| WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue women's basketball will again participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone on Feb. 15. The Boilermakers play host to Illinois at 1 p.m. ET in Mackey Arena in a contest that will be nationally broadcast on ESPN2. New this year, Purdue will headline an elite group of 15 collegiate women's basketball programs that have committed to participate in the inaugural Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone Challenge. The Challenge will be a friendly fund-raising competition, with participants charged with trying to collect the most money through the Pink Zone initiative (formerly known as "Think Pink"), a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The Boilermakers will be wearing special NIKE uniforms that are white with pink trim and will be sporting pink accessories that include pink warm-up t-shirts, white and pink shoes with pink shoelaces, pink headbands and wristbands and socks with pink stripes. Fans are encouraged to wear pink along with the Boilermakers and help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. Donation opportunities are available by making a $1 pledge for each free throw made by the Boilermakers in the game or by purchasing a memory card to be displayed in Mackey Arena. The white and pink Nike game jerseys will be part of a silent auction that will be held during the game and all proceeds will benefit the Indianapolis affiliate of Komen for the Cure, a foundation dedicated to breast cancer research. Purdue Athletics is also sponsoring a health care fair in the concourse of Mackey Arena before the start of the women's basketball game. Fans can visit with health care professionals to learn how to protect themselves and others against cancer, as well as learn about how to help find a cure. If you are a breast cancer survivor or have a family member living with breast cancer, contact the Purdue marketing and promotions office at sportspromo@purdue.edu to participate in a special halftime ceremony on Keady Court in Mackey Arena. Each eligible participant who registers by Feb. 11 will receive a complimentary ticket for admission to the Pink Zone game against Illinois. Tickets can be purchased at the Purdue Athletics Ticket Office in the IAF, by calling 800-49-SPORT or online at purduesports.com. Adult tickets are $12 and youth/student tickets are $3, or purchase a family four-pack for just $20. The silent auction will include 14 game-worn jerseys and a NIKE basketball with the breast cancer ribbon logo. The auction will begin when the doors open at noon and end at the start of the second half. Silent auction purchases as well as all donations can be made by cash or check; no credit cards will be accepted. Checks must be made payable to the Purdue Research Foundation with proceeds to benefit the Indianapolis affiliate of Komen for the Cure. Additionally, the commemorative warm-up t-shirts are available to the general public at Purdue Pride and all Lafayette area Follett's bookstores. For each shirt sold, NIKE will donate $2 to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund to support breast cancer awareness and research. The WBCA Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone™, formerly known as "Think Pink", in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year a success. In 2008, over 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research. The first-ever WBCA Pink Zone Challenge will take place during one specially-designated home game from Feb. 13 to 22, 2009, although some schools may not have a home game scheduled within that time frame and will compete as close to that window as possible. Participating schools will report their total fund-raising amounts by March 15, 2009, to Megan Smith, the WBCA's Manager of New Initiatives. The inaugural WBCA Pink Zone Challenge winner will be announced during the WBCA National Convention at the 2009 NCAA Women's Final Four, which is slated to take place April 5 and 7 in St. Louis. The winning school will be presented with a special trophy, to be provided by Notre Dame. - P - |
Monday, January 26, 2009
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO PARTICIPATE IN PINK ZONE CHALLENGE ON FEB. 15, 2009
Gophers Hang on to Defeat Northwestern
Ashley Ellis-Milan hit a right-handed lay-in with a minute left and Jackie Voigt netted two clutch free throws late as Minnesota held off Northwestern for a 43-40 win at Williams Arena on Sunday. Minnesota improves to 14-6 overall 6-3 in Big Ten play.
Ellis-Milan finished with 13 points. Voigt tallied eight points and nine rebounds. Emily Fox was the only other Gopher to score in double figures with 10 points.
Yes, the score is correct – 43-40. One has to go all the way the early days of women's collegiate basketball, back to the 1973-74 season to find a game where Minnesota won scoring less points (38-37 over Minnesota-Duluth on Feb . 4, 1974.
Regardless of the lack of scoring, however, the game was as exciting as any tied going into the last four minutes of the game.
Ellis-Milan hit a free throw with 3:08 remaining broke a 36-36 tie, then she dished the rock to Fox who hit a jumper on the Gophers' next possession to give Minnesota a 39-36 lead with 2:38 left.
Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke hit a nice fade-away jumper from the left wing with 2:14 remaining to close the Wildcats to within a point at 39-38. The Wildcats got the ball back on a Fox missed three-pointer. Northwestern looked to Jaeschke once again and the Gopher defense swarmed to the 6-5 center. Jaeschke calmly found guard Brittany Orban underneath the basket for an easy bucket giving the Wildcats a 40-39 lead. Orban led Northwestern with 13 points.
Despite having a rough game on offense, the Gophers looked into the post for Ellis-Milan. Ellis-Milan took an Ohm pass and spun across the lane banking home a right-handed lay-in. Minnesota regained the lead at 41-40 with 1:03 remaining.
