UC Santa Barbara Back On Top: After a year hiatus from the regular season throne and a two-year break from the tournament title, UC Santa Barbara is sitting atop the Big West Conference. The Gauchos posted a league-leading 15-1 conference mark to earn their 13th regular season title. Carrying the No. 1 seed into the Big West Tournament, UC Santa Barbara knocked-off first-year member UC Davis in the finals to reclaim the tournament championship.
Gauchos Finish 2007-08 In NCAA Tournament: UC Santa Barbara extended its postseason streak to 13 (10 NCAA, 3 WNIT) with its berth into the 2008 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Gauchos drew a No. 13 seed and faced fourth-seeded Virginia in the first round of the Greensboro Regional in Norfolk, Va. The Gauchos struggled against the nationally-ranked Cavaliers, tallying an 86-52 loss and falling to 7-12 overall in the Big Dance. UC Santa Barbara’s last NCAA Tournament win came in 2004 when it advanced to the Sweet 16 as the No. 11 seed.
UC Davis Heads To Postseason In First Division I Season: In its first year as a full-fledged Division I program and as a member of the Big West, UC Davis received the conference’s automatic berth into the WNIT. In first round action, the Aggies traveled to Spokane, Wash., for a meeting with Gonzaga. With a home court advantage, the Bulldogs overpowered the Aggies by a score of 81-60.
Big West Women’s Basketball Top Honors: UC Santa Barbara senior Jessica Wilson was named Player of the Year, Cal State Fullerton’s Lauren Chow picked up Freshman of the Year accolades and UC Davis head coach Sandy Simpson received the Coach of the Year award. Wilson becomes the 10th Gaucho to earn Big West Player of the Year accolades, and the first to do since Kristen Mann received the nod in 2005. Chow picked up Cal State Fullerton’s second freshman of the year honor in the past three seasons. Teammate Toni Thomas earned the rookie accolade in 2006 following a stellar campaign in her first year as a Titan. Simpson guided the UC Davis Aggies to a second place finish in the conference with a 12-4 record in their first year as a full-fledged Division I program and as a member of the Big West.
Cal State Fullerton’s Toni Thomas Paces Big West Offense: For the second straight year, junior forward Toni Thomas paced the Big West Conference in scoring. This past season Thomas led the way with a 17.1 points per game average, a small drop from last year’s 17.5 average. Thomas also posted her second 500-plus season, draining 512 points in 30 contests. After three season in the Big West, the San Bernardino, Calif., native already ranks 28th all-time in the league with 1,426 career points.
Stephanie Duda Out Rebounds Anteaters, Big West: The conference rebounding leader, UC Irvine’s Stephanie Duda, was just shy of posting her second consecutive double-double season average. Duda paced the conference with a 9.9 rebound average, while also proving successful on offense with 12.2 points per contest. In 2006-07, the senior forward was one of two athletes to boast a double-double on the season, registering 11.1 boards per game and 13.9 points per outing. Duda also collected 16 double-doubles during the season to lead the Big West. In a distant second place was teammate Kelly Cochran with eight double-doubles.
1,000 And Counting: In her third season in a Cal State Fullerton uniform, Toni Thomas joined the elite list early in the season. After her second straight 500-plus season, she now has 1,426 career points which ranks her 28th all-time in the Big West. Gaucho Jessica Wilson, who recently joined the 1,000-point ranks, holds 1,157 career points. UC Riverside’s Seyram Gbewonyo and UC Irvine’s Stephanie Duda were the newest members to the club with 1,045 and 1,017 points.
Calling All Doctors: The Big West Conference was hit by the injury bug this season with two of the six Big West Preseason All-Conference members out for the season - Jenna Green (UC Santa Barbara) and Kemie Nkele (UC Riverside). Suffering back spasms off and on at the start of the year, Green decided to redshirt the 2007-08 season. Nkele, 2006-07 Big West Player of the Year, missed the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury against Kansas (12/16). A third preseason first team selection, Karina Figueroa (LBSU), originally was redshirting this season but returned to the court mid-January, along with teammate Courtney Jacob, who had also seen limited action due to an injury. Other athletes who missed some playing time were Andrea Swanson (PAC) and Valeriya Musina (LBSU).
And Then There Were Nine: The 2007-08 season marked the beginning of a new nine-team field for the Big West Conference, as UC Davis began its first season competing in the league comprised of all California schools. The league welcomed UC Davis as an official member on July 1, 2007, after the Aggies completed their four-year reclassification from Division II to Division I.