FanPost

How the Big West will be won

The race for the Big West title has been another fierce battle, with multiple teams vying for either the regular season title or a top-two seeding in the upcoming Big West Tournament, which would earn them a double-bye into the semifinals.


Six teams head into the last two weeks of the season vying for either both or one of the two above-mentioned scenarios. Hawaii is currently sitting atop the conference, but its only by 2 1/2 games, and the five other teams below them are separated amongst each other by just a game or half a game, meaning that someone could go from second in the conference to sixth in just a blink of an eye.

Here's a look at the six teams that are currently in the running for Big West glory.

Hawaii

Current standing: 11-2, 1st in the conference.

The Rainbow Wahine appear to have the inside track to the regular season title and with it, the top seed for the Big West Tournament. Hawaii is currently on an 11-game winning streak and relies on balanced scoring to carry the day. Its leading scorer, Shawna-Lei Keuhu is averaging 12 points a game, its next leading scorer, Ashleigh Karatiana, averages 10 pts and two other players, Destiny King and Morgan Mason, average nine pts apiece.

UC Davis

Current Standing: 8-4, 2nd in the conference.

The Aggies opened conference play with an upset road win at reigning champion and preseason-favorite Cal State Northridge back on Jan 8, which was the start of three wins in its first four Big West games. Davis then won five in a row until the streak was snapped at Hawaii back on Saturday. Still the Aggies have a shot at a top-two seeding, as two of their last four games are against the conference's bottom two teams, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.

Cal State Northridge

Current standing: 8-5, tied for third in the conference.

The 2014 Big West regular season and tournament champions got off to a slow start in conference play, but have picked it back up with four straight wins to thrust themselves back into the conversation of title contenders. The regular season title however seems to be out of reach, and its two losses to UC Davis in the regular season may cost them a top-two seeding in the tournament. Still, with five starters back from last year's team and a very deep bench to boot, don't sell the Matadors short on its chances come Big West Tournament time.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Current Standing: 8-5, tied for third in the conference.

The Mustangs have been up and down for most of the Big West campaign. Cal Poly started off 6-2, but slumped in the second half with losses in three of four games before holding off UC Riverside this past Saturday. Poly still has a shot however, as two of its last four games (the last two games to be exact) are against Irvine and Santa Barbara.

Long Beach State Current Standing: 7-5, fifth in the conference.

At the start, the 49ers looked as if it steamroll through the regular season, let alone the conference. Long Beach went 13-1 in non-conference play, and some of those wins came against the likes of California, LSU and Colorado. Long Beach then started conference play 4-0, but a 67-52 loss at home to CSUN back on Jan 24 brought about an end to a 15-game winning streak, and the 49ers never seemed to recover, going 3-4 since that loss.

UC Riverside

Current standing: 7-6, sixth in the conference.

Now you might ask why a team currently sitting in sixth in the conference would be in the conversation, but when you are just a game and a half back of the second place team, yes you are in the conversation. Riverside has one ex-factor, and that is Brittany Crain, the conference's leading scorer who is averaging 23 points a game. That sort of game-changer could be a factor come tournament time.