The Big West tournament kicks off this afternoon in Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev. There’s a crowd of very solid teams at the very top – just four games separate the top seven spots, and all seven are at least four games over .500 in conference play. Let’s meet the teams trying to make a run to the NCAA Tournament.
1. Hawaii (22-8 overall, 16-4 Big West)
Led by Player of the Year Lily Wahinekapu, the Rainbow Wahine took home their third conference regular-season title in four years and are looking to make it three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years as well. The strength of this time lies in its defense — it is tied second in the entire country in effective field goal percentage defense (with UC Davis) and leads the entire nation in opponent 3-point field goal percentage defense. Their offense is diverse — eight players average five points a game or more, and they fought through an injury to fifth year senior Deja Phillips to win the conference anyway.
2. UC Irvine (21-9, 15-5)
This is another elite defensive team, especially in two-point range. Its two all-conference guards Deja Lee and Hunter Hernandez spearhead a team that leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. They lost two low-scoring games by a combined nine points against Hawaii and may be seeking revenge in the championship game.
3. UC Davis (19-11, 13-7)
Davis is just as elite defensively as Hawaii and is a bit stronger offensively. If they can shore up their rebounding, they could easily find themselves cutting down the nets on Saturday. Offensively, look for big games from strong-shooting all-conference Tova Sabel and Megan Norris, who leads the league in field goal percentage as an interior player and also is a huge reason for their elite defensive play, ranking third in blocks.
4. UC San Diego (17-15, 13-7)
In their first year of postseason eligibility, they’re not a huge longshot to lift the trophy on Saturday. Sumayah Sugapong is a playmaker with the ball in her hands, topping the league in steals (UCSD also leads the league in steals), assists and placing fourth in points. They may need to be more efficient offensively than normal to be the last team standing.
5. UC Santa Barbara (18-12, 12-8)
The Gauchos lead the league in free throw shooting percentage and are a close second in 3-point field goal percentage. They feature the best outside shooter in the conference, Jessica Grant. More consistent defensive play and hot shooting could allow UCSB to make a run.
6. Long Beach State (16-13, 12-8)
LBSU features the league’s leading scorer and rebounder and lead the league overall in both categories. However, they’ve been up and down all year due to their heavy struggles on the defensive end with a sub-300 adjusted defensive efficiency. If this team can put it together, they’ve proven they can win, having just beaten Irvine by over 20 points less than two weeks ago.
7. UC Riverside (16-14, 12-8)
Second-team honoree Michelle Duchemin and Defensive Player of the Year Makayla Rose feature on a team that has won six of seven, including wins over Davis and Hawaii. UCR will need a bit more scoring than normal to win four games in four days.
8. Cal Poly (13-17, 8-12)
Only four games separate the top seven spots but it drops off after that with Cal Poly in eighth being four games behind seventh place. They defend the three well but also turn the ball over at a very high rate.
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