This Week for the Redhawks: Seattle University women’s basketball (18-9, 15-3 WAC) secured the Western Athletic Conference regular season title in their first year in the conference, with a 55-53 win over Idaho, on Mar. 9. This week, they head to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference tournament with the WAC’s nine other teams. As the No. 1 seed, they will face the winner of No. 8 New Mexico State vs. No. 9 UT Arlington in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Mar. 13 at 6 p.m. For all the most up-to-date information throughout the tournament, stay tuned to www.GoSeattleU.com, @su_athletics on Twitter, Seattle U Athletics on Facebook, @su_wbb on Instagram, as well as www.wacbasketball.com. Links to live stats, audio (free), and video (for a fee) are on the women’s basketball schedule page at www.GoSeattleU.com.
All-WAC Honors: As voted upon by the league’s 10 head coaches, Joan Bonvicini was named WAC Coach of the Year, Kacie Sowell was named Player of the Year, and Sylvia Shephard was named Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Sowell was named to the First Team, Shephard was named to the second team, and Shephard and Daidra Brown were named to the All-Defensive Team.
Bonvicini Coach of the Year History: Bonvicini has now been named Coach of the Year in every conference she has been a part of, named WCAA Coach of the Year and Big West Coach of the Year three times (1981, 1984, 1986) at Long Beach State, and PCAA Coach of the Year in 1986. At Arizona, she was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1998 and was named Independent Coach of the Year in 2012. Regionally, she has been honored as Region VIII Coach of the Year four times (1981, 1984, 1986, 1998) and, nationally, was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981.
Sowell Nears 1000 Career Points: Kacie Sowell is just 15 points away from 1000 career points and will become only the 12th player in program history to pass this milestone
Bonvicini Named to Top 30 for Naismith College Women’s Coach: Head coach Joan Bonvicini was named to the Top 30 list of finalists for the Naismith College Women’s Coach alongside coaches like Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, Kentucky’s Matthew Mitchell, and Washington’s Kevin McGuff. The top four will be announced on Mar. 20.
Scouting No. 8 New Mexico State: New Mexico State finishes the regular season with a 14-15 overall record and 7-11 conference record, and will be the No. 8 seed in this week’s WAC Tournament. Despite a nine-game losing streak starting with their first contest vs. SU on Jan. 10, they have now won five of their last six games, including a 106-94 victory vs. Utah State on Feb. 16. Stefanie Gilbreath, named WAC Newcomer of the Year, leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 ppg. Danesia Williamson also averages in double scoring figures for the Aggies (12.4 ppg). Kelsie Rozendaal averages a team-high 7.7 rebounds. In last season’s WAC Tournament, NMSU (also the No. 8 seed out of eight total teams) fell to eventual tournament champion, Fresno St., 66-58, in the first round.
Last Time Out: Seattle U swept New Mexico State during the regular season, defeating the Aggies 60-54 in Las Cruces on Jan. 10 and 78-62 on Feb. 9 at home. The game at NMSU was the team’s second straight victory where they kept the lead through the entire game, as Kacie Sowell led the Redhawks with 21 points and 14 rebounds, recording her third straight and eighth double-double of the season. The home contest, also SU’s “Play 4Kay” Pink Game, extended their home winning streak to six games, as Sylvia Shephard led all players with 21 points and freshman Taelor Ross grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.
Scouting No. 9 UT Arlington: UT Arlington is 7-22 overall and 4-14 in conference at the conclusion of the regular season and will be the No. 9 seed in the WAC Tournament. They have lost four of their last six contests, but three of their four conference wins have come in the second half of league play. Laila Suleiman leads the Mavericks in scoring, averaging 9.1 ppg and Aron Garcia averages 7.4 rebounds per game. This will also be UTA’s first WAC Tournament.
Last Time Out: The Redhawks swept the Mavericks during the regular season, 69-53, on Jan. 17 at home, and 78-64 on Feb. 16 in Arlington. At home, Kacie Sowell recorded her ninth double-double of the season, leading all players with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the Redhawks extended their then six-game winning streak to open WAC play. In the road contest, Ashley Ward led all players with a career-high 24 points in the team’s last regular season road game.
All-WAC Honors: As voted upon by the league’s 10 head coaches, Joan Bonvicini was named WAC Coach of the Year, Kacie Sowell was named Player of the Year, and Sylvia Shephard was named Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Sowell was named to the First Team, Shephard was named to the second team, and Shephard and Daidra Brown were named to the All-Defensive Team.
Bonvicini Coach of the Year History: Bonvicini has now been named Coach of the Year in every conference she has been a part of, named WCAA Coach of the Year and Big West Coach of the Year three times (1981, 1984, 1986) at Long Beach State, and PCAA Coach of the Year in 1986. At Arizona, she was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1998 and was named Independent Coach of the Year in 2012. Regionally, she has been honored as Region VIII Coach of the Year four times (1981, 1984, 1986, 1998) and, nationally, was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981.
Sowell Nears 1000 Career Points: Kacie Sowell is just 15 points away from 1000 career points and will become only the 12th player in program history to pass this milestone
Bonvicini Named to Top 30 for Naismith College Women’s Coach: Head coach Joan Bonvicini was named to the Top 30 list of finalists for the Naismith College Women’s Coach alongside coaches like Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, Kentucky’s Matthew Mitchell, and Washington’s Kevin McGuff. The top four will be announced on Mar. 20.
Scouting No. 8 New Mexico State: New Mexico State finishes the regular season with a 14-15 overall record and 7-11 conference record, and will be the No. 8 seed in this week’s WAC Tournament. Despite a nine-game losing streak starting with their first contest vs. SU on Jan. 10, they have now won five of their last six games, including a 106-94 victory vs. Utah State on Feb. 16. Stefanie Gilbreath, named WAC Newcomer of the Year, leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 ppg. Danesia Williamson also averages in double scoring figures for the Aggies (12.4 ppg). Kelsie Rozendaal averages a team-high 7.7 rebounds. In last season’s WAC Tournament, NMSU (also the No. 8 seed out of eight total teams) fell to eventual tournament champion, Fresno St., 66-58, in the first round.
Last Time Out: Seattle U swept New Mexico State during the regular season, defeating the Aggies 60-54 in Las Cruces on Jan. 10 and 78-62 on Feb. 9 at home. The game at NMSU was the team’s second straight victory where they kept the lead through the entire game, as Kacie Sowell led the Redhawks with 21 points and 14 rebounds, recording her third straight and eighth double-double of the season. The home contest, also SU’s “Play 4Kay” Pink Game, extended their home winning streak to six games, as Sylvia Shephard led all players with 21 points and freshman Taelor Ross grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.
Scouting No. 9 UT Arlington: UT Arlington is 7-22 overall and 4-14 in conference at the conclusion of the regular season and will be the No. 9 seed in the WAC Tournament. They have lost four of their last six contests, but three of their four conference wins have come in the second half of league play. Laila Suleiman leads the Mavericks in scoring, averaging 9.1 ppg and Aron Garcia averages 7.4 rebounds per game. This will also be UTA’s first WAC Tournament.
Last Time Out: The Redhawks swept the Mavericks during the regular season, 69-53, on Jan. 17 at home, and 78-64 on Feb. 16 in Arlington. At home, Kacie Sowell recorded her ninth double-double of the season, leading all players with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the Redhawks extended their then six-game winning streak to open WAC play. In the road contest, Ashley Ward led all players with a career-high 24 points in the team’s last regular season road game.