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2004 WAC Tournament tips off on campus...Let the madness begin. With the regular season over for the Western Athletic Conference’s women’s basketball teams, tournament play has begun at Fresno State’s Save Mart Center. The conference records determine where each team will be seeded in the tournament. The women’s tournament consists of nine games, with the championship being played Saturday. On Tuesday, No. 9-seed Boise State upset No. 8 Hawaii 59-56 to earn a spot in today’s quarterfinals against top-seeded Louisiana Tech, ranked sixth in the nation. The Broncos used a Cassidy Blaine 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds left to grab the victory. In the second play-in game between No. 7 San Jose State and No. 10 Nevada, the Spartans won 68-60 behind a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) from Tatiana Taylor. San Jose State plays No. 2 Rice at 6 p.m. today. The rest of the bracket plays out as follows: GAME 3 Match-up: No. 1 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 9 Boise State When: Today, noon Notes and Tidbits: Louisiana Tech looks to win its third championship in three tries since entering the WAC. Boise State enters the game with one of the WAC’s top offenses, led by sophomore Jamie Hawkins. The winner will go on to play the winner of UTEP and SMU. GAME 4 Match-up: No. 4 UTEP vs. No. 5 SMU When: Today, 2:30 p.m. Notes and Tidbits: The Miners have increased their win total each of the past three years. The Mustangs have participated in the NCAA tournament in six of the past nine seasons, including second-round appearances in their last two trips. SMU has also reached at least the semifinal game of the WAC tournament four of the past five seasons. The winner will go on to play Louisiana Tech or Boise State. GAME 5 Match-up: No. 2 Rice vs. No. 7 San Jose State When: Today, 6 p.m. Notes and Tidbits: Rice defeated nationally ranked Louisiana Tech 87-84 on Jan. 5. Freshman Lauren Neaves is a true sensation. The Spartans did not meet preseason expectations but are still a threat with senior Cricket Williams leading the charge. The winner will go on to play Tulsa or Fresno State GAME 6 Match-up: No. 3 Tulsa vs. No. 6 Fresno State When: Today, 8:30 p.m. Notes and Tidbits: The two teams split victories in conference play. The Bulldogs have won six of their last eight games, including a nine-point victory over the Golden Hurricane. The Bulldogs will need consistency from their youth to advance through the tournament. The winner will go on to play Rice or San Jose State. GAME 7 Match-up: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 When: Friday, noon Notes and Tidbits: The Lady Techsters are a likely participant in this semifinal match-up. The winner will go on to play the championship against the game-8 winner. GAME 8 Match-up: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 When: Friday, 2:30 p.m. Notes and Tidbits: With the home court advantage, No. 6 Fresno State and No. 2 Rice could meet in this game. The winner will go on to play championship against the game-7 winner. GAME 9 Match-up: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 When: Saturday, noon Notes and Tidbits: If the WAC records are any indication, Louisiana Tech against Rice is the likely match-up. |