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Zags Look To Rebound; Host Saint Mary's, San Francisco
Feb. 11, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
Game No. 25 - SAINT MARY'S
NEXT UP: Gonzaga University women's basketball looks to rebound from its first West Coast Conference setback of the season when it hosts both Saint Mary's College and the University of San Francisco this week. The Bulldogs welcome the Gaels to the McCarthey Athletic Center Thursday, Feb. 12 for a 6 p.m. tip and then host the Dons on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. LIVE VIDEO COVERAGE: All home Gonzaga University women's basketball contests can be seen live on CBS College Sports all-access through GoZags.com. Check out the women's basketball schedule page for the link to the video broadcast. Gametracker is also available for all home games and can be accessed at GoZags.com ON THE RADIO: Gonzaga University will have all regular-season home games broadcast on the radio this season as Steve Myklebust returns for his fifth year of calling the action. Each game will be broadcast on either KGA 1510 AM or KJRB 790 AM in Spokane with a pre-game show 20-minutes prior to tip. Games will also be available on the internet at GoZags.com. TICKET INFORMATION: Single game tickets to Gonzaga University women's basketball can be purchased through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT (7328), TicketsWest.com, at any TicketsWest outlet, or at the McCarthey Athletic Center Ticket Office, Monday through Friday, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Women's Basketball Ticket Prices are as follows: $8-Reserved, $5-General Admission Adult; $3-General Admission Child (12 and under), or Senior (65 and over); Gonzaga Students, Faculty & Staff are free with a valid Gonzaga ID. SCOUTING THE GAELS: Saint Mary's College has posted a 9-15 overall record and are 5-4 in West Coast Conference play. The Gaels won their last two outings, topping San Francisco and Santa Clara. Katie Batlin recorded two new career-highs with a double-double against San Diego on January 24, finishing the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Louella Tomlinson tabbed the second triple-double of her career against USF on January 10 (28-12-11). Tomlinson currently ranks first in the country in blocks per game, averaging a WCC best 5.6 per contest. The Gaels are averaging 67.6 points, 43.6 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 7.1 blocks, and 7.4 steals per game. SMC is shooting 40.1 percent from the floor, 36.2 percent from three-point land, and 63.0 percent from the free throw line. ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAINT MARY'S: This will be the 47th meeting between Gonzaga University and Saint Mary's College. The Bulldogs hold the 24-22 lead in the all-time series and have won 13 out of the last 14 meetings, including the last 11. The Zags defeated the Gaels three times last season; 74-50 at the McCarthey Athletic Center; 79-63 victory at the McKeon Pavilion and a 81-64 win in the second round of the West Coast Conference tournament in San Diego, Calif. Just two weeks ago Gonzaga earned a 91-63 victory over the Gaels in Moraga, Calif.. SCOUTING THE DONS: The University of San Francisco currently holds a 6-17 overall mark and a 2-7 record in West Coast Conference action. The Dons defeated Loyola Marymount University, 58-56, before dropping their last two WCC contests to Saint Mary's College (59-47) and the University of San Diego (68-49). USF is led by Shay Rollins, who is averaging a team-best 16.5 points per game. TWO SAN FRANCISCO PLAYERS SUSPENDED: Necolia Simmons and Danesha Wright of the University of San Francisco women's basketball team have both been suspended for the remainder of the 2008-09 season due to a violation of team rules. Simmons was averaging 12.9 points per game, while Wright was averaging a team-best 3.0 assists per contest. ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO: This will be the 47th meeting between Gonzaga University and the University of San Francisco. The Dons hold the slight 24-22 advantage in the all-time series but the Bulldogs have won 10 out of the last 11 meetings, including the last six meetings. The Zags pulled out a four-point victory (74-70) at San Francisco in their first matchup last season and then defeated the Dons 90-42 at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Valentines Day. This season, Gonzaga earned a 63-42 victory on Jan. 17 in San Francisco. HEAD COACH Kelly Graves: Kelly Graves is in his ninth season as the head coach at Gonzaga University having built the Bulldogs into an annual West Coast Conference contender. After winning just five games his first season, Graves has guided the Bulldogs to four-straight West Coast Conference regular-season titles. In 2006-07, Graves added a WCC Tournament championship and the Zags inaugural berth in the NCAA Tournament to his GU highlights. Gonzaga finished the 2006-07 season with a 24-10 overall record and a 13-1 record in the WCC; which helped Graves