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Show HTHI SB 1 :fff) T iiiiiflimf imliiiiiTiTitffmitfiltTiiiAiMiftl'ii man f i T ir irt in r V't mi naif r ir r r mrti JiFa isniiirlfiiit I 111 IX 11 11 II U lIIIlUUUUUKaBKXHHHKHKHKHKHHK BY JAMES JARDINE . Chronicle Staff Writer , ALBUQUERQUE, NM In WAC women's basketball, the entire conference season had been a two team race between and repeat champ San Diego State (24-Utah (23-6)- . No other team finished above 500 in the conference. WAC The in tournament Albuquerque, N.M., was expected to showcase more of the same two-tearace. Utah was winlcss against the Aztecs in both regular season meetings, but with an automatic NCAA tournament berth on die line, the third time was the charm as Utah bested the Aztecs 64-5By winning the WAC tournament, Utah earned the eighth seed in the Midwest and the right to take on ninth-seede-d Southwest Missouri State (20-11- ) in the NCAA tournament subregional in Boulder, Colo., (see pg. 3). On their way to claiming the tournament championship and placing two of its members on the 5) 7. - V WV had to bully the past the Bulldogs in the ;. - ' W team including tournament MVP the U. women Julie Krommenhoek - semifinals. - , . Friday's Semifinals ' Utah went through its usual routine of toying with its opponent before eliminating Fresno State 7549 on Friday. For the first 12 minutes of the game the U. women allowed the Bulldogs to stay within 10 points and kept them guessing which Utah star would step up and be the scoring hero of the day. Eventually, Alii Bills and Amber McEwen took charge as Utah put Fresno W in, K rftt jffl W B T7 Vt'Var'KVWVV'V ' LftAiLAJLAXJ ft' If If'lf't f j 'ff 'y f f ff f ylrgi w Wif m & m'm igl IIS II ill away. "Fresno entered die game with the intentions of highlighting our two leading scorers from the past couple of games, AD. (Andrea Hcrold) and Julie (Krommenhoek)," said Elaine Elliott. "Basically, it gave us a challenge to see what the rest of our kids could do." McEwen Two players in particular and Bills answered the call, according to Elliott. McEwen finished with 20 points in just 22 minutes of play. They were more concentrated on other people and so they left me open - - see "women" on page 5 l, Sweet Vengeance: The Utah bench - (left to right) Alii Bills, Hilary Amy Alcorn, Teresa Totorka, Ross Richelle Laura and celebrated their vindicated as team iu two regular season Davis, Cindy Cleveney losses to the Aztecs on Saturday. BY TY BRONICEL record to 27-- and elevated it to a Chronicle Sports Editor No. 4 seed in the NCAA's West King-Noe- 5 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -The question is, What can Utah possibly accomplish next season in WAC play? After this year, there's not too many goals left. Utah capped a spectacular regu- 0 4'Jt r::,, 67-5- 4 s a; lar season last weekend and bagged its first ever WAC Tournament title by handling in Saturday's chamHawaii pionship game. Utah became the fourth WAC team to win both the regular (15-this year) and the postseason conference title in the same season. "I'm so happy for all of them to be a part of this," coach Rick Majerus said. Van Keith the Horn, Tournament's MVP said: "It's real nice to win two league titles; there's not a lot of teams that have done it." The victory pushed Utah's sea-so- n 1 y - - - i 1 V 3 i - hfttuti m h Clmkk MtoM ScH Utah celebrated another WAC championship Saturday night In Albuquerque. Rick Majcnu' team beat Hawaii, hs third win In three nights, to stake the school's fint WAC Tournament title. Utah, 275 and the No. 4 seed In the West Regional, d action Thursday in Boise (1235 pin. KSL-5- ) against No. 13 Long Beach State opens up NCAA first-roun- (20-9- ). Regional. Up next for the surging (they've won 10 straight, 15 of the Utcs? A last 17), matchup Friday (12:35 Long Beach p.m.) with 13th-secState in Boise, Idaho. Utah, according to more than one college basketball expert, should make plenty of noise in the NCAAs. And why not. After all, Utah came through loud and clear at the WAC Tournament. They didn't need a megaphone to proclaim its WAC supremacy. "We won the conference," Brandon Jessie said. "We won the tournament. What else can you do?" Utah, which had been just in WAC Tournament play, won three straight from conference foes to stake the title. After Thursday night's opening win round scare (a sloppy see "men" on page 3 17th-ranke- first-roun- d d d 9-1- 1 72-6- 3 |