The Gopher defense pressured the Wildcats into settling for a long three-point attempt by Erin Dickerson and the rebounded was snagged by Ellis-Milan, the first of her three big rebounds in the final 45 seconds.
The Gophers looked to work time off the clock and Fox took a jumper with 15 seconds on the game clock. The shot bounced off the rim and Ellis-Milan grabbed the rebound. Forced to foul, Northwestern decided to put rookie Voigt on the line. The Gopher rookie, who has started every game this season, calmly toed the line and swished both free throws to give Minnesota a 43-40 lead with 13 second left.
The Wildcats had three shots at the basket, only one from three-point range, before Ellis-Milan sealed the game with a defensive rebound as time expired.
Neither team found any rhythm on offense. Northwestern shot 27.7 percent going 1-for-13 from three-point range. Minnesota edged that at 30.8 percent overall and 2-for-20 from behind the arc. What the Wildcats gained with a 42-32 advantage on the boards, the Gophers negated by turning the ball over just 13 times to 19 for Northwestern.
The 43 points scored by the Gophers is the lowest winning total in 35 years. The combined total of 83 ( Minnesota , 43 – Northwestern 40) is the lowest combined score in the NCAA era for Minnesota . The previous low was 94 points, which occurred twice, the last being a 63-31 Gopher loss at Purdue on Feb. 12, 2005. The previous combined scored at home in Williams Arena was 97 points when Minnesota defeated St. Francis, 64-33, on March 19, 2005 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 40 points allowed is the lowest this season and the lowest point total scored against the Gophers since Chicago State managed just 34 points in a 72-34 loss in Williams Arena on Dec. 2, 2006. The total is the lowest the Gophers have allowed in Big Ten since Northwestern scored just 33 points (71-33) in Williams Arena in the regular-season finale of the 2005-06 season.
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UW WBB: Women's basketball falls to Michigan State
| EAST LANSING, Mich. - Despite numerous comeback attempts in the second half, the Wisconsin women's basketball team was unable to overcome Michigan State a 59-50 loss Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State, led by Lykenda Johnson's 14 points, used its size against the Badgers, creating points in the post and problems for the UW offense. The Badgers gave up 22 turnovers on the day, something head coach Lisa Stone touched on as a key from the game. "Twelve in the first half is simply too many," said Stone on Wisconsin's turnovers. "I told our team that we're undefeated when we commit less than 15 turnovers, and that's something we'll continue to strive for and get better at and hopefully handle that pressure better next time." Despite the team's turnover struggles, Stone thought the Badgers played well and executed on defense. "I thought we came in here in a tough environment and did a great job embracing what was here and not getting nervous about it," Stone said. "I thought we were stellar defensively." Junior forward Mariah Dunham, who had 14 points on the afternoon, led the Badgers, while sophomore guard Alyssa Karel had 13. The game was Karel's 18th of the year in double figures. Sophomore Tara Steinbauer sparked the Badgers from the bench, scoring eight. Also contributing to the Wisconsin offense were sophomore forward Lin Zastrow with seven, freshman forward Anya Covington with five, and freshman guard Jade Davis with three in her first start as a Badger. The Badgers jumped out to an early 7-2 lead off layups from Karel and Zastrow, and a 3-point basket by Dunham at the 17:23 mark. The Badgers then went scoreless until a layup by Tara Steinbauer at 11:56, tying the game at 9-9. After the Badgers tied up the Spartans 12-12 with 9:27 left in the first half, Michigan State went on a 7-2 run over the next 5:10 of play to lead 22-14. Karel's layup brought the game within 22-16 for the Badgers, and Wisconsin continued off a 3-pointer from Davis and a layup by Steinbauer to bring the score to 22-21 at 2:08. The Spartans' Brittney Thomas hit a jumper with 1:36 remaining in the first half, and the Badgers and Spartans went into the locker room with a 24-21 game. Both teams were able to execute inside in the first half, with Wisconsin scoring 14 in the paint, and Michigan State 12. Zastrow started the second half for the Badgers, making a layup at 18:56, and finding Dunham on the next possession under the basket to help the Badgers to a 25-24 lead. Using their ball pressure and inside presence, the Spartans responded with an 8-0 run to lead 32-25. Steinbauer again helped the Badgers off the bench, snapping their scoreless streak with a jumper at 15:31. Trailing 38-30, the Badgers fought back with an 8-0 run. Covington made a basket and a free throw off a foul, followed by Karel hitting Dunham for a three to bring the game to 38-36, and later making a layup to tie the score at 38-38. Michigan State took back the momentum with a 10-0 run of their own to lead 48-38. Karel again snapped the run with a steal leading to a jump shot, including a free throw off a foul, to bring the Badgers within 48-41. The Badgers again tried to come back as Dunham went on to hit back-to-back 3-point baskets, pulling the Badgers within two at 49-47 at 4:38. Michigan State responded to the comeback attempt, stretching the lead to 57-50 with 47 seconds remaining and adding two free throws with 35 seconds left to provide the final margin. "Overall, our kids, I thought they battled really well," said Stone. "We've got to shoot the ball a little better certainly, and get ourselves in position to be there at the end. I thought we did that for the most part." The Wisconsin women's basketball team returns to action Wednesday night against Purdue at the Kohl Center, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. |