garner WCC Co-Coach of the Year honors. He once again led the Zags in 2007-08, as GU finished with a 25-9 overall record, 13-1 mark in the WCC and a WNIT invitation. Graves is currently the school's career wins leader with a 164-107 record. He has been named the WCC Coach of the Year at Gonzaga four times (2003 & 2005 & 2007 & 2008) and boasts a 230-133 career record including 109-53 in WCC action. BREAKING THE 100-POINT BARRIER: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team has scored 100 points on two different occasions this season. The Bulldogs opened the year with a 101-44 victory against Eastern Oregon University and broke 100 in their last game, a 109-73 victory at the University of San Diego. The 109 points was the highest point total scored by the Zags since the 1985 season when they defeated Seattle Pacific University 111-84 and ranks ninth in the country for total points in a game. The 109 points is also the most points scored in a West Coast Conference game. US International previously held the record scoring a 108 points against Loyola Marymount University on Feb. 21, 1986. BIG WINS: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team ended the first half of West Coast Conference action with a perfect 7-0 mark. The Zags won their first seven WCC contests by an average of 23.1 points per game. The Bulldogs smallest margin of victory was 11, 60-49 at the University of Portland. The Zags largest margin of victory in conference is 36, 109-73 at the University of San Diego. PORTLAND STUNS BULLDOGS: The curse of the eighth game of the West Coast Conference season continues to haunt the Gonzaga University women's basketball team as it dropped the first game of the second half of WCC play for the fourth-straight season with a 70-67 setback to the University of Portland Feb. 8. The loss broke a 16-game winning streak over the Pilots that dated back to 2001-02 campaign and also ended the Zags current eight-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are now 19-5 overall and 7-1 in conference. The Pilots, currently second in the WCC standings, improved their record to 13-10 overall and 6-2 in conference. LOOKING FOR NUMBER FIVE: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is looking to capture its fifth-straight West Coast Conference regular-season championship and second WCC Tournament title in three years. The Bulldogs, who are 51-5 over the past four WCC seasons, are coming off a 13-1 WCC campaign in 2007-08. Of the five losses during the past four seasons, two have been to both Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount University, while one came against Santa Clara University. Last year's lone loss was at LMU. SCHAEFER RETURNS: Gonzaga University women's basketball senior Jami Schaefer, formerly Bjorklund, returned to the floor Feb. 8, playing 19 minutes against the University of Portland. Schaefer had been out six week rehabbing a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, suffered Dec. 22 against the University of Wyoming. Schaefer scored two points, grabbed four rebounds, made two steals and dished out one assist in her return. SOLD OUT: The Gonzaga University women's basketball contest against the University of Tennessee Dec. 30 at the McCarthey Athletic Center was the first Bulldog women's basketball game to be played in front of a sold out crowd. Six thousand fans braved winter weather to watch GU do battle with the two-time defending national champions. The largest crowd for a Zags contest at the McCarthey Athletic Center prior to the Lady Vols contest was Feb. 26, 2005 when 5,825 fans showed up for a the Bulldogs game against University of Portland. BOWMAN MAKES ANOTHER PRESTIGIOUS LIST: Gonzaga University women's basketball player Heather Bowman was named to the Naismith Trophy Early Watch List presented by AT&T as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Bowman, a junior forward averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Bulldogs this season, became the inaugural Zag to be named to this list. The Naismith Trophy watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The watch list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February, 2009. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis, MO. FIRST COLLEGIATE DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Freshman Kelly Bowen, a starting forward on the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, collected her first collegiate double-double in the Bulldogs 91-63 victory at Saint Mary's College, Jan. 29. The Aussie finished with 17 points, tying her career-high, and brought down a game-high 10 boards. Bowen, who has started the last 13 contests for the Zags, is averaging 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in West Coast Conference action. THE NUMBER NINETEEN: As a team, Gonzaga University women's basketball had dished out 19 total assists in each of the last four contests until the streak was broken against the University of Portland, Feb. 8 when the Zags only had 11 assists. Overall, Courtney Vandersloot