ST. PAUL, Minn. - Truman State University (33-7), ranked #8 in the NCAA Division II, took a 3-0 win over Nova Southeastern (24-12) to advance to the 2008 NCAA Division II Championship semifinals (25-21, 25-20, 25-20). The Bulldogs are matched up with Cal State San Bernardino with a start time of 5:00 pm (CT) on Friday evening at the Gangelhoff Center. Truman State had to overcome a number of Nova Southeastern runs in the quarterfinal match. The Sharks started things off with five straight points before Truman ripped off a 17-3 run for a sizeable 17-8 lead. But NSU did not fold easily and came back with ten of the next 12 points to set the score at 19-18. Truman finished off the first set with a 25-21 win and dictated the tone of the remainder of the match. Both teams improved their hitting in the second set, but Truman took the edge after committing a few less errors in the front row and also putting up three ace serves. They finished the match with a .138 hitting average, while NSU swung for a mere .045. TSU had 60 digs to NSU's 51 and also edged out the Sharks with nine team blocks to eight. Nova Southeastern's Melinda Gorman, a senior outside hitter, was the only player in the match to tally double figures in kills with 13. She also had seven digs and three block assists. Emily Carle and Valia Petrova had the next highest hitting marks with four kills each. Sophomore Kathleen Yony led the team with 16 digs. Molly Sigerich boosted the Shark blocking game with five assists. Valia Petrova assisted on 25 of the team's 32 kills. Senior outside hitter Eli Medina had a team high eight kills for the Bulldogs. She was also the team dig leader with 16 saves. Lisa Weber came in with seven kills, five block assists and five digs. Whitney Boehler had 13 digs, followed by Dana Hanselmann with ten. The setting game was split between Kylie Easlon and Ashley Petak with 17 and 13 assists each, respectively. For complete match notes please click here. |
Saturday, December 6, 2008
TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY ADVANCES TO NCAA DIVISION II VOLLEYBALL NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
California State University San Bernardino Advances to National Semifinals with Sweep of California University of Pennsylvania
ST. PAUL, Minn. – #2-ranked California State University San Bernardino (29-3) used 51 kills and .313 hitting performance to take a 3-0 win over California (Pa.) (40-2) in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships. The Coyotes will play the winner between #8 Truman State and Nova Southeastern in the semifinals on Friday at 5:00 pm. CSUSB overcame a 10-15 deficit in the opening set of the tournament to overtake the Vulcans 25-23. California (Pa.) was the more accurate hitting squad in the opening sets of the match, hitting well into the .250 range. Junior outside hitter Joanna Nist tabbed six kills in the first set. CSUSB's Sara Rice, a senior middle hitter, gave her Coyotes the edge late in the set, notching seven kills en route to the win. Cal State San Bernardino's offense heated up as the match wore on as the squad distanced themselves from the competition. The Coyotes did not commit a hitting error in the final set, tabbing 17 kills with a .630 hitting average. The Vulcans hit just .097 in the final set. Rice was the leading hitter on the afternoon with 16 kills and a .481 hitting average. She also added a solo block and two block assists. Jessica Granados had 13 kills and nine digs for Cal State San Bernardino. The defensive effort was guided by Meghan Haas with 13 digs. CSUSB had 49 digs and four team blocks in the win. Junior middle hitter Ludmila Amaral finished with a team high 12 kills for California (Pa.). Thais Franca added 11 kills as the fourth and final player in the match to tab double figures in kills. Mallory Demarco notched eight digs to lead the defense, followed by four players with seven digs. The Vulcans had 36 kills with a .214 hitting average, 43 digs and five team blocks. The loss ended a 24-match win streak. NOTES: California (Pa.) - California is making its eighth NCAA Volleyball Championship appearance, all of which have come in the last nine years ... This is the Vulcan's fourth consecutive appearance ... This is California's second consecutive Elite Eight appearance and third overall ... The Vulcans lost in the 2000 semifinals in their first-ever championship appearance ... They lost to eventual national champion Concordia last year ... Today's loss ends a 24-match winning streak for the Vulcans, during which time they won 72 of 76 sets ... California had won 28 of their 41 matches in three games prior to today's loss ... The set-one loss was the Vulcans' first opening-set loss since dropping a 3-1 decision to Indianapolis (9/26/08) ... California was 4-1 when losing set one before today's loss ... The Vulcans finish the season with a 15-2 record versus opponents who played in this year's Championship. For the complete match story please click here. |
2008 AVCA All-Americans Announced, Concordia Names Five
Dec. 03– LEXINGTON, Ky. - Concordia University named five volleyball athletes to the 2008 AVCA All-American teams. Maggie McNamara and Emily Palkert were named First Team All-Americans, while Maria Steinhagen, Whitney Meierotto and Mary Slinger were named Second Team All-Americans. Additionally, Sadie Kessler was named Honorable Mention. This is the most All-Americans gained by a single team in the NCAA Division II this year and the most by any Concordia squad in a single season. Junior Maggie McNamara (Zumbrota, Minn.), who runs the Concordia offense as setter, is one of just two players in the country to return as honorees on the All-America First Team from 2007. She was also named the 2008 NCAA Division II Player of the Year. McNamara has helped her team become the best hitting team in the nation and personally leads the NCAA for the third consecutive season in assists per set (13.41). She was named the NSIC's Offensive Player of the Year after pulling in six Setter of the Week honors. McNamara has 1,569 assists on the season and 5,639 in her career. In addition to leading the Concordia offense, McNamara is also one of the squad's best defenders with 268 digs, third best on the team. She has 1,004 digs in her career. Along with her two First Team All-America bids, McNamara was a Second Team All-American in 2006 and was Division II's Freshman of the Year. Please click here for the complete release. |
MAGGIE MCNAMARA NAMED NCAA DIVISION II VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR!