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Late Spark Brings Intensity Against U-Mary
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A late spark of intensity gave way to a 16-0 Golden Bear scoring spree in a Saturday evening matchup with the Marauders of the University of Mary. The Marauders laid in the go-ahead bucket with five seconds remaining to overcome the Concordia pressure in a 66-65 decision. The Golden Bears now look ahead to a set of road games, getting on the bus with a 13-8 overall and 5-6 NSIC record. The Marauders improve to 10-8 on the season and are also 5-6 in the league. The Golden Bears took a 33-26 lead into halftime, shooting hot in the first ten minutes of the game before cooling to a 36.7% average in the first 20 minutes. The Marauders evened the score within the first four minutes of the second period, due in large part to the work of Abby Bratlien. Bratlien scored nine points to CU's single free throw, hitting a long range shot and then completing two old fashioned three-point plays to give the Marauders their first lead of the second period, 37-36 at the 17:35 mark. Concordia fell behind by as many as ten points, with the Marauders finding slip passes down low and also hitting mid-range jumpers to gain the lead. The Golden Bears were successful on the boards and attempted to pick up the pace of the game in transition, but missed field goals and fouls caused troubles on the scoreboard. Down ten points, 59-49 at the 6:10 mark, the Golden Bears ripped off 16 unanswered points to take back the lead. Jamie Jones started things at the free throw line, two of five CU free shots in the streak. Abby Nielsen came off the bench in a huge way for the Golden Bears, nailing three of three long range shots to turn the tide Concordia's way. Her third and final triple put Concordia up 65-59 with 2:21 remaining. Zoraa Quoie contributed just as much, assisting Nielsen in each of her threes and taking away three steals from the Marauders. With the slim lead, the Golden Bears looked to hold off the Marauders for the win, but the University of Mary had other plans. Bratlien hit a jumper in the paint before Sonny Schulz got to the free throw line after being fouled in Concordia's territory. A Marauder layup followed to set Concordia's lead at a single digit with 47 seconds to play. Schulz pulled down another rebound following a Golden Bear miss and gave her team a last chance to score with 24 seconds remaining. The night's leading scorer, Abby Bratlien, sunk Concordia's hopes, nabbing an offensive board and laying in the go-ahead bucket with five seconds remaining. The Marauders, who have been a strong defensive team all season, held Concordia to just 36.2% shooting on the evening. Candace Olstad finished the game with a team high 18 points and nine boards. Jamie Jones had 14 points for Concordia, followed by Nielsen and Quoie with nine each. Quoie had an outstanding game both offensively and defensively, also adding nine assists, six steals and six rebounds. Bratlien's 22 points led all players in the game. Liz Sipma marked a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She also had three steals. The Marauders shot 37.3% from the field and out-rebounded the Golden Bears 46-41. The Golden Bears hit the road next weekend, heading out to Augustana and Wayne State on Friday and Saturday. |
Buffaloes Pick Up First Big 12 Win
| COLUMBIA, Mo. - Colorado junior Bianca Smith had a season-high 25 points and tied a school record with seven 3-pointers to lead the Buffaloes to a 61-56 win over Missouri in a Big 12 Conference contest Saturday night at Mizzou Arena. Smith hit 7-of-11 from downtown, tying a single-game record that has been achieved a total of six times by four players. Smith, who also hit seven 3-pointers in a win against Texas last year, had five rebounds, four assists and hit a pair of free throws with 7 seconds remaining to ice the game as the Buffaloes (9-8, 1-4 Big 12) claimed their first Big 12 win of the year. Senior Kara Richards had 15 points on 6-of-8 from the field to go along with nine rebounds. Sophomore Brittany Spears recorded 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Colorado led by as much as 11 in the second half, but the Tigers (10-8, 1-4) clawed their way back on the shoulders of RaeShara Brown and Jessra Johnson. Brown, who had a team high 17 points, hit a free throw with 6:39 left to put Missouri back to within four at 54-50. After nearly four minutes of scoreless action, which included a combined nine missed field goals and three turnovers by both teams, Smith tied the record with 3-pointer No. 7 to give CU a 57-50 lead with 2:58 on the clock. Johnson, who ended with 14 points and six rebounds, scored twice for Missouri in the final minutes, including a short jumper which cut the lead to 59-54 with 1:24 left. Richards corralled an Alyssa Fressle missed shot and was fouled by Shakara Jones on her way back up, but she missed both free throws. Brown took advantage on the other end scoring in the lane to make it a one possession game, 57-54, with 0:44 left. Sophomore point guard Britney Blythe, who had two points, three assists and two steals, missed a jumper just inside the free-throw line with the shot clock nearing zero, and :07 left in the contest, but Fressle pulled in the clutch offensive rebound. After Fressle cleared the ball, Brown was forced to foul Smith, who hit both free throws to clinch CU's third straight win over Missouri and third in five total trips to Mizzou Arena. "I'm really proud of them right now," said Kathy McConnell-Miller, who picked up her 50th win as CU's head coach . "I thought we got a little careless at times in the second half, but we maintained our composure. We told them not to get too high or too low and not to get too excited when (Missouri) makes a run because