a 2007 NCAA Tournament or WNIT opponent. WAC teams also played seven teams that have either been ranked in the top-25 or who have received votes in the top-25 polls this season. No. 13 Cal snuck by Fresno State 83-79 on Nov. 9. WAC teams picked up 10 wins against 2007 postseason teams. Hawai‘i defeated 2007 NCAA Tournament team Washington 80-75 on Nov. 16. Boise State downed 2007 WNIT participant Montana 67-61 on Nov. 11, and Nevada defeated 2007 WNIT team Stephen F. Austin 64-55 on Nov. 22, NCAA Tournament team Idaho State on Dec. 2, and postseason tournament team UC Riverside on Dec. 9. NMSU defeated BYU 54-52 in Provo on Dec. 5. BSU took care of Washington 88-66 at home on Dec. 7 and defeated Idaho State in Pocatello on Dec. 29. Fresno State defeated UC Riverside on Dec. 29.
LOUISIANA TECH HOME TO TOUGHEST PLACE TO PLAY IN THE NATION
Louisiana Tech’s home court, the Thomas Assembly Center, is a tough place to play. The Lady Techsters have won 92.2 percent of their games played in Ruston since the program’s inception in 1974. La. Tech currently holds a 452-38 all-time record on its home floor.
WAC TEAMS FIND SUCCESS AT THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENTS
Teams from the WAC competed in six different tournaments over the Thanksgiving break. Louisiana Tech went 2-0 at the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn. The Lady Techsters defeated host Memphis 82-77 to claim the title. Louisiana Tech’s Jo Sneed was named the Classic’s MVP, while teammate Tarkeisha Wysinger was named to the All-Tournament team. Boise State finished second at the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic in Moraga, Calif. The Broncos dropped a 78-63 decision to host St. Mary’s in the championship game. BSU’s Tasha Harris was named to the All-Tournament team. New Mexico State claimed the title of its own tournament, the Thanksgiving Classic in Las Cruces. The Aggies went a perfect 3-0, defeating Kent State, Northern Colorado, and Texas State. Hawai‘i placed third at the Jack in the Box Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. The team went 1-2 at the tournament. Nevada went 1-0 at the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic and was unable to play the championship game due to a city power outage. Idaho participated in the Husky Classic in Seattle, where the Vandals went 0-2. Despite the two losses at the Husky Classic, Idaho’s Hannah Wells was named to the All-Tournament team.
NEAL AND SMITH NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY WATCH LIST
The Western Athletic Conference has placed two women’s basketball players on the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, presented by AT&T, as was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal and Hawai‘i senior Tanya Smith were two of 50 preseason candidates named to the list. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s players of the year. The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2007-08 campaign. There are 27 seniors, 18 juniors and five sophomores on the list, which does not include incoming freshmen, who will be considered in the first ballot in January, 2008. AT&T will continue to set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year’s winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25-percent of the final results – more than any other national college basketball award. In January, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its preseason list to the Top-30 players in the nation. Those players will be eligible for the final ballot in March. In April, the Naismith Trophy winner will be recognized at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
NEVADA’S SITTON SELECTED AS CANDIDATE FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Nevada senior forward Andrea Sitton has been selected as one of the 30 initial candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for the 2007-08 basketball season. The award – presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student- Athlete of the Year in eight sports – focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. Lowe’s, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, will award the winner with a trophy during NCAA Final Four. This season, Sitton has played in all nine of Nevada’s games, helping the Pack to a 6-3 overall mark. She is a three-time Academic All-WAC honoree and has a 3.68 GPA in elementary education, and was named to the Dean’s List in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2008. Sitton has participated in a number of community service activities including, the X-Treme Ability Challenge (2004), Race for the Cure (2004-07), the Heart Walk (2005-06), Renown Seniors’ Day (2007) and the Girl’s and Women in Sports Day (2004-06). She has also been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) since 2004 and is a member of several clubs including Interadversity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Champions for Christ. From the list of 30 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in January 2008. Those ten names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient. Prior recipients of the women’s award include Sue Bird of Connecticut (2002), LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State (2003), Alana Beard of Duke (2004), Kendra Wecker of Kansas State (2005), Seimone Augustus of LSU (2006) and Alison Bales of Duke (2007).
BOISE STATE FAVORED IN PRESEASON POLLS
Boise State, the 2006-07 Western Athletic Conference regular season co-champion and tournament title winner, was selected as the favorite by both the coaches and the media in the WAC preseason polls. The Broncos received seven of the nine first-place votes in the coaches poll and nine of the 15 top votes in the media poll.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAMS ANNOUNCED
Along with the preseason polls, the coaches and media also voted on preseason all-WAC teams. Both the coaches and media selected Boise State junior guard Jessica Thompson, the 2007 WAC Tournament MVP, as the WAC’s preseason Player of the Year. Thompson was also selected to both the coaches and media’s first team
all-WAC. In the coaches poll, junior Nevada guard Dellena Criner and Hawai’i senior forward Tanya Smith, 2006-07 first team all-WAC honorees, also earned spots on the preseason team. New Mexico State forward Sherell Neal and Fresno State guard Tierre Wilson round out the first team. Second-team selections include Shanavia Dowdell (Louisiana Tech), Brandi Fitzgerald (Nevada), Tasha Harris (Boise State), Katie Madison (Idaho) and Taylor Richards (Utah State).
The media’s all-WAC team included Thompson, Criner, Neal, Madison, and Wilson.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2008 WAC TOURNAMENT
Lac Cruces and New Mexico State University will host the 2008 WAC Tournament, March 11-15. It will be the second year in a row that the event will be held at the Pan American Center. The tournament features all nine men’s and women’s teams. Boise State defeated host New Mexico State in last year’s tournament championship game, 49-46.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS FROM 06-07
Six of the top 10 scorers returned for the 2007-08 season, including the top two scorers, Katie Madison of Idaho (19.1) and Sherell Neal of New Mexico State (15.7). Nevada’s Dellena Criner, who was fourth in scoring (14.6) and Tierre Wilson who as fifth in scoring (14.4) returned this season. Boise State’s Jessica Thompson, who was seventh in scoring during the 06-07 season, averaging 13.7 ppg also returned along with New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara who was eighth (13.1). Seven of the top 10 rebound leaders returned this season. Neal was the leading returning rebounder with a 10.8 rpg average last season (first in the WAC). Hawai‘i’s Tanya Smith was second in rebounding during 06-07, averaging 9.2 rpg. Other returning rebounds leaders included: Idaho’s Katie Madison (8.9), New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara (7.5), San Jose State’s Brittany Powell (6.4), Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson (6.4) and Idaho’s Sara Dennehy (6.4).
Courtesy: WAC