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Concordia University, St. Paul junior setter Maggie McNamara has been named the 2008 Division II AVCA National Player of the Year, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday evening. McNamara is the first Golden Bear athlete to earn the honor since the award's creation in 1985. McNamara, a native of Zumbrota, Minn., has kept the Concordia offense churning all year, as the squad has posted a 34-1 overall record and is currently riding a 34-match win streak into the NCAA Division II National Championships, hosted in St. Paul, Minn. by Concordia University. The Golden Bears have been ranked in the top three of the Bison/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll the entire length of the season, including serving nine weeks as the nation's top team. In her three seasons wearing a CU jersey, McNamara and the Golden Bears have compiled a stellar 106-8 record, made three appearances in the NCAA semifinals and captured the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship. With McNamara's help, the Golden Bears have blanked their competition in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) again in 2008, turning in a perfect 20-0 record against league foes and securing it's fourth undefeated NSIC season in the past five years. McNamara picked up NSIC Offensive Player of the Year honors along the way, marking the fourth time in the past five seasons that a Golden Bear athlete has taken home the award. McNamara is leading the nation in assists for the third consecutive season, dishing out 13.41 helpers per set while directing the squad's attack arsenal to a .305 hitting percentage. She has been named NSIC Setter of the Week on six occasions in 2008, also earning Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week honors for her outstanding play the week of Sept. 9. McNamara has also been an outstanding defensive player for the Golden Bears, compiling the third highest number of digs this season with 268. In her career, she has 5,639 assists and 1,004 digs. In addition to being named AVCA Division II National Player of the Year, McNamara is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning First Team accolades in each of the past two seasons and landing a spot on the Second Team in 2006, the same year in which she was also named the AVCA Freshman of the Year. McNamara has garnered First Team All-NSIC honors in each of her three seasons as a Golden Bear. The formal presentation of the 2008 AVCA Division II National Player of the Year will be made Dec. 19 in Omaha, Neb. at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet. The banquet, which will take place at the Qwest Convention Center, is held in conjunction with the 2008 AVCA Annual Convention. |
Lady Lions Come Up Short at Florida State in ACC-Big Ten Challenge
| Grant becomes 31st player and 14th junior to reach the 1,000-point plateau TALLAHASSEE, FLA.; December 3, 2008 — Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) scored 13 of her game-high 18 points in the second half, but it was not enough as the Penn State Lady Lions (4-3) dropped a 73-60 decision at Florida State (6-2) Wednesday night in the Second Annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge. With her performance, Grant became the 31st player and just the 14th junior in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career. Grant led the way for the Lady Lions with her 18 points, four rebounds and two assists, while senior guard Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) returned to the lineup after missing five games with a hand injury to tally nine points, three assists and four steals. Senior guard Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who was saddled with foul trouble for much of the game, chipped in 16 points, two assists and two steals in the loss. Sophomore post Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) also had a solid all-around game for the Lady Lions with five points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals off of the bench. The Seminoles got on the board first with a three-pointer by Mara Freshour just 17 seconds into the game and added a pair of Jacinta Moore layups around an Evelyn Lewis (Hampton, Va.) free throw to take a 7-1 lead at the 17:30 mark. Following a Meggan Quinn (Red Lion, Pa.) jumper, Florida State scored back-to-back baskets to move ahead 11-3 with 16 minutes left in the half. Florida State extended its lead to 19-5 just under the midway point of the half as the Lady Lions struggled to control the ball with 11 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the half. Penn State got a free throw from Renee Womack (Lansdale, Pa.) and a layup from Williams to pull within 11 points, but the 'Noles responded with 15 of the game's next 18 points to put the lead back to 23 points (34-11) with five minutes left in the half. Williams stopped the FSU run with a layup and the Lady Lions tightened their defense to spark a 15-0 run over the next four minutes and pull within eight points at 34-26 with 57 seconds left. During the run, O'Rourke accounted for three points, Williams had four points and two steals, while Grant added three points and Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) chipped in two tallies and a steal. A three-pointer by Freshour at the 39-second mark and a jumper by Grant five seconds later sent the teams into the locker room with Florida State leading 37-28. O'Rourke had a team-high eight points in the first half, while Williams added seven points, three steals and two assists. Trogele also had a solid opening frame with four points, three rebounds and two steals. The Lady Lions had seven steals off of 13 Florida State turnovers. Click here for the complete story. |
Gopher Women's Basketball Hosts Boston College on Thursday in ACC-Big Ten Challenge
Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-1) vs. Boston College Eagles (5-1)
LOCATION Williams Arena (14,625) - Minneapolis , Minn. DATE / TIME: Thursday, Dec. 4 / 7 p.m. TELEVISION: none RADIO / WEBCAST: KBEM 88.5 FM / Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com Corbu Stathes (Play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (Color Analyst) LIVE VIDEO WEBCAST: Big Ten Network - bigtennetwork.com
Golden Gopher Watch List — Dec. 4, 2008 • Golden Gophers Host Boston College in ACC-Big Ten Challenge Game - Minnesota welcomes Boston College to Williams Arena for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers are 7-1 and have won seven straight games, including a 98-72 victory over St. Mary's on Monday. The Eagles are 5-1 on the season. • Challenge Game Streamed on BTN Website - Minnesota 's game with Boston College will be video-streamed live on the Big Ten Network's website - bigtennetwork.com. • Ohm, McCoy Score Career High in Victory - Led by career-high scoring performances by Katie Ohm (21 points) and Brittany McCoy (17 points), the Golden Gophers cruised to a 98-72 win over St. Mary's on Monday. • SDSU the Final Game Before Finals - Minnesota will play host to South Dakota State on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the Golden Gophers' final game before taking a 12-day break for final exams.
