Women's Basketball Opens Regular Season Saturday

Nov. 16, 1999

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah opens its regular season play on Sat., Nov. 20 at 3:00 p.m. vs. Washington State in the Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000).

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Probable starters in the Utes' game against Washington State are: Lori Red (Jr., F), Lindsay Sodja (Jr., F), Lauren Beckman (So., F/C), Tiana Fuertes (Sr., G) and Amy Ewert (Jr., G/F).

Scouting Washington State:
Junior Yvonne Volkman (Richland, Wash.) poured in 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Washington State to a 73-59 win over Lokomotiva Bratislava of Slovakia in women's basketball action Thurs., Nov. 11

Volkman was especially strong in the second half, scoring nine points and adding 10 boards to help the Cougars erase a 26-25 halftime deficit. The Cougars took the lead for good, 30-28 on junior Tricia Lamb's (Endicott, Wash.) three-point play with 19:03 left in the game. Lamb added a three-point field goal at the 18:33 mark to spark a 12-2 run that put WSU on top 39-30 with 16:32 left. Lamb finished with 12 points as did junior Victoria Harrod (Nepean, Ontario).

Jenny Przekwas, a veteran of the last four NCAA tournaments, has taken over the reins of the Cougar women's basketball program and she starts her WSU career by inheriting 11 returning veterans, including four starters from last year's 11-16 team.

All-Pacific-10 Conference guard Tricia Lamb and backcourt mate Katie Nyseth return, as does fellow junior Yvonne Volkman and senior Alke Dietel forward. The quartet played in 85 games between them last winter and 76 the year before. They are joined by four juniors, two seniors and sophomore, as returnees. Collectively, WSU's hoopsters have made 210 starts. But while the Cougars return one of the most experienced squads in the Pac-10, the biggest single factor for renewed optimism is Przekwas, who directed St. Francis College (PA) to NCAA tournament berths each of the last four years, along with four NEC titles. She owns a 133-99 (.573) career mark.

Season Opener
Utah Utes vs. Washington State Cougars
Nov. 20 - Jon M. Huntsman Center - Salt Lake City - 3:00 p.m. (MST)

Locomotiva-Bratislava Game Recap:
The University of Utah women's basketball team got 14 points apiece from Lauren Beckman, Amy Ewert and Lindsay Sodja in an 81-46 exhibition win over visiting Lokomotiva Bratislava-Slovakia in the Huntsman Center.

Head Ute Coach Elaine Elliott substituted freely in the romp and all 13 players scored. The Utes were never threatened, except perhaps with injury, against the rough playing Slovakian team. With 15 minutes remaining in the game, Slovakia had 21 points and 19 fouls.

"They held and grabbed, but it's good for us in the sense that we need to learn to be physical in that kind of game," said Elliott, "But it was hard to feel like we were doing anything cleanly. We needed to play everyone because there are a lot of kids who are playing pretty evenly in practice right now. No one is jumping out and demanding to play 30 minutes."

Beckman chipped in five rebounds and four blocked shots to go with her 14 points, while Sodja, a Taylorsville High product, tied Beckman for rebounding and scoring honors.

Utes led 36-14 at the half, despite shooting just 39 percent. They improved to 64 percent in the second half, keying a 45-point half. Slovakia shot 32 percent for the game from the field.

National Women's Basketball League Game Recap:
The University of Utah women's basketball team defeated the National Women's Basketball League, 79-64 in an exhibition game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Mon., Nov. 15.

Junior Lori Red led the Utes with 18 points. Red was seven-of-eight from the field and a perfect two-for-two from behind the arc. She was also perfect from the free-throw line, making two-of-two. Sophomore Lauren Beckman added 16 points in the effort and led the team with seven boards. Teammate Lindsay Sodja scored 13 points. The Utes shot for 48 percent from the field in the first half, making 14-of-29. They shot 39 percent in the second half (1-of-28) and 43 percent for the game.

For the NWBL, Kina Brown racked up 19 points and led the team with nine rebounds. Brown was seven-of-eleven from the field and five-of-seven from the free-throw line. Loyola Moore posted 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Kim McGuire added 10 points. The NWBL shot 38 percent from the field (11-of-29) in the first half, 47 percent (14-of-30) in the second half and 42 percent in the game.

"I was pleased with tonight's win, we used 14 people and tried some different things. The personnel decisions will tighten up a lot once we get underway and there's no way we'll be using 14 kids. When you do that, you have a lot of different combinations that don't click," says Elliott.

A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH:
Utah returns four starters and 11 of the 12 letterwinners from last year's team that went 21-7 overall, tied for first place in the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division with a 12-2 record and earned a bid to the WNIT. What's amazing is that, after the loss of five seniors from the 1997-98 team, last season was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year. Instead, the Utes merely continued their winning ways under head coach Elaine Elliott. It was the fifth consecutive year in which the U. won 20 games, claimed a conference championship of some form and earned a postseason bid. Elliott embarks on her 17th season as Utah's head coach with a 323-140 career record. Utah will be one of the preseason favorites to win the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship.

