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Women's Basketball Hits The Road For Two Games
Dec. 2, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
Game No. 9 - EASTERN WASHINGTON
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (7-1, 0-0 West Coast)
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (2-3, 0-0 Big Sky)
Game No. 10 - SANTA BARBARA
SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS (1-3, 0-0 Big West)
THIS WEEK: Gonzaga University women's basketball finishes a six-game road swing with two contests this week. The Bulldogs will face in-state opponent Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. on Thursday and 2008 NCAA Tournament participant UC Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, Calif. on Sunday. 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. BOWMAN TABBED PLAYER OF THE WEEK, AGAIN: Gonzaga University women's basketball player Heather Bowman has been tabbed as the West Coast Conference Player of the Week for the second-straight week as announced by the conference office Monday, Dec. 1. Bowman, a 6-2 forward, led the Bulldogs to a 2-1 weekend and the WBCA Classic title by averaging 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor. Bowman struggled slightly in Gonzaga's opening three-point loss to Marquette University. The Spokane native finished with eight points and seven rebounds. She bounced back to score a game-high 27 points on 7-for-17 field goal shooting and 13-of-15 shooting at the free throw line, along with having six boards and three steals in the Zags 60-55 victory over the University of Utah. Bowman then posted a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Gonzaga past then -No.15 University of Virginia 69-62 in the final game of the WBCA Classic. The victory over the Cavaliers was the first against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) school and the second-ever over a ranked opponent. For her efforts, Bowman was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. This is Bowman's seventh career WCC Player of the Week honor and the Bulldogs third-straight of the season. SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington University enters into its contest against Gonzaga University with a 2-3 overall record. EWU will host Montana Tech prior to hosting the Bulldogs. The Eagles defeated West Coast Conference member University of San Francisco 80-70 and then claimed a 70-69 overtime victory over UNLV in the first round of the Lady Rebel Round Up. EWU has two players averaging double-digit points, including Julie Piper at 12.2 points per game. Piper is also second on the squad in rebounds at 6.4 per contest. Also in double-figures is Kyla Evans who is averaging 11.6 points. Eastern Washington is coached by Wendy Schuller in her ninth year at the helm. Schuller holds a 87-117 overall record. ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST EASTERN WASHINGTON: The contest between Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University is the 37th meeting in the all-time series, with the Bulldogs holding the 22-14 edge. The Zags have won four-straight over the Eagles, including a 97-61 victory last season at the McCarthey Athletic Center. It was an exciting game the last time the two schools met at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Gonzaga pulled out a 103-102 overtime decision on Dec. 6, 2006. SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS: UC Santa Barbara enters into its contest against Gonzaga University with a 1-3 overall record and has lost three-straight. The Gauchos only victory of the season was a 75-66 win over the Bulldogs West Coast Conference foe University of San Diego. UCSB will host the University of Nevada prior to its game against the Bulldogs. Santa Barbara is led by Lauren Pedersen, who is averaging a team-best 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. The Gauchos are coached by Linsday Gottlieb, who is in her first year at the helm. ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SANTA BARBARA: The contest between Gonzaga University and UC Santa Barbara will be the second all-time meeting. Gonzaga hosted Santa Barbara in 2000 but dropped a 76-58 decision. HEAD COACH Kelly Graves: Kelly Graves begins 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 152-102 record. He has been named the WCC Coach of the Year at Gonzaga four times (2003 & 2005 & 2007 & 2008) and boasts a 218-128 career record including 102-52 in WCC action. 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 AP POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team picked up more votes in this week's Top-25 Associated Press National Poll. The Zags appeared among the schools also receiving votes this week, receiving 36 votes and putting them just two spots away from the school's first national ranking since March of 2005. Gonzaga has received votes twice this season in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. RECEIVING VOTES IN THE ESPN/USA TODAY POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team was rewarded after a 2-1 weekend, which included winning the WBCA Classic, by nearly cracking the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25. The Bulldogs are three spots away from being ranked in the Top 25 after receiving 42 votes. The Zags have continued a steady climb up the poll each week, having garnered 14 votes a week ago. Gonzaga was last ranked in the Coaches' Top 25 in early March of 2005. 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 last Zag to score 30 or more points was junior Heather Bowman who tallied 30 against Santa Clara on Feb. 28, 2008. 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. INJURY REPORT: Sophomore Courtney Vandersloot suffered a sprained ankle in the second half of Gonzaga University's women's basketball game against Utah on Nov. 29. Vandersloot, who scored a career-high 32 points the night before her injury, is listed as day-to-day. NATIONAL STATISTICS - INDIVIDUALS: Heather Bowman, Courtney Vandersloot and Vivian Frieson, of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, all are among the nations leaders in NCAA Division I statistics. Vandersloot is tied for 34th in scoring at 19.4 per game, while Bowman is 50th in scoring at 18.6 per game. Vandersloot is also fourth in assists per game at 7.3, while Frieson is 35th in steals per game at 3.1. NATIONAL STATISTICS - TEAM: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is ranked in the Top 20 of the NCAA Division I statistics in four categories. The Bulldogs are 15th in both steals (12.9 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.12). The Zags are also 18th in won-loss percentage (87.5%; 7-1) and 19th in scoring offense at 79.3. THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Junior Vivian Frieson posted her third career double-double on Nov. 29 against the University of Utah. Frieson helped Gonzaga University to a 60-55 victory by scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 boards. 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. 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 22 steals to her credit. DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS: Sophomore Courtney Vandersloot had her third and fourth career double-figure assist games in back-back contest this season. 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.
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