ACC-Big Ten Challenge Up Next Minnesota welcomes Boston College to Williams Arena for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers are 7-1 and have won seven straight games, including a 98-72 victory over St. Mary's on Monday. The Eagles are 5-1 on the season.
Other ACC-Big Ten Challenge Contests The Boston College at Minnesota match-up is one of 11 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Other games are: Wed., Dec.3 Michigan State at Georgia Tech Penn State at Florida State North Carolina at Ohio State Thurs., Dec. 4 Maryland at Purdue Iowa at Duke Northwestern at Clemson Virginia Tech at Wisconsin Virginia at Illinois Fri, Dec. 5 Indiana at Miami North Carolina State at Michigan
Minnesota/Boston College Streamed Live Minnesota's game with Boston College will be video-streamed live on the Big Ten Network's website - bigtennetwork.com. It is the Gophers' first appearance on a web-streamed contest on the BTN site.
ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Second Season The ACC-Big Ten Challenge is in its second season. Last season, the ACC won eight of the 11 games. Virginia Tech defeated Minnesota , 68-62, in Blacksburg , Va. Boston College defeated Northwestern, 73-66, in Evanston , Ill.
Just Another Opponent Now Minnesota head coach Pam Borton spent five years (1997-02) at Boston College before accepting the position with the Golden Gophers. As a member of Cathy Inglese's staff, first as an assistant for three years and then for two season as the associate head coach, Borton helped direct the Eagles to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Borton has met her old school once during her tenure at Minnesota , guiding the Gophers to a 76-63 victory over the Eagles in the 2004 Mideast Region semifinal game (Sweet 16 round) in Norfolk , Va. Defending the Home Court in The Barn Williams Arena is one of the toughest places to play in the nation for opposing teams. During Pam Borton's coaching tenure, the Golden Gophers have compiled an impressive 37-4 (90.2%) record in games against con-conference opponents. Minnesota is 4-0 in The Barn this season. Click here for all the pre-game information. |
Michigan Women's Basketball Falls to USC, 81-53
Site: Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center) • Boxscore LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team fell at Southern Cal 81-53 tonight (Tuesday, Dec. 2) at the Galen Center. The Women of Troy had five players in double figures, led by a game-high 19 from Camille LeNoir, and shot 48.5 percent from the field.
Michigan was led by 17 points from senior Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) and 10 from senior Melinda Queen (Oak Forest, Ill./Carl Sandburg HS) in the losing effort, while senior Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School), junior Kalyn McPherson (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) and senior Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) each had five rebounds. The Wolverines, who shot 32.1 percent on 18-of-56 shooting from the field, were outrebounded for the first time in three games, 38-33.
Out of the halftime break, five straight points from Queen cut the Southern Cal lead to 49-40 and gave the Wolverines some momentum, but the Trojans were able to keep the lead with several buckets from LeNoir and Kari LaPlante. USC's hot shooting did not extend to the second half, but it was able to get buckets from Nadia Parker on the inside to pick up its fourth consecutive win.
Southern California came out firing on all cylinders to start the contest, led by Camille LeNoir and Brianna Gilbreath, who were a combined 6-of-8 from the floor through the first six minutes to put the Wolverines in a 22-9 hole early. Benson was able to give Michigan a lift with her 14th three-pointer of the season as Michigan went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 27-20 midway through the half after trailing by as many as 14 points early.
USC continued its hot shooting late in the first frame, going 19-of-33 (57.6 percent) from the floor. Michigan was able to get it as close as seven points twice in the first half but could not combat USC's hot shooting trio of LeNoir, Gilbreath and Oliver, who combined for 34 of USC's 49 first-half points as the Trojans took a 49-35 lead into the break.