these things happen." "I think what you saw was the maturity of this team. Even with (the losses in) the first four games, I promised them we were getting better. We were composed and very passionate tonight against an extremely tough opponent. It was a real confidence booster." Colorado, which has been prone to falling behind on the road early, did so once again as a 14-4 run gave the Tigers an 18-8 lead at the 13:18 mark of the first half. However, Saturday night the Buffaloes had an answer. Richards scored 10 of CU's first 17 points, hitting 5-of-5 from the field, and a layup at 8:53 cut the Missouri lead to 20-17. But Richards picked up her second foul on the ensuing Missouri possession and sat for the rest of the half. That's when Smith took over. Smith hit four 3-pointers after Richards went out of the game as the Buffaloes closed the half on an 18-9 run. After missing her first attempt in the opening minutes, she made her next five in the period, tying the school record for 3-pointers made in one half, a mark she also achieved in last year's Texas game and shares with Kate Fagan and Shelley Sheetz. The Buffaloes survived 10 first-half turnovers by shooting 56 percent from the field (14-of-25) in the first 20 minutes. Smith and Richards were a combined 13-of-20. Colorado returns home to host Texas Tech on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised live by FSN Rocky Mountain. |
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Kay Yow Dies Peacefully after Long Battle with Cancer
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Jan. 24, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. (Courtesy of NC State) -- One of the most beloved figures in NC State history and one of the most respected coaches in the nation, Women’s Basketball Coach Kay Yow, died peacefully this morning after a long, heroic battle with breast cancer.
Yow, 66, had been supported by her family and her staff in the last several days and was even able to visit with her entire team at WakeMed Cary Hospital earlier this week.
Yow, who was in her 38th year of coaching, will be remembered for the hundreds and thousands of lives she touched through basketball and through her tireless efforts to fight cancer.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Coach Yow for the last 15 seasons. I suddenly find myself grasping to retain everything she has ever said and ever taught me,“said interim head coach Stephanie Glance.
Each of us who has had the special opportunity to learn from her and share wonderful friendships with her now has a special part of Coach Yow in us that will live on as long as we pay it forward and mirror her legacy of always giving to others,” Glance continued. “She has instilled in each of us what it means to be winners as people, and if we are winners as people then we will have our best shot at winning on the court. I know I speak for all former and current players and staff when I say with a swell of heartfelt emotion that she will truly be missed each moment of every day."
Yow announced Jan. 6 that she would not return to the team this season as she continued her fight against a disease she was first diagnosed with in 1987. She said at the time it was one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make.
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The Hall of Fame coach had been in the hospital on the recommendation of her oncologist, Dr. Mark Graham, who cited it was in her best interest to get the proper care she needed at the time.
The disease first recurred during the 2004-05 season, forcing her to miss two games that year and 16 more in the 2006-07 season.
Yow had missed four straight games this season before taking leave with what was described as an extremely low energy level.
“Everyone who had the privilege of knowing Kay Yow has a heavy heart today,” said Lee Fowler, Director of Athletics at NC State. “Her record and the honors she has received over the years are evidence of her abilities as a coach, but the former student-athletes who come back year after year and bring their children to visit her are a testament to the type of person she was. She was a blessing to many people because of her strong faith. She faced every opponent, whether on the basketball court or in a hospital room, with dignity and grace. She will be greatly missed.”
A native of Gibsonville, N.C., Yow led the U.S. women’s basketball team to a gold medal in 1988, directed her Wolfpack club to the 1998 Final Four and in 2002, became just the fifth female coach inducted into the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
"We have lost a great person, coach, leader and friend," said Chancellor James Oblinger. "Coach Yow’s courage, passion for her work, strength and humility despite her personal challenges inspired all of us. She epitomized what a coach and role model should be. Her influence will be felt for years to come. The Wolfpack Nation and everyone who followed her successes on the court and her struggles off the court were blessed by Kay Yow’s life. She will be profoundly missed."
She entered her 34th season as head mentor of the Wolfpack women’s program in 2008-09. Her NC State record of 680-325 left her as one of only three women’s coaches at the Division I level to coach 1,000 games at one institution. On Dec. 14 in a victory over Ole Miss, Coach Yow took her place alongside legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and former Texas coach Jody Condradt.
Yow’s all-time collegiate record of 737-344 spanned 38 seasons, four with Elon College. She was one of just six coaches to ever compile over 700 victories and began this season as the most tenured coach in the active ranks.
There is really no right place to begin talking about Coach Yow. Her accomplishments extend beyond the basketball world, but it is within that world that she has become so accomplished.
