April 2, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

PAC-10 POSTSEASON NOTES

THREE TEAMS SENT TO NCAAs
How the Pac-10 Got Here:
• For the sixth straight season, at least three Pac-10 teams were sent "dancing."

• Playing in the Spokane regional, STANFORD (34-3) earned the league's automatic berth with its win in the 2008 State Farm Pac-10 Tournament Mon., Mar. 10.

• The Cardinal, a No. 2 seed, hosted the first and second rounds on the Stanford campus, in the comfortable confines of Maples Pavilion. Stanford defeated Cleveland State, 85-47, and UTEP, 88-54, in the first and second rounds, respectively.

• CALIFORNIA (27-7) earned a No. 3 seed and also headed to The Farm for its first and second round games of the 2008 postseason. The Bears defeated San Diego, 77-60, in the first round, but fell one bucket short in the second round, falling to sixth-seeded George Washington, 55-53.

• In the Oklahoma City regional, ARIZONA STATE (22-11) played its first and second round games in College Park, Md. The Sun Devils bested Temple, 61-54, to open 2008 tournament play, but fell to third-seeded Duke in the second round, 67-59.

• The Pac-10 has sent at least three teams to the NCAA Tournament six consecutive seasons, including 2006's history-making six-team tournament and 2005's five-team tournament.

PAC-10 IN NCAA TOURNAMENTS
• The Pac-10 has had an impressive run in the NCAA Tournament, sending at least one team to the Sweet 16 in 24 of 28 tournaments.

• In addition, the Pac-10 has reached the Elite Eight in 19 of 28 NCAA Tournaments, including the last five straight seasons.

• Stanford has earned its first Final Four berth since 1997 after advancing only as far as the Elite Eight in three of the past five seasons (2004, 2005, 2006).

PAC-10 IN THE NCAA FINAL FOUR
• The Pac-10 has reached the Final Four 10 times, and Stanford's berth in 2008 marks the first time since 1997 that a Pac-10 team, or any team West of Austin, Texas has advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

• Aside from Stanford, USC is the only other Pac-10 team to advance to the NCAA Final Four, winning two national championships in back-to-back years (1983 and 1984) and finishing as the runner-up in 1986, the first year that the Pac-10 recognized women's basketball as a Conference sport.

• All-told, since 1986 the Pac-10 has amassed a 5-5 record in all NCAA Final Four games.

PAC-10 AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Two Pac-10 schools have earned women's basketball national championships, including USC in 1983 and 1984 and Stanford in 1990 and 1992.

• Despite just four women's basketball national titles, the Pac-10 Conference has won more than 100 national championships in 13 different women's sports (109). No other conference can claim triple-digit women's national titles as the SEC is the next closest with 70.

• Already in 2007-08, the Pac-10 has won eight national titles including: men's and women's cross country, women's soccer, men's water polo, men's and women's indoor track and men's and women's swimming and diving. STANFORD FINAL FOUR NOTES

No. 2 STANFORD (34-3)
How the Cardinal Got Here:
Defeated No. 15 Cleveland State, 85-47 (first round)
Defeated No. 7 UTEP, 88-54 (second round)
Defeated No. 6 Pitt, 72-53 (sweet 16)
Defeated No. 1 Maryland, 98-87 (elite eight)

Next Matchup:
vs. No. 1 UConn
Sun., April 6 at 7 p.m. ET
Tampa, Fla. (semifinals)

NCAA Championship:
Stanford/UConn vs. No. 2 LSU/No. 1 Tennessee Tues., April 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Tampa, Fla. (finals)

Stanford Quick Hits:
• Stanford's 34 wins ties the school and Pac-10 record for wins in a season (1996-97, 34-2).
• Leads the Pac-10 in scoring offense (75.6), scoring margin (+19.9), free throw percentage (72.5), field goal percentage (45.9), blocked shots (5.05), assists (17.46), turnover margin (+3.22), assist/turnover ratio (1.33), defensive rebounds (28.14) and three-point field goals made (5.84). • The Cardinal, winners of 22 straight, are making their seventh trip to the Final Four.

Stanford NCAA Tournament Quick Hits:
• Has averaged 85.75 points through four NCAA Tournament games, including a 98-point effort against No. 1 seed Maryland.
• Stanford's 14 three-point field goals made against the Terrapins in Monday's regional final was a Pac-10 season-high.

SR G Candice Wiggins Quick Hits:
• The 2007-08 Pac-10 Player of the Year, Wiggins is averaging a Pac-10-best 20.2 points per game. She also ranks second in the league in three-point field goals made (2.22) and steals (2.16).
• Became the first player in NCAA history to record two 40-point games in tournament play. Wiggins dropped a career-high 44 points (third best in NCAA Tournament history) on UTEP in the second round and 41 points (fifth best in NCAA Tournament history) on Maryland in the elite eight. • A four-time All-American, Wiggins is the only player in Pac-10 history to be named Player of the Year three times in her career.

SO C Jayne Appel Quick Hits:
• Making nearly 60 percent of the shots she takes from the floor, Appel paces the Pac-10 in field goal percentage (.593, 239-of-403).
• Ranks second in the league in double-doubles (11), with two coming in NCAA Tournament play, including a 33-point, 12-rebound effort against Cleveland State in the opening round.

FR F Kayla Pedersen Quick Hits:
• The 2007-08 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Pedersen is averaging 12.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, which rank her ninth and third respectively in the Conference.
• Pedersen went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc against Maryland on Monday night. She has hit just 10-of-26 (.385) from long range this season.

Tara VanDerveer Quick Hits:
• Was named the 2007-08 Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the ninth time in her career.
• Has 723 career wins and boasts a winning percentage of .795 (723-187). • Currently in her 22nd year at the helm of the Cardinal program, VanDerveer boasts two national championships and six NCAA Final Four berths.