has been the assist leader in each of the past five contests, finishing with six, nine, eight, 11, and six, respectively. OFF THE BENCH: Sophomore Claire Raap has played a vital role off the bench for Gonzaga University this season. Raap is averaging 13.6 minutes per contest for the Zags and is shooting a team-best 57.5percent (46-of-80) from the field. Her shooting percentage in West Coast Conference games is even better. The forward has hit a smoking 69.7 percent (19-of-28) of her shots. In the Bulldogs 109-73 victory at the University of San Diego, Raap came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points in 11 minutes of action. SCHAEFER A TOP SENIOR: Senior Jami Schaefer was named a candidate for the 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Thirty senior male and female NCAA college basketball players were announced to the 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to an NCAA Division I student-athlete in nine sports. Based on criteria focusing on the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition, the award winners will be selected by national balloting of head basketball coaches, national media and college basketball fans. Bowman Named To Preseason Wooden Award List: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Heather Bowman became the inaugural Bulldog player to be named to the preseason Women's Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy as the 30 student-athletes for 2008-09 were announced by Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, Wooden Award Chairman and founder. The list is composed of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. BOWMAN AND VANDERSLOOT AMONG TOP WCC RETURNEES: Heading the group of Gonzaga University returners are 2008 WCC Player of the Year Heather Bowman and Newcomer of the Year Courtney Vandersloot. Bowman and Vandersloot were tabbed by the West Coast Conference coaches as one of the top 10 returnees this season. Bowman led the WCC in scoring at 20.1 points per game in just her second year in the league and was third in the conference in rebounding at 8.6 per game. Vandersloot will enter the year as the conferences steals (62) leader and led the team in assists (191). RECEIVING VOTES IN THE ESPN/USA TODAY POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball, who received 18 votes in last weeks ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 poll, only received one votes this week. The Bulldogs took a knocking after dropping a 70-67 decision to the University of Portland Feb. 8. RECEIVING VOTES IN THE AP POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is one of 14 schools also receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top 25. The Bulldogs garnered one vote this week. WHAT'S IN A NAME?: When looking at the Gonzaga University women's basketball roster some may wonder what happened to Bulldog Jami Bjorklund. Don't fret, the senior guard from Spokane is still on the squad, she is just going by a different name. Bjorklund was married to Drew Schaefer this past August and is now going by her married name - Jami Schaefer. CAREER NIGHT: Courtney Vandersloot scored a career-high 32 points in the Bulldogs 80-77 setback to Marquette University in the first round of the WBCA Classic. Vandersloot joined nine other former Bulldogs in the 30-Point Club. She was six points off a single-game record, as Amy Simpson scored 38 points against Lewis-Clark State Feb. 1, 1983. The previous Zag to score 30 or more points, prior to Vandersloot scoring 32, was junior Heather Bowman who tallied 30 against Santa Clara on Feb. 28, 2008. NEARING 1,000 POINTS: Senior guard Jami Schaefer is closing in on 1,000 career points. Schaefer has scored 926 total points at Gonzaga University and only needs 74 more to become the 14th Bulldog all-time to score 1,000 or more points. CRASHING THE BOARDS: Gonzaga University junior Vivian Frieson grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds at the University of San Francisco Jan. 17 to help the Zags secure their 21-point victory. Frieson, who was one shy of tying her career-high, grabbed five offensive boards and 10 defensive boards in the Bulldogs third West Coast Conference victory of the season. Frieson has recorded double-digit rebounds in five contests this season. ZAGS KNOCK OFF RANKED OPPONENT: Heather Bowman scored 18 points to lead Gonzaga University to a 69-62 upset over then-No. 15/16 University of Virginia in the WBCA Classic. The win secured the Bulldogs the WBCA Classic title. The victory against Virginia was the first over an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) school in three tries and the second-ever over a ranked opponent. The Bulldogs only other win over a top ranked team was Nov. 24, 2006 when they defeated then-No. 19 UCLA 62-57 at the Rainbow Wahine Tournament. WBCA ALL-TOURNAMENT: Junior Heather Bowman and classmate Vivian Frieson both were named to the WBCA Classic All-Tournament squad after leading the Gonzaga University women's basketball team to a 2-1 record. Bowman also