Yow guided her squads to 20 NCAA Tournaments, 11 trips to the Sweet 16, and a trip to the Elite Eight and Final Four in 1998. She collected five (1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1990) Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championships, four (1980, 1985, 1987, 1991) ACC Tournament titles, amassed 21, 20-win seasons and a staggering 29 winning seasons.
In December 2007, the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in partnership with The V Foundation was established as a charitable organization committed to finding an answer in the fight against women’s cancers. She was also involved in the creation of “Hoops 4 Hope,”,a basketball game centered around a cure for breast cancer. The fourth annual game will take place Feb. 15 at Reynolds Coliseum.
Yow was forced to take a leave of absence because of progression in her breast cancer and missed roughly two months (16 games) of the 2006-07 season, but fought back to make a triumphant return to the bench in a win over long-time rival Virginia on January 26, 2007. Later on that season in a win over No. 2-ranked North Carolina, the Reynolds Coliseum court was christened “Kay Yow Court.”
In 1975, Yow was hired by Willis Casey to be the head coach of the women’s basketball program at NC State. She was installed as the head coach of both the softball and volleyball teams and was the coordinator of women's sports - all while developing women’s basketball in its infancy.
Yow will always be recognized as one of the most admired and respected coaches that ever competed on the national and international scene. She was a leader, role model, mentor, coach, supporter, community friend and entrepreneur. As for women’s basketball history, Yow’s name will most certainly be delivered in the same breath as those words forever more. She was there for the implementation of Title IX and the first NCAA Tournament in 1982. Yow never relented her pursuit to improve the sport of women’s basketball despite all of her achievements. The game was good to her, but more importantly, Yow was instrumental for the game.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford
“What an impact Kay had on so many. Whether one of her players, an opposing coach, a friend, an associate in the world of sports or one who observed her grace, dignity, elegance, kindness and competitive spirit from a distance, you couldn’t help but be touched by her presence in our world. Kay was a very special lady. All of us associated with the ACC will miss her immensely, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, loved ones and team,”
WBCA CEO Beth Bass
“Words cannot even begin to express the impact that Coach Yow had on me personally and on this Association. I have known her for 32 years, and she is by far one of the most amazing people I have had the opportunity to get to know. Her legacy and impact will continue to live on even in her passing through her Foundation leading us toward a cure. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family. This is a very sad day for all of us.”
Marsha Sharp, President of Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund
“What a sad day for all of us with the loss of such a dear coach, friend and mentor, Kay Yow. It is humbling to serve as the President of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, and to have the opportunity to uphold her legacy of faith, integrity, inspiration and leadership through the Fund. I am positive that she would want us all to unite and find a way to continue the battle that she fought for years. We WILL find a cure for cancer.”
Nick Valvano, Chief Executive Officer of The V Foundation for Cancer Research
“I am honored to have a Fund established in partnership with The V Foundation that bears the name of Kay Yow. Her courage, faith and legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those she helped to inspire throughout her coaching career and battle with cancer.”
Martha Kaley, founder of Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test(R)
"Breast cancer has robbed us of a giant in our midst. We are all saddened by this loss. In honor and memory of Coach Yow, and the memory of all those we have lost, each of us must help ourselves and each other to change the picture of this insidious disease." (Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test is the non-profit breast cancer research organization that has been partnered with the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament for the last decade. Coach Yow served as the keynote speaker at the very first major fundraiser held for Friends after its founding over thirteen years ago.)
Minneosta Hosts Northwestern on Sunday
Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-6, 5-3) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (5-14, 1-7)
LOCATION Williams Arena / Minneapolis , Minn. DATE / TIME: Sunday, Jan. 25 / 2 p.m. TELEVISION: None RADIO / WEBCAST: WCCO 830 AM / Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com Corbu Stathes (Play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (Color Analyst)
Golden Gopher Watch List — Jan. 25, 2009
• Golden Gophers Return Home To Host Northwestern - Minnesota concludes the first half of the Big Ten Conference season on Sunday, Jan. 25, when the Golden Gophers play host to Northwestern. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. in Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers look to rebound after a 56-43 loss at Purdue on Thursday and own a 13-6 overall record, 5-3 in league play. • Big Ten Midway Point - Minnesota 's game on Sunday versus Northwestern marks the midway point of the Big Ten season. The 2008-09 season is just the second campaign with a 18-game Conference slate. The Gophers were 6-3 at the Big Ten's halfway mark a year ago and went on to post an 11-7 record. • Protecting Our House - Only Minnesota (3-0) and Indiana (4-0) are undefeated on their home court this season in Big Ten play. The top five teams in the Big Ten combine for a 15-3 record on their home courts. • The Gophers' Best Winning Streak - The Gophers' 15-game winning streak over Northwestern is Minnesota 's longest over a Big Ten opponent.