Michigan next heads home to the friendly confines of Crisler Arena for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge game against North Carolina State on Friday (Dec. 5). Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Fans can follow the action on WTKA AM 1050 with Matt Park and Nick Brandon on the call. |
Colorado back on winning track
| BOULDER - Brittany Spears had 25 points and 12 rebounds and Kara Richards scored 20 as Colorado defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 73-39, Tuesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center, snapping a three-game losing streak. Junior Bianca Smith nabbed a career-high 12 rebounds as the Buffaloes (3-3) got a boost of confidence in several areas after a disappointing Thanksgiving week that saw back-to-back losses in the Coors Classic for the first time. The Buffaloes, which had been giving up nearly eight rebounds per game to their opponents, took control of the boards Tuesday night, more than doubling up the Lady Lions 51-28. CU also rediscovered its stroke, hitting 51.7 percent from the field (31-of-60) after shooting just 34 percent (61-of-179) during the previous three games. "Leading up to this game, we talked about the areas that we needed to improve," CU head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "First and foremost, was the confidence that we had the ability to shoot and rebound. We didn't do that in the last couple of games, and the time we spent over the last few days helped us get back on track." Spears and Richards combined for 17 of Colorado's first 19 points as the Buffaloes built a 19-7 lead in the game's first eight minutes. Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored the next eight points, four by LaQuisha Slaton, to cut the deficit to 19-15 with 10:29 remaining in the half. Colorado clamped down on the Lady Lions from there. The Buffaloes went on an 18-0 run of their own, holding the Lady Lions without a point for nearly nine minutes. Freshman Alyssa Fressle started the rally with a long jumper from the top of the key, and spent the rest of her half dishing the ball off to Spears who scored 19 of her 25 points in the first 20 minutes. Click here for the complete story. |
UW keeps streak alive with double-overtime thriller
| Despite relinquishing a 16-point lead, the Wisconsin women's basketball team won its sixth-straight game Tuesday night, surviving two overtime periods in a 71-69 win over UW-Milwaukee. The Badgers (6-1) have now won six-straight games and are out to their best start since beginning the 2006-07 season 6-0. The Badgers also snapped UW-Milwaukee's three-game winning streak and the Panthers drop to 3-3 on the season. Click here for complete post-game coverage. Wisconsin had its biggest lead of the game at the 11:15 mark in the second half (47-31) but UW-Milwaukee outscored Wisconsin 23-7 to end the game and sent it into overtime. Despite trailing by four points twice in the overtime, Alyssa Karel hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to tie the score and force double-overtime, Wisconsin's first since Dec. 11, 2005. The Badgers jumped out to a six-point lead in double overtime but the Panthers managed to pull within one with 7.6 seconds left. Mariah Dunham then went to the line and made 1-of-2 free throws to put the Badgers up 71-69. UW-Milwaukee had one last opportunity but couldn't get a shot off before time expired and the Badgers won their sixth-straight. Wisconsin is now 4-3 in double-overtime games and has a 24-20 program overtime record. The overtime win is also the first in head coach Lisa Stone's six-year tenure at Wisconsin. Click here for complete post-game coverage. |
NDSU Women Open Summit League Play With Centenary, Oral Roberts
North Dakota State (2-3, 0-0 Summit League) is scheduled to host Centenary College (1-5, 0-0 Summit League) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in The Summit League opener ... The Ladies open league play at South Dakota State on Dec. 4 ... Centenary is on a two-game losing streak following a 75-69 overtime win at Lousiana College on Nov. 23 ... North Dakota State is scheduled to host Oral Roberts University (5-1, 0-0 Summit League) at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8 ... The Golden Eagles play at Nebraska on Dec. 2 and at South Dakota State on Dec. 6 ... ORU reeled off five straight wins after dropping the season opener at Marquette, 89-67, on Nov. 15. The Series: This will be the fourth meeting between North Dakota State and Centenary ... The Bison lead the series 3-0 ... NDSU defeated the Ladies twice during the 2008 season ... This will be the fourth meeting between North Dakota State and Oral Roberts ... ORU leads the series 2-1 ... The teams split a pair of overtime games last season including the Bison 75-72 double-overtime win in Fargo. Bison On Radio: WDAY 970 AM of Fargo is the flagship station of the Bison Radio Network ... Stations on the Bison Radio Network for the basketball season include WDAY-AM 970 (Fargo/all games), KQLX-FM 106.1 (Lisbon/select games), ESPN AM 710 /KFYR-AM 550 (Bismarck/select games) and KPOK-AM 1340 (Bowman/select games) ... Scott Miller of WDAY 970 AM will call the play-by-play and Jeremy Jorgenson, NDSU Director of Athletic Broadcasting/Sales, will be the color analyst ... Pregame starts 20 minutes prior to tip-off ... Games and this complete release are available on www.GoBison.com. |
BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue Sr., F, 6-2, Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley Wisdom-Hylton averaged 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds as Purdue went 2-1 at the Waikiki Marriott Classic in Honolulu, including an overtime loss to No. 5/6 Stanford. Against the Cardinal, the senior netted 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists, swatted a season-high four blocks and added one steal. The following night against host Hawaii, Wisdom-Hylton went 10-of-11 from the field for 20 points with eight boards and a team-high and career-high six assists, also grabbing three steals and registering a pair of blocks. In her third game in as many days, the Naperville, Ill., native recorded her second double-double of the season, pouring in 11 points with 10 rebounds, also adding a pair of assists, a block and a steal in a win over Prairie View A&M. The weekly honor is the second of Wisdom-Hylton's career and the second for the nationally ranked Boilermakers this season.
