Monday, March 25, 2013

BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Western Washington's women’s basketball team is back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2000.  

The Vikings, 28-3 overall and ranked No.5 in the USA Today NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, meet Nova Southeastern in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II national tournament  Tuesday  (4 p.m. PT) at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas.

The Vikings have won 22 of their last 23 games, losing once between two season-best 11-game winning streaks. They reached the Elite Eight with a 75-58 victory over Simon Fraser in the West Region championship before a crowd of 1,129 at Sam Carver Gymnasium. 

WWU opened the regional with a 70-50 triumph over Academy of Art, and defeated Cal State Monterrey Bay, 71-63, in the semifinals.

Leading the way for WWU, which also claimed the regular-season and tournament championships of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, is a trio of seniors – center Britt Harris, guard Corinn Waltrip and forward Trishi Williams.

Harris, a Daktronics third-team All-American and West Region Player of the Year, averages 14.1 points and 2.9 rebounds a contest and ranks third nationally in field-goal percentage at 59.7 percent (172-of-288).

Waltrip, also a first-team all-region pick and named regional tourney Most Outstanding Player after scoring 29 points in the championship game, averages 12.2 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range, which ranks eighth nationally.

Williams, a second-team all-GNAC pick, contributes 10.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Nova Southeastern, 23-8, rolled through the South Region tournament, winning all three of its games by 16 points or more, including a 78-56 triumph over Delta State in the regional championship game.

The Sharks are led by senior guard Meixandra Porter, a first-team all-South Region pick, who averages 17.1 points and 2.5 steals a game; and sophomore guard Danielle Robinson, who contributes 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds, was a second-team all-region pick.    

This is just the second trip to the Elite Eight for WWU.  In 2000, the Vikings claimed an 84-67 triumph in the quarterfinals over Slippery Rock, before falling in the semifinals, 80-74, to eventual national champion Northern Kentucky.

This is the 14th national tournament appearance for WWU in 15 years as a NCAA member.

The 20-win season is the fourth straight for WWU and the 17th in GNAC Coach of the Year Carmen Dolfo’s 21 seasons as head coach, and the 31st in the 42-year history of the program.

Three weeks ago, the Vikings reached the 900 mark in all-time victories (total now 906), becoming one of just a handful of schools at all collegiate levels to accomplish that feat.

Senior center Britt Harris, a Daktronics third-team All-American and West Region Player of the Year and a first-team GNAC all-star, tops the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game, and is third in rebounding at 5.9. She is shooting 59.7 percent (172-of-288) from the field. That ranks third nationally.

Harris, who was named to the West Regional all-tournament team, has scored double-figure points a team-best 26 times this season. Harris, who had a  buzzer-beating layup in a win over Simon Fraser on Jan.12, scored 10 or more points in each of the regional tournament games.

Senior point guard Corinn Waltrip, who is also a first-team all-region and all-conference pick, is averaging 12.2 points, shooting 42.3 percent (69-of-163) from 3-point range, which ranks eighth nationally.

Waltrip was named Most Outstanding Player at the West Regional, scoring 29 points while connecting on 5-of-9 3-pointers in the championship game win over Simon Fraser. She averaged 18.3 points and 4.0 assists in the three regional wins.

Waltrip scored a career-high 36 points in an overtime win at Seattle Pacific on Feb. 16, connecting on 11-of-19 field goals, 8-of-13 from 3-point range, and all six free throws. That was the fourth-highest point total ever by a Viking.

Waltrip became the 22nd player in school history to score 1,000 points in the win over Cal State Monterey Bay. Her current four-year total is 1,038 (20th, 12 from 19th). She ranks 13th among WWU leaders in assists with 322 and is on school-record pace for career free-throw shooting at 81.1 percent (154-of-190).

Waltrip has scored double-figure points in 20 games this season.

Senior forward Trishi Williams, a second-team GNAC all-star, is averaging 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds. She is second on the squad in rebounds and third in points, while leading in assists (4.5) and steals (2.8). Williams has reached double-figure points 21 times and is shooting 49.4 percent (128-of-259) from the floor.

Against Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 2, Williams became just the third WWU player in school history to record a triple double, finishing with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the Vikings’ first triple double since Addy Johnson accomplished the feat in 1994-95.

Junior forward Sarah Hill leads the team in rebounds with a 6.3 average and is scoring points at a 6.3 clip.

Completing the starting lineup is sophomore guard Katie Colard, who is averaging 7.8 points.

Top players off the bench have been sophomore forward Sydney Donaldson, who is averaging 6.4 points on 51.5 percent (87-of-169) floor accuracy and 4.1 rebounds, and sophomore center Kayla Bernsen, who is averaging 5.5 points and 1.2 blocks. Bernsen scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-12 floor accuracy against Western Oregon on March 2 as well as grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots.

Senior forward Erika Ramstead had her career end midway through the season because of a stress fracture in her right foot that required surgery. She started eight of the 11 games she appeared in this year, averaging 2.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. In all, Ramstead played in 95 games for WWU, finishing her four-year career with 353 points, 320 rebounds and 105 assists.

Nova Southeastern: The Sharks, 23-8 and  champions of the South Region, are led by a pair of all-region selections - 5-6 senior guard Meixandra Porter, a first-team all-South Region pick,  who averages 17.1 points and 2.5 steals a game; and 5-8 sophomore guard Danielle Robinson, who contributes 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds, was a second-team all-region pick. Porter was a second-team all-region pick as a junior after transferring from Division I Colorado State, where she was a key reserve. Completing the starting lineup for coach LeeAnn Freeland (2nd year, 40-18; overall,  7th year, 129-53) are 6-0 junior guard Amanda Burakoski (12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg), a transfer from Division I St. John’s; 6-0 forward Tailor Jones (10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.0 apg), a transfer from Division I Northwestern; and 5-11 junior guard Jessica Russi (4.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.1 apg). The Sharks, members of the Sunshine State Conference, force 22.4 turnovers a game and average 25.6 3-point attempts a game, hitting 34.4 percent. They reached the Elite Eight with a 78-56 triumph over Delta State in the South Region championship game.