Gophers Host Northwestern on Sunday Minnesota concludes the first half of the Big Ten Conference season on Sunday, Jan. 25, when the Golden Gophers play host to Northwestern. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. in Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers look to rebound after a 56-43 loss at Purdue on Thursday and own a 13-6 overall record, 5-3 in league play. The Wildcats sport a record of 5-14 overall and 1-7 in Big Ten action.
Standing at the Midway Point Minnesota's game on Sunday versus Northwestern marks the midway point of the Big Ten season. The 2008-09 season is just the second campaign with a 18-game Conference slate. The Gophers were 6-3 at the Big Ten's halfway mark a year ago and went on to post an 11-7 record. As Minnesota looks ahead to the second half of the Big Ten season, the schedule is favorable for the Gophers in that they will play five games at home and four on the road.
Honoring Coach Yow A moment of silence will be observed on Sunday in remembrance of North Carolina State coach Kay Yow. The Golden Gophers will wear pink shoe laces in honor of Yow, who brought her Wolfpack squad to Williams Arena for the Subway Basketball Classic earlier this season.
How Time Flies Sunday's contest is the 20th game of the Gopher season. Only four Big Ten road trips remain on the Gophers' schedule: Penn State (Feb. 5), Michigan (Feb. 15), Northwestern (Feb. 23) and Michigan State (Feb. 26).
Protecting Your Home Court To maintain a position among the upper echelon of the Big Ten standings, defending one's home court is of utmost importance. Only Minnesota (3-0) and Indiana (4-0) are undefeated on their home court this season in Big Ten play. And the one arena the Gophers do not visit this season... Indiana 's Assembly Hall. The top five teams in the Big Ten standings (Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State and Minnesota) are a combined 15-3 (83.3 percent) in home Big Ten games in 2008-09.
Looking For Sweet 16 A Minnesota win on Sunday would extend the Gophers' winning streak over Northwestern to 16 games. The 15-game winning streak is Minnesota 's longest over a Big Ten opponent. The next longest winning streak against a Big Ten team is eight games and was compiled once against Iowa , Michigan , Purdue and Wisconsin . The last of those streaks, however, ended in 1986.
Rebounding Quickly After a Loss Minnesota will look to rebound from its third Big Ten loss and hope history, in terms of a quick recovery, repeats itself on Sunday. The Gophers have enjoyed two of their best games in their next outing after being tagged with Conference losses this season. After Wisconsin downed Minnesota (62-52, on Dec. 29), the Gophers responded with five players scoring in double figures to defeat Penn State (69-55) on Jan. 1. After the loss at Iowa (74-57 on Jan. 11), Minnesota traveled to Columbus and upset the No. 15/13 Buckeye (59-56).
Gophers Continue to Perform in Classroom Minnesota added the 2008 Fall semester to the list of terms where the Gophers compiled a team grade point average of over 3.0. Last fall, the Gophers earned a collective GPA of 3.109. Even more impressive is the cumulative GPA of this team - 3.216. The Gophers have earned a 3.0 in every semesters of Pam Borton coaching tenure. Emily Fox, Brittany McCoy and Katie Ohm are nominees for Academic All-American honors.
Future Stars, Impact Players Today Minnesota has two freshmen in Jackie Voigt and Kiara Buford who have played their way into consideration for Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Voigt is one of two freshmen ( Ohio State 's Samantha Prahaulis the other) who have started every game this season. Voigt is the Big Ten's leading rookie rebounder pulling down 5.6 rebounds a game. She also contributes 6.6 points a game in an average of 29.0 minutes per contest. Buford has emerged as an important player off the bench for the Gophers and already should be counted among the best sixth players in the Big Ten. Buford is top freshman scorer in Conference play, as well as one the top non-starting scorers, contributing 8.0 points a game, while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor. Overall, Buford is playing an average of 23.4 minutes a game, scoring 7.3 points an outing.
Seems to be a Trend Heading into the 1999-2000 season, the Big Ten implemented a Thursday/Sunday schedule for women's basketball aiming to give positive exposure to the sport by trying to eliminate direct scheduling conflicts with men's basketball. The women's program received a boost in coverage, on TV and in print. This season, as a result of the television schedules, that trend has been reversed somewhat. On Thursday, both the Minnesota men and women squared off against Purdue - the women in West Lafayette and the men in Minneapolis . That game was the fourth time during the Big Ten season that the Gopher men and women played at the same time. On Sunday, the men's game is an early 11 a.m. start, while the Gopher women tip off at 2 p.m. Overall, half (nine games) of the Gophers' Big Ten schedules will be played on the same day. On a positive note, there have been four Minnesota doubleheaders televised on the Big Ten Network . Following is a list of this season's games where the Gopher men and women are playing on the same day (* games played in same time slot, # doubleheaders on BTN): Jan. 3 * W - at Illinois M - Ohio State Jan. 8 * W - Indiana M - at Iowa Jan. 11 # W - at Iowa M - Penn State Jan. 15 # W - at Ohio State M - at Wisconsin Jan. 18 * W - Michigan M - at Northwestern Jan. 22 * W - at Purdue M - Purdue Jan. 25 W - Northwestern M - at Indiana Feb. 19 # W - Ohio State M - at Michigan Feb. 26 # W - at Michigan State M - at Illinois
Ellis-Milan Named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week Minnesota junior Ashley Ellis-Milan was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week (Jan. 20) after leading the Golden Gophers to a pair of victories last week. Ellis-Milan averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in Minnesota wins over No. 15/13 Ohio State and Michigan . Ellis-Milan, a 6-2 center from St. Paul , Minn. , was instrumental in Minnesota 's monumental win at Ohio on Jan. 15, the Gophers' first win in Columbus . She led the Gophers with 17 points, added seven rebounds and even took two charges. Versus Michigan , Ellis-Milan scored 19 points, including 9-of-10 from the free throw line. She was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Ellis-Milan shot 63.2 percent on the week and averaged 38.0 minutes per game. The Gophers have earned two Big Ten weekly awards this season. Ellis-Milan joins Katie Ohm on the honored list. Ohm was a December award winner. The award is Ellis-Milan's first of her Gopher career. Ellis-Milan shares this week's honor with Iowa guard Kachine Alexander.
