Baker named to Region 7 team

Montana senior Katie Baker was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Region 7 team, and is now one of 52 players nationally under consideration for the WBCA's 10-player All-America team.

Baker, a Coeur d'Alene native who graduated from Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy and played basketball at Lake City High, was one of four players honored from Region 7, joining Courtney Clements and Chelsea Hopkins from San Diego State and Wyoming senior Chaundra Sewell.

Montana (24-7) won the Big Sky Conference regular season championship with a 16-4 record, then won the conference tournament last weekend in Missoula to send the Grizzlies to their 20th NCAA tournament, where they will face Georgia on Saturday in Spokane.

Baker, who is averaging 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season, is ranked fifth on the Montana career scoring list with 1,420 points and is fifth in career blocks with 157 and 10th in career rebounds with 782.

Baker, a unanimous first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection as a junior and senior and three-time first-team selection, is Montana's 13th all-region selection and first since Mandy Morales in 2007-08.

Canitez leads Westmont to NAIA national championship

Tugce Canitez, formerly of North Idaho College, scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as the Westmont Warriors (30-4) beat Lee University (34-3) 71-65 in the NAIA national championship game for the schools first national championship.

It was the fourth time Canitez, who helped lead the 2011 NIC team to its first NJCAA championship, has scored at least 20 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the same game.

Following the game, Canitez was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, leading the tournament in scoring (111 points), rebounds (71), rebounds per game (14.2), free throws made (44) and free throws attempted (51). The free throw stats are tournament records.

She also was named the NAIA Player of the Year, finishing second in scoring 689 points, second in points-per-game at 21.5, third in rebounding (12.31) and first in defensive rebounds (9.09) per game and was also third in double-doubles with 23.

"Being at Westmont these two years was awesome for me," Canitez said. "It wasn't just playing basketball. They are my second family and support me all the time and make me better every day and they push me harder and harder. I am glad I went to Westmont."

Will Mulder joins Shock staff as defensive backs coach

SPOKANE - The Spokane Shock have added former player and new defensive backs coach William Mulder to the coaching staff, replacing Stanley Franks, who accepted a position with the coaching staff at Idaho State.

After graduating from Campbellsville in 2004, Mulder spent five seasons as a member of the Lexington Horsemen of the United Indoor Football League and af2. He began his Arena Football League career when he joined the Shock in 2010, where he recorded 82 tackles, 19 pass break-ups, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble on the season as part of the 2010 ArenaBowl XXIII championship team.