Last PUR POW: FahKara Malone, Nov. 25, 2008
Amber Jackson, Indiana Sr., F, 6-2, Yokosuka, Japan/Oxnard (Calif.) Jackson was named MVP of the Hilton Concord Classic after dropping 25 points in back-to-back games against Radford and Saint Mary's over the weekend. The senior's 50 total points came on 83 percent shooting (20-24) from the field and 77 percent (10-13) from the free-throw line. In IU's opening game of the tournament, Jackson netted a career-high 25 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field and 9-of-11 from the line. She also added four rebounds and blocked a shot in 25 minutes of play. Against host St. Mary's in the championship game, the Yokosuka, Japan, native matched her career high with another 25 points, shooting 12-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-2 at the stripe. She also grabbed six rebounds and swatted four blocks in the 17-point victory. Jackson also contributed in Indiana's 63-54 win over Missouri on Tuesday, recording four points, three boards and two blocks in 25 minutes on the court. For the week, Jackson averaged 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 72.4 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line. The award is the first of Jackson's career.
Last IND POW: Whitney Thomas, Jan. 21, 2008
2008-09 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Nov. 18: Jantel Lavender, So., OSU Nov. 25 Jantel Lavender, So., OSU FahKara Malone, Jr., PUR Dec. 2 Amber Jackson, Sr., IND Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Sr., PUR |
JERNISHA CANN, IUPUI, SR., F, 5-10, KANSAS CITY, MO./CENTER HS
Cann collects her second Player of the Week honor this season after recording three double-doubles last week. She averaged 21.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 1.3 assists in the Jaguars' three games. Cann matched her career-high with 23 points, set a new career-high with 10 field goals and grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds against USC-Upstate. Cann was named to the Robert Morris Thanksgiving All-Tournament Team and currently has six straight double-double performances, which sets a new IUPUI school record.
Also nominated: Jordan Zuppe, IPFW; Chazny Morris, UMKC; Abby Plucker, North Dakota State; Jessica Pike, Oakland; Janae Voelker, Oral Roberts; Jennifer Warkenthien, South Dakota State; Kaila Goff, Southern Utah; Amanda Walker, Western Illinois. |
Friday, December 5, 2008
Hawkeyes to Host No. 22 Iowa State Sunday
THE SETTING
After playing four-straight games away from Iowa City, the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-4) return home to entertain No. 22 Iowa State (5-1). Tip-off is scheduled for 1:06 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for youths, while UI students are admitted free.
Sunday will be the seventh event in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa currently leads the annual competition, 7-4. The two teams will meet in a wrestling dual meet Saturday night in Iowa City in the sixth event. Both competitions are worth two points each.
Fans are encouraged to wear black Sunday as it will be a “Blackout” event. Also, there will be a pre-game Kids Fun Zone on the north concourse and post-game player autographs.
Sunday’s game will be televised to a national cable audience on the Big Ten Network (HD). Tom Werme, Brenda VanLengen and Lauren Bohlander will call the action.
Sunday will be the 39th meeting between Iowa and Iowa State, with the Hawkeyes leading the series 20-18. Iowa holds a 12-6 advantage in games played at Iowa City.
Iowa State has won the last three meetings, including last year’s game in Ames (58-44). The Black and Gold have won two of the last three games played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
There have been three overtime contests between the two teams. Iowa State owns a 2-1 advantage in the overtime games, including a double overtime triumph (101-94) at Ames in 2003.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
No. 22 Iowa State enters Sunday’s match-up with a 5-1 record. The Cyclones had a full week to prepare for the Hawkeyes. Iowa State is coming off a 2-1 road trip at the Waikiki Marriott Beach Resort Classic. The Cyclones beat Prairie View A&M (75-59) and San Diego State (87-71), but fell to No. 6 Stanford (83-45). Heather Ezell and Alison Lacey were both named to the all-tournament team.
Sunday is Iowa State’s final road game until Jan. 14. The Cyclones are slated to play their next eight games at home.
Nicky Wieben averages a team-best 10.7 points per contest. Lacey averages 10.5 points and a team-best 7.2 rebounds per game. As a team, the Cyclones average 7.7 triples per game and boast a +12.5 rebounding margin.
Iowa State State is coached by Bill Fennelly, who is in his 21st year (451-186) as a head coach and his 14th with the Cyclones (285-133).
IOWA, IOWA STATE NOTES
• Iowa has played four-straight games away from home. The Black and Gold’s last home games was played on Nov. 23 vs. Providence. The Hawkeyes are in a middle of a stretch of playing three-consecutive ranked opponents (No. 3 California on Nov. 29, No. 12 Duke and No. 22 Iowa State on Dec. 7).
• Iowa’s Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith will be playing in their 100th career game Sunday vs. Iowa State.
• Iowa has played at Kansas’ historic Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 18 and Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 4.
• Iowa started the season playing seven games in 14 days.
• Junior Nicole VanderPol is doubtful for Sunday’s game due to injury. She has not played in the last six games.
• Junior JoAnn Hamlin recorded her 500th career point at No. 12 Duke last Thursday night.
• Senior Wendy Ausdemore has led the team in scoring three of the last four contests, while JoAnn Hamlin has paced the team in rebounding the last three. Furthermore, Ausdemore has led the team in assists in five of the eight contests.
• Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks eighth-best in the country. The Hawkeyes own the toughest schedule among Big Ten teams; Ohio State ranks second, rated ninth.
• Iowa ranks 17th nationally in free throw percentage (.774).
• Megan Skouby, Wendy Ausdemore and Kristi Smith have each scored in double figures in five of Iowa’s eight contests.
DUKE BEATS IOWA IN ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
No. 12 Duke defeated Iowa, 71-47, Thursday night in front of 5,328 fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the second annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The Blue Devils forced Iowa into a season-high 28 turnovers and turned those miscues into 28 points. Additionally, Duke dominated Iowa in the post, outscoring the visitors 48-14 in the paint.
All 10 Iowa players that played scored, but no Hawkeye reached double figures. Freshman Hannah Draxten netted a team-high nine points, with all nine points coming from behind the arc in the second stanza. Megan Skouby contributed eight points, while JoAnn Hamlin led Iowa in rebounding for the third-straight contest, grabbing 10.
Duke’s Chante Black led all scorers with 18 points, while Joy Cheek added 13 and Krystal Thomas 10.
To read the entire release click here.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
southwest goes 2-0
Mpls SW 66— ST Paul Govs--53
Congrats to the Girls Basketball Team. The now have a 2-0 record. ¨ Senior Center Britta Syverson led the Lakers with 16pts, 11 rebs and 7 Block Shots. ¨ Freshman Guard Mariah Adanene chipped in with 12pts. ¨ Freshman Guard Rayna Lindsey added 7pts as well. ¨ The Governors were led by Junior Mykal Suggs who finished with 17pts. ¨ Final score Lakers 66 & Governors 53. ¨ The Freshman Team is 3-0, The JV team is 3-0 & The Varsity team is 2-0. 8-0 Total Record!! |
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Delay in Postings
Some of the SID's that send me their releases are encouraged to use their direct access for the next 2 days.
TONY
Hopkins vs Maple Grove Podcast is ready
| This is game 1 for Maple Grove and game 3 for Hopkins. The game took place on Dec. 2, 2008. Please go to our podcasting link in the upper right corner to reach this game. |
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Lady Lions Travel to Florida State for ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wednesday
| O'Rourke notches first career double-double with 12 points and 13 assists UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; December 2, 2008 — The Penn State Lady Lions (4-2) close out their four-game road trip when they travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face Florida State (5-2) Wednesday in the Second Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. tip. Last season, the Lady Lions upset #10 Duke, 86-84, in the Challenge with a last-second basket by Janessa Wolff. RADIO/WEB: The game can be heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) describing play. The game will air locally WRSC. The audio feed and a link to GameTracker are available at www.GoPSUSports.com. LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions split a pair of games at the Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament in Malibu, Calif. with a tough 61-57 loss to No. 8/5 Texas A&M in the first round of the tourney and a 76-61 win over Coppin State in the consolation game. Senior Brianne O'Rourke and sophomores Julia Trogele and Janessa Wolff all recorded double-doubles to lead the Lady Lions over the Eagles, while junior Tyra Grant had 22 points and a career-high six steals to lead Penn State in the loss to the Aggies. SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE: The Seminoles, a preseason Top 25 team, are 5-2 on the season and are coming off of an 80-74 loss to Valparaiso Saturday. Jacinta Monroe leads FSU in scoring (15.7), rebounding (8.1) and blocks (11). Cierra Bravard (13.0 ppg) and Tanae Davis-Cain (10.0) are also averaging double figures for the 'Noles. ALL-TIME VS. THE 'NOLES: The Lady Lions are 3-0 all-time against Florida State, but the two squads have not squared off since the 1990 campaign. The last times the teams met, Penn State posted an 83-73 win over the Seminoles in the NCAA Tournament in Tallahassee. To read more please click here. |
Hawkeyes Travel to No. 12 Duke Thursday
Complete Release in PDF Format
THE SETTING ON THE RADIO IOWA HISTORY ALL-TIME SERIES LAST YEAR 2008 ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE December 3 December 4 December 5 |
Q-and-A With Kelly Krei
| What does it mean to play for the University in the same city you grew up in?
"I grew up cheering for the Hawkeyes, and to be able to represent Iowa is a dream come true. Being so close to home allows my family and friends to come and watch me play, which means a lot to me." If you weren't playing basketball, what other sport would you want to be a star in and why? What is your favorite holiday and why? What are you looking forward to most of next week's trip to the Virgin Islands? What is your favorite sports memory (or memories) from high school? To read more please click here. |
Big Ten Tournament All-Session Tickets on Sale Saturday
Dec. 2, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Make sure you have the best seats to cheer on the Hawkeyes at the 2009 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse March 5-8. Secure the best seats available by contacting the UI Athletic Ticket Office at (800) IA-HAWKS. To reward fans for their support of the tournament over the years, all-session tickets are on sale for $45 for the first 45 days of public sale. That is a $20 discount from the regular price of $65. The ticket promotion ends Jan. 19, 2009. The Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments will call Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse home through 2012. Indianapolis has staged 13 of the 14 previous women's tournaments. The 2009 tournament features all 11 Big Ten teams in action, competing in 10 games over four days to crown the 2009 champion and earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. In the past 14 years of Big Ten Tournament play, the conference has welcomed more than 417,000 fans. Indianapolis set the single-session record of 9,417 fans during the 2004 championship game at Conseco Fieldhouse. Six different conference representatives have won the tournament championship. Reigning Big Ten Tournament Champion Purdue leads all teams with seven titles, followed by two championships for both Iowa and Penn State and one title each for Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State.