Better Be Ready To Play Some Defense The Big Ten is known as a physical league. Starting the Conference season where experienced coaches know so much about their Big Ten opponents, the statistics are revealing just how important team defense is this season. Only one team, Indiana at 70.0 is averaging over 70 points per Big Ten game. Amazingly nearly half the teams - five ( Michigan , Minnesota , Northwestern, Wisconsin and Illinois ) - are averaging less than 60 points a game this season in Conference play. And, it's just tenths of a point that put Michigan State (60.1), Purdue (60.4) and Penn State (60.9) above that group. Case in point - in Thursday's action, the teams that lost ( Illinois , Michigan , Minnesota , Northwestern and Wisconsin ) combined to average just 50.8 points scored.
Finding a Little Consolation in Final Game at Mackey Emily Fox would easily trade her stats for a team victory, but since victory was not in the cards for the Gophers in their trip to Purdue's Mackey Arena at least Fox can take a little consolation in finally enjoying a little personal success on Gene Keady Court in her final trip to West Lafayette . Going into the game, Fox hadn't even hit a shot (0-9) in two career games in Mackey. Fox hit 6-of-8 field goals, including 2-of-2 three-point field goals. She also added six assists, without a single turnover, four rebounds and two steals.
Emmy Continues Climb Up Scoring Chart Emily Fox started her season in 13th on the Minnesota all-time leading scorers list and is currently 11th with 1,279 career points. Looking ahead, Fox's next target on the list in 10th place is Ellen Kramer (1987-91) with 1,336 points.
Experience in the Backcourt Minnesota's starting backcourt of Emily Fox and Brittany McCoy are ranked first and second in the Big Ten statistics in a very important, but under-appreciated stat of assist-to-turnover ratio. Fox has 81 assists to 49 turnovers for a 1.65 assist/turnover ratio. McCoy checks in with a ratio of 1.51 with 80 assists and 53 turnovers. The duo enjoyed their best collective outing versus Boston College , combining for 13 assists without a single turnover. In their last outing, the McCoy/Fox duo combined for 14 assists and four turnovers.
Closing in on Century Mark For Record Third Time Brittany McCoy is closing in on adding the 2008-09 as her third consecutive season with 100 or more assists. McCoy has 80 assists averaging 4.2 dishes a game, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. The Gopher junior is already the only player in school history to dish out 100 or more assists as both a freshman and sophomore.
Scouting Northwestern Northwestern enters Sunday's contest with an overall record of 5-14, 1-7 in Big Ten action. The Wildcats are coming off a 74-54 home loss to Michigan State on Thursday. Northwestern's lone Big Ten victory was over Wisconsin . Center Amy Jaeschke, at 6-5, is one of the best young talents in the Big Ten and is averaging 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds a game. The Wildcats have out scored their opponents in the first half (560-535), but have had trouble in the second half being outscored by a 665-538 margin.