was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Bowman averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest, while Frieson averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. NATIONAL STATISTICS - INDIVIDUALS: Heather Bowman and Courtney Vandersloot, of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, all are among the nations leaders in NCAA Division I statistics. Bowman is 19th in scoring at 19.8 per game, 57th in field goal percentage (49.8) and 68th in free throw percentage (82.0). Vandersloot is third in assists per game at 7.4 and 24th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91). NATIONAL STATISTICS - TEAM: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is ranked in the Top 30 of the NCAA Division I statistics in eight categories. The Bulldogs are 10th in turnover margin (5.54), 15th in both scoring offense (74.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.03), 18th in scoring margin (15.1), 20th in assists per game (16.0), 21st in free throw percentage (74.9), 24th in steals per game (11.1) and 29th in won-lost percentage (79.2). SIXTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Junior Vivian Frieson posted her sixth career double-double on Jan. 17 against Loyola Marymount University. Frieson helped Gonzaga University to a 83-58 victory with a 15 point, 13 rebound performance. It was her second double-double in three games as she scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, one board shy of tying her career-high, in GU's 63-42 victory at the University of San Francisco, Jan. 17. The forward, who didn't have any double-doubles as a freshman, had her first two late in the season as a sophomore. Frieson had 12 points and 11 rebounds against Pepperdine University in the Zags opening game of the West Coast Conference Tournament. She then posted a 10 point, 11 rebound performance at the University of Colorado, in the second round of the WNIT. Frieson's first double-double of her junior season was a 12 points, 11 rebound performance against the University of Utah. Her other double-double this season was a 10 point, 10 rebound output against Saint Joseph's on Jan. 2. PICKING POCKETS: Gonzaga University junior Vivian Frieson was a big factor in why the Bulldogs defeated the University of Washington 64-59 on Nov. 16. Frieson finished the contest with a career-high 10 steals. The forward, who was playing in her hometown of Seattle, had five steals in each half. It is the single-highest steal total during head coach Kelly Graves' tenure. For the season, Frieson has a team-best 53 steals to her credit. DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS: Sophomore Courtney Vandersloot has recorded five double-figure assists contests this season, including two in West Coast Conference action. Vandersloot dished out 10 assists against Utah Valley University on Nov. 19 and then had a career-high 13 assists versus Montana State University, Nov. 21. Those two games were also double-doubles for the point guard as she finished with 15 and 19 points, respectively. Vandersloot then had 10 assists against then-No. 8 Tennessee Dec. 30. She also scored 13 points in GU's 19-point setback. Her two double-figure assist outing in WCC play came at the University of San Francisco where she had 10 assists and at the University of San Diego where she collected 11. Vandersloot is averaging 7.4 assists per contest; tops in the conference and third most in the nation. INJURY REPORT: Junior sharpshooter Tiffanie Shives had microfracture surgery on her right knee on Monday, Dec. 15 and will be out for the rest of the season. Shives was averaging 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists before her injury. She was also the Bulldogs leading three-point shooter, sinking 19-of-48. BREAKING INTO BULLDOG CAREER RECORD BOOK: Sophomore point guard Courtney Vandersloot is fifth in the Gonzaga University women's basketball career record book for total assists. Vandersloot, who finished her freshman campaign with 191 assists, has dished out 162 this season for a total of 353. Vandersloot is also just the fifth player in Bulldog history to dish out 300 or more assists during her career. LOWEST SCORING OUTPUT: Junior forward Heather Bowman scored a game-high 16 points with eight rebounds, but the Gonzaga women's basketball team lost to Santa Barbara 59-47, Dec. 7. Vivian Frieson added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs, who had their lowest scoring output since losing 85-46 to Middle Tennessee State in the 2007 NCAA tournament (45 games). It was GU's sixth road game in 15 days. BULLDOGS PICKED TO WIN WCC: Gonzaga University was chosen as the favorite to claim the West Coast Conference women's basketball title, as the Zags try to defend their WCC regular season title. The Bulldogs, who received seven first place votes for a total of 49 points, lost in the finals of last year's WCC Tournament to host University of San Diego and hosted their first round matchup in the WNIT, where they beat UC Davis.
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