The 2009 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament bracket, along with information on tickets, travel, lodging, tournament history and more, can be found at www.bigten.org and www.indianasportscorp.com. |
Minnesota Women's Basketball Scores Big Victory With Five Players in Double Figures
Gophers Land Five in Double Figures in Victory
Minnesota finished with five players in double figures, led by Katie Ohm with a career-high 21, as the Golden Gophers defeated St. Mary's ( Calif. ) by a score of 98-72 on Monday in Williams Arena. Minnesota won its seventh straight game to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Ohm scored her career high for the second consecutive game after scoring 20 in the Gophers' last outing versus UMass in the Colorado Coors Classic. She tallied 15 of her points on five three-point field goals.
Brittany McCoy also enjoyed a career night with 17 points, while dishing out eight assists. The list of top performances extends to Ashley Ellis-Milan and Emily Fox. Ellis-Milan collected her third consecutive double-double and fourth of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Fox filled the stat sheet with 15 points, eight assists and six steals in just 24 minutes of action. Kay Sylva was the fifth Gopher in double figures with 10 points.
"I have to give our players credit tonight," said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. "They gutted this one out. They were tired, both physically and mentally, coming into this game with the travel schedule and games in Colorado , but found a way to focus, play well and win. Kids love to play games rather than practice, but we need to get into the gym, work on some things – giving up 72 points is too much – and get better as a ballclub." To read more please click here. |
Monday, December 1, 2008
Gophers 98 Gaels 72
| Post game comments from Gophers Coach Pam Borton and a few players following the Minnesota (7-1) win over St. Mary's (1-7). Click here for the comments. |
CU Hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff
| For the complete release, statistics and player notes click here: http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf5/355304.pdf THE GAME: The University of Colorado hosts the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. BROADCAST: Tuesday's game can be heard live on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will deliver play-by-play with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing color commentary. Live internet audio of all CU basketball games is available through Yahoo! Sports. Tuesday's game will also be streamed live on CUBuffs.com through the BuffsTV subscription service. OPENING TIP: Colorado will be looking to break a three-game losing streak, its first during nonconference play since the 2006-07 season. The Buffaloes, which dropped both games in the Coors Classic last weekend, have never lost three straight home nonconference games. THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 2-3 overall and is out to end a three-game slide which included losses to UMass (70-62) and Drexel (67-63) in the 22nd Annual Coors Classic held last weekend in Boulder. It was the first time that Colorado had lost both its games in its own Classic. Despite the setbacks, the Buffaloes return to the Coors Events Center where they have won eight of their last 11 games overall and 13 of their last 16 against nonconference opponents. Sophomore Brittany Spears leads Colorado and ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring at 20.6 points per game. She averaged 26 in the two games of the Coors Classic, earning All-Tournament honors. She scored a career high 36 points against UMass, a Classic record and tying for the third best total in team history (Jasmina Ilic scored 36 against Nebraska on Jan. 4, 2006). Spears also set Classic records for field goals in one game (12 vs. UMass) and field goal attempts over two games (40). She also tops Colorado in rebounding (8.0 rpg), 3-point field goals (10) and fee throws made (23) and attempted (32). |
Audio from the Hamline tournament games
| All the games and the pre-game interviews have now been posted and are ready for you to enjoy. Just click on the link for Podcasts in the upper right corner of this website. |
Gophers Game 8
Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-1) vs. St. Mary's College Gaels (1-6)
LOCATION Williams Arena (14,625) - Minneapolis , Minn. DATE / TIME: Monday, Dec. 1 / 7 p.m. TELEVISION: none RADIO / WEBCAST: KBEM 88.5 FM / Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com Corbu Stathes (Play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (Color Analyst)
Gophers Host St. Mary's on Monday Minnesota continues a busy schedule with a home game on Monday against St. Mary's College. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. in Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers returned home at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning after winning the title in the Colorado Coors Classic over the weekend. Minnesota , winners of six straight games, owns a 6-1 record. St. Mary's is 1-6 on the season coming off a loss to Indiana in the title game of its own tournament in Moranga , Calif. , last weekend.
Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday Minnesota welcomes Boston College to WIlliams Arena on Thursday for the second year of the BIg Ten/ACC Challenge. The game will be video-streamed live on the Big Ten Network's website - bigtennetwork.com.
Gophers Collect Second Tourney Title Minnesota added the championship trophy for last weekend's Colorado Coors Classic to the hardware from winning the Subway Basketball Classic two weeks ago. The Gophers have now won two early-season tournament titles in a season four times under head coach Pam Borton (2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2008-09).
Fox Collects MVP Honor in Home State The trip to the Colorado Coors Classic was a special one for Gopher senior guard Emily Fox. Fox, a Colorado native, had the chance to play in front of her family and friends in her home state and she made the best of it, leading the Gophers to the team title and earning the Classic's Most Valuable Player honor. The MVP award is Fix's second of the season and third of her career. She averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 assists per game in the Classic, topped by a 24-point, 6-assist effort in the title game versus UMass.