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Minneapolis South 64 Minneapolis Southwest 33
| The Tigers took a 4 point lead into halftime—25-21 and never looked back as the #1 Ranked Tigers pulled away in the 2nd Half. They outscored the Lakers 39-12 in the 2nd Half. Taylor Hill finished with 24 points and Armesha Kearney added 15 points. Britta Syverson led the Lakers with 17 pts and 10 rebounds. The Tigers were without Forwards Gabby Roberts and Europe Guy. |
Bears Fail From Field, Fall To Wolves 62-53
Jan. 23– ST. PAUL, Minn. - The visiting Wolves of Northern State University dumped in 34 points in the paint and held the Golden Bears to just 29.4% shooting in a vital NSIC matchup on Friday night. The Wolves now improve to 6-4 in the league standings, while Concordia falls to 5-5. Concordia hosts the University of Mary tomorrow evening at the Gangelhoff Center with a tip-off time of 6:00 pm. Concordia University hit its first three-point shot of the evening, nailed by Zoraa Quoie at the 18:13 mark. It was a good start for the Golden Bears, who have seen cool shooting for the past few weeks. Two jumpers from Candace Olstad fell while the Wolves went scoreless for three minutes and CU took a 7-43 lead. From there, Mikayla Barondeau got Northern State's offense rolling and handed the lead back to the Wolves, 8-7 with five minutes played. Northern State used their screens well and also saw a number of backdoor cuts lead into easy layups. With 26 of their 34 first half points scored in the paint, it made sense that the Wolves' first half shooting percentage was set at 55.2%. Concordia, on the other hand, looked to gain shots from long range and suffered a much lower shooting average. They hit just 2-of-19 three-pointers in the first half and shot 22.9% overall from the field. The Wolves went on a lengthy scoring streak toward the end of the first half, receiving numerous field goals from forward Barondeau and 6-6 center Krista Rabenberg. They tallied 16 unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game, 32-15 with 3:44 to play. The Golden Bears improved their shooting in the second half and picked up their defensive awareness to slowly scratch their way back into the game. Olstad hit a two-point field goal, a three-pointer and a set of free throws to help the CU cause, but Barondeau answered for the Wolves to keep the margin at double figures for much of the second period. The Golden Bears received scoring power from Quoie and had Gillian Bjerke step up to match Northern State's inside presence late in the game. Quoie scored five points, followed by two buckets in the paint and a set of free throws from Bjerke that brought the score to 50-43 at the 5:23 mark. Quoie's quickness then brought a steal on the far sideline and the resulting fast break bucket brought Concordia to within five points, 50-45. With the momentum and five minutes left to play, the Golden Bears aimed to take a win to un-split the NSIC tie. Their shooting from the field once again turned cold, however, while Barondeau made six trips to the free throw line to keep her team ahead. The Golden Bears gave up the 62-53 decision. Olstad shot 6-of-13 from the field and led the Golden Bears with 17 points. Quoie added 12 points and had five assists and three steals. Leading the fight on the boards was Bjerke with ten rebounds to go with nine points. The team finished with a 29.4% shooting average and 40 rebounds. They had nine steals. Barondeau was 8-of-12 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe to finish with a career high 26 points. She added 12 rebounds for a double-double and also had three steals. Rabenberg also had a double-double on the night, putting in 12 points and grabbing 11 boards. She had four blocked shots. The Wolves shot 41.5% from the field and out-rebounded CU with 45 boards. |
Friday, January 23, 2009
Should A Games Outcome Be 'Controlled'?
| I recently read and posted the story from Rivals.com's web site on the team looking to forfeit a 100-0 win. I guess this raises a few questions. Some of which might be - what was the winning team's (or any other team in this same situation) motivation in such a lopsided win? Where the players on the roster used to minimize such a score to the best of the coaches ability? Do you tell your players not to score or not play the game to score? Were the attitudes of the players ON BOTH SIDES respectful to the situation? I understand that there are some games that cannot be "removed" from a schedule and that teams all play at various levels of ability. With this said, my questions I raised above only scratch the surface of the issues involved in such a score and I would hope that if a coach leads his team in a disrespectful way while on ether end of a score like this, that the school or district administrators take STRONG disciplinary action such as a 2 game suspension or even removal from the coaching position.
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School seeks to forfeit 100-0 win
| FROM http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=903780 MORE: RivalsHigh100 Hoops Rankings | Top 150 prospects for 2009 DALLAS -- A Texas high school girls basketball team on the winning end of a 100-0 game has a case of blowout remorse. Now officials from The Covenant School say they are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory.
The private Christian school defeated Dallas Academy last week. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime. A parent who attended the game told The Associated Press that Covenant continued to make 3-pointers -- even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points. "I think the bad judgment was in the full-court press and the 3-point shots," said Renee Peloza, whose daughter plays for Dallas Academy. "At some point, they should have backed off." Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello told The Dallas Morning News that the game turned into a "layup drill," with the opposing team's guards waiting to steal the ball and drive to the basket. Covenant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and "finally eased up when they got to 100 with about four minutes left," he said. Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia. There is no mercy rule in girls basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest, said Edd Burleson, the director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Both schools are members of this association, which oversees private school athletics in Texas. "On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds," Burleson said. "They showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome." In the statement on the Covenant Web site, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community." Covenant coach Micah Grimes did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday. Queal said school officials met with Dallas Academy officials to apologize and praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner." Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings." At a shootaround Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite. "Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing," said Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the team. "Keep trying, and it's going to be OK." Peloza said the coach and other parents praised the Dallas Academy girls afterward for limiting Covenant to 12 points in the fourth quarter. She added that neither her daughter nor her teammates seemed to dwell on the loss. "Somewhere during that game they got caught up in the moment," Peloza said of the Covenant players, fans and coaches. "Our girls just moved on. That's the happy part of the story." THE NETWORK: Rivals site for your state | National High School Message Board |
