BYU's Mindy Nielson and Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz
| |
| |
Women's Basketball Weekly Release - Championship Edition
March 10, 2008
MWC Women's Basketball Weekly Release - Championship Edition
MWC NOTES
REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 15/14 Utah earned the 2007-08 MWC regular-season title with a 16-0 conference record. The Utes have won five previous championships, including three outright (2000, 2001, 2003). Utah is also the only MWC team to go undefeated in conference play, after also posting a 14-0 record in the 2000-01 season.
TV TIDBITS
The Mountain West Conference has 32 games on regional and national television this season. Twenty-five games will be shown on the MountainWest Sports Network - The Mtn., and nine games broadcast live nationally on CSTV: College Sports Television and VERSUS.
Seven of the eight games of the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Championship will be televised. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be televised live on The Mtn. The two semifinals will also be broadcast on CSTV via tape delay. The championship game will be aired live on VERSUS, beginning at 1 p.m. PT.
MWC CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-UPS
First-Round Game
#8 UNLV vs. #9 Colorado State, 6 p.m. PT
The meeting will mark the second contest between the two schools in the MWC Tournament, with the last game resulting in a 72-58 UNLV semifinal win on March 8, 2002. Colorado State leads the all-time series, 14-13, despite being swept in the regular-season series by UNLV. Colorado State is 7-7 in the MWC Championship, while the Rebels are 6-8.
Quarterfinal Games
#4 New Mexico vs. #5 BYU, 1:30 p.m. PT (The Mtn.)
New Mexico will play as the No. 4 seed after winning the tournament last year as a No. 3 seed. The Lobos will take on defending regular-season champion BYU for the fourth time in tournament history, including twice in the championship game. In 2003 and 2007, the Lobos defeated the Cougars to earn the tournament title. The teams split the regular-season series, but BYU holds the all-time advantage, 38-23. BYU holds a 14-7 tournament record, while New Mexico boasts the best record in the league at 14-4. The Lobos are also riding a three-game win streak in the conference tournament, dating back to last year.
#1 Utah vs. #8/#9 Winner, 4 p.m. PT (The Mtn.)
No. 1 seed Utah will face the winner of the No. 8/No. 9 first-round game. The Utes are 3-1 in the MWC Tournament against the Rebels and have never faced the Rams. Utah leads the all-time series vs. the Rebels (25-11) and the Rams (54-13), including a sweep of both season series this year. The Utes are 13-6 all-time in the MWC Championship, with four title-game appearances and two championships (2000, 2006).
#2 TCU vs. #7 Air Force, 7:30 p.m. PT (The Mtn.)
TCU is the No. 2 seed, its highest seed in MWC Tournament history (No. 4 in 2006, 2007). The Horned Frogs have never met No. 7 Air Force in the MWC Championship. TCU is 1-2 overall in the tournament, advancing to the semifinals in its first year in the league (2005-06). Air Force earned its first tournament win last year, defeating Colorado State, 47-46. The Horned Frogs hold a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Falcons.
#3 Wyoming vs. #6 San Diego State, 10 p.m. PT (The Mtn.)
Wyoming is the No. 3 seed after earning its highest seed, No. 2, in last year's tournament. The Cowgirls meet No. 6 seed San Diego State in the first round for the second consecutive year. Last year, Wyoming defeated San Diego State, 56-44, to advance to the semifinals. Wyoming leads the championship series, 1-0, and holds the overall series, 20-14. The Cowgirls also swept the season series this year. The Cowgirls are 2-8 all-time in the tournament, while the Aztecs are still looking for their first tournament win.
IN THE POLLS
Utah is ranked for the sixth straight week, coming in at No. 12 in the Associated Press and No. 14 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. Wyoming and TCU are both receiving votes in both polls.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
The MWC finished its non-conference season with a 65-51 (.560) record. In the nine-year history of the MWC, the league has never finished below .500. This season, the MWC has a 4-1 record vs. the Big Ten, including Wyoming's win over then-#25 Wisconsin. MWC teams are 4-1 vs. the Atlantic-10, bolstered by UNLV's win over #16/#14 George Washington. TCU, Utah and Wyoming have also knocked off Big 12 opponents #20/#23 Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Kansas State, respectively.
|
|
 |