Double-Doubles Land Ellis-Milan on All-Classic Team Gopher center Ashley Ellis-Milan joined Emily Fox on the Colorado Coors Classic all-tournament team. Ellis-Milan notched double-doubles in both games, with 13 points and 10 rebounds versus Drexel, and 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in the title game against UMass. She has three double-doubles on the season and 15 in her Golden Gopher career. Ellis-Milan has also collected double digits in rebounds in five straight games. An Ovation Due to Ohm Katie Ohm's performance in the Colorado Coors Classic championship game was definitely worthy of all-tournament team consideration. Ohm scored a career high with 20 points, including five three-pointers made. The Gopher guard hit three huge triples in the second half, scoring 14 points in Minnesota 's victory over UMass.
Ohm Hits Century Mark in Three-Pointers Katie Ohm's five three-pointers in the win over UMass propelled the Gopher junior over the century (100) mark for three-point field goals made. Ohm, currently with 102 treys, is the seventh Golden Gopher to hit trifecta triple digits. The Big Ten's most accurate long-ball threat from a year ago, Ohm has netted three or more three-point field goals in five of the Gophers' seven games this season. She leads the Big Ten making 3.0 three-pointers a game this season and with 21 threes made has made seven more triples than her closest conference competitor.
Oh What a Half of Basketball It Was... Minnesota needed a big half to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit against UMass. What the Gophers responded with was an exceptional half of basketball. The list of highlights is a long one: • 58 points scored – the most scored in a half is 69 points vs. IPFW (11-21-02) • 11-of-19 from three – five different Gophers hit a three-point field goal in the half • 4-of-5 from three – Both Katie Ohm and Emily Fox go 4-for-5 from three-point range in the half • Emily Fox scores 18 points – Fox hits a big three for the Gophers' first points of the half, then 15 mores points to finish the game with 24 points • Rebounding dominance – the Gophers dominate the glass with a 23-7 rebounding margin • O-board big – the Gophers grabbed two offensive rebounds on their first possession of the half before Emily Fox hit the big three to ignite a 10-0 scoring run. Minnesota finished the half with 11 offensive rebounds to just one for UMass • 9 and 9 for Ashley – That's nine points and nine rebounds, five of them offensive, for Ashley Ellis-Milan • Lucky 7 – Brittany McCoy dished out seven assists and finished with 10 in the game Takeaways a Big Part of the Game Plan Minnesota is using its defense to fuel its offense. The Gopher "D" has forced opponents in an average of 22.0 turnovers a game in 2008-09. Over 40 percent (30 points) of Minnesota 's 74 against Drexel were the result of Dragon turnovers.
Something About 17 A fun trend for the Gophers this season revolves mysteriously around the number 17. In six games so far this season, the Gophers' leading scorer(s) have totaled 17 points five times: Emily Fox and Katie Ohm versus Santa Clara , Ohm versus North Dakota State , Fox versus Yale and now Kay Sylva versus Drexel.
Sylva Simply Sensational Senior Kay Sylva is known for her defensive prowess, after all, she was the Gophers' Defensive Player of the Year last season. In back-to-back games versus Yale and Drexel, however, Sylva was a force on the offensive end of the court, posting new career scoring in both games. Sylva scored 12 against Yale, making 6-of-7 shots from the floor. She continued her aggressive looking for the basket versus Drexel, tallying 17 points on 5-7 from the field. That was an average of 14.5 points per game and a 78.6 shooting percentage for of 29 points a total that nearly surpassed her total points from last season (31). Sylva contributed five points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Gophers' win over UMass in the Colorado Coors Classic title game.
Pitching the Second Shutout of the Season Minnesota held Drexel without a second-chance point in the Gophers' win last Friday, marking the second time this season that Gophers pitched a shutout on the defensive glass. The other game was at Santa Clara .
Rookie Comes Up Big On "D" Freshman forward Jackie Voigt drew the assignment of defending Drexel's prolific scorer Gabriela Marginean and passed the test with flying colors. Voigt set the tone for the Gophers in the first half playing 18 minutes matched up with Marginean, who entered the game averaging 29.5 points a game. Marginean managed to score just two points in that half when Voigt was on the defense. Frustrated the entire game, Marginean finished with 15 points, half of her season average.
Fox Moves Into Third on Career Assists List, Jumps Into Mix in Three-Pointers Made Senior Emily Fox is making it a habit of moving up the Gophers' statistical career lists this season. Fox moved into third place in career assists with six dishes versus UMass and currently has 320 in her career. She moved past a threesome with 314 career assists – Debbie Hilmerson (1984-88), Holly Thompson (1988-92) and Janel McCarville (2001-05). Also in the UMass (11/29) game, Fox hit four three-point field goals to jump to ninth on the all-time three-point field goals made list. In the North Dakota State game (11/19), Fox moved up on the points and steals lists. Fox bypassed Kelly Roysland (2003-07) to move into 12th on the Minnesota all-time scoring list and now has 1,147 points. The Gopher senior also moved into fifth on the all-time career steals list with 188. |