Returning for the Utes is two-year letterwinner Lori Red. Red, a 5-11 junior from Provo, Utah, was named to the first-team all-WAC Pacific Division in 1998-99. She started in all 28 games, second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. Red was third on the team, averaging 4.6 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. She scored in double figures in 15 out of 28 games last season. Back at guard for Utah is three-year letterwinner, Tiana Fuertes. Fuertes started in 27 games last season, averaging 5.9 points per game. Fuertes ranked 3rd in the final WAC standings in assists, averaging 4.9 assists per game. Kristina Andersen, a 6-1 forward is back for her third season with Utah. Andersen started in 27 games last season, where she was fourth in scoring, averaging 7.1 points per game. She was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Amy Ewert, a two-year letterwinner is back, spending time between the forward and guard positions. Ewert started in 10 games last season, seeing action in 27. She posted 2.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game last season.

Erin Gibbons is back for her second season with the Utes. Gibbons, a 5-9 sophomore guard from Salmon Arm, B.C, was named the WAC Pacific Division Freshman of the Year, as well as earning second team all-conference honors and a spot on the all-newcomer team. Gibbons ranked 15th in the WAC in scoring (11.7 ppg), third in three-pointers per game (2.3) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.374), starting 17 games. Gibbons scored in double figures in 17 games and led the Utes in scoring 11 times. Lauren Beckman, a 6-2 sophomore center/forward from Elko, Nev., joined Gibbons on the Pacific Division's all-newcomer team. She played in all 28 games off the bench, averaging 21.7 minutes. Beckman ranked 29th in the nation and led the WAC in blocked shots (1.8 bpg). She also ranked 17th in the league in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and was third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). Beckman led the Utes three times in scoring and 11 times in rebounding. Katherine McColl, a 6-0 sophomore was seventh on the team in scoring last season, averaging 5.4 points per game. McColl was fourth in rebounding, averaging 4.0 rebounds per game. She played in 27 games, starting in one. Junior Lindsay Sodja returns at the forward position. Sodja played in 27 games, starting in one and averaged 4.9 points per game for the Utes. Sodja grabbed 1.9 rebounds a game last season. Lindsay Herbert, a 5-11 sophomore saw action in 27 games, starting in two. Herbert averaged 1.5 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game. Erin Hansen, a 6-3 forward is back for her second season with Utah. Hansen saw time in 14 games last season. Janna Whitman, a three-year letterwinner played in 14 games last season.

Utah will have three newcomers on this year's team. The Utes inked Carley Marshall, a 6-2 forward/center from Eugene, Ore., Whitney Sutak, a 6-0 guard from Mill Valley, Calif., and Sarah Wobbe, a 5-9 point guard from Elmira, Ore.

Marshall earned honorable mention All-America honors from USA Today last season. In 1997-98, she averaged 16.5 points and 12.7 rebounds for Willamette High School (Eugene, Ore.). She was a Blue Chip Illustrated All-American in 1997-98, as well as a second-team all-conference and an academic all-conference selection. Sutak, who can play the one through three positions, was a first-team all-conference selection in 1997-98 at Branson High School (Mill Valley,Calif.). She averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Wobbe comes to the U. from Marist High School (Elmira, Ore.), the same program that produced Ute junior forward Kristina Andersen. Wobbe was a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith heading into the 1998-99 season. She earned third-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors in 1997-98, averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 5.2 steals per game.

SERIES HISTORY:
Utah has won six of the seven meetings with Washington State, including the last six. Utah is 2-0 at home vs. Washington State, 3-0 in Pullman, Wash. and 1-1 at a neutral site. In their last meeting on Dec. 10, 1998 in Pullman, Wash., Utah claimed victorious as they held on to a 81-70 win in overtime.

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS:
Head Coach Elaine Elliott and Utah players will be available for interviews outside the Utah lockerroom following a 10 minute cooling off period. A member of the Utah sports information staff will gather interview requests immediately following the game. Box scores will be provided and faxed upon request.

AFTER THIS:
Utah travels to Fort Collins, Colo. to take on the Rams of Colorado state in a non-conference match-up, Tues., Nov. 23 at 7:00 p.m. On Sun., Nov. 28, Utah will face Montana at 3:00 p.m. in Missoula, Mont. The Utes are back in action at home on Thurs., Dec. 2 vs. Iowa at 7:00 p.m. Utah is on the road on Sat., Dec. 4 vs. Idaho State at 6:00 p.m.

UTES FAVORED TO WIN INAUGURAL MWC CHAMPIONSHIP:
Utah was selected by both the league coaches and the media as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown. Utah received 60 votes in the coaches' poll and 195 votes (11 first place votes) in the media poll. The results of both polls were very similar with only two positions being reversed.

Expected to finish second is Colorado State University, third belongs to the University of New Mexico, fourth to Brigham Young, and fifth to UNLV. The coaches gave the edge to the University of Wyoming for sixth, while the media listed San Diego State University in the No. 6 position. These two schools were reversed in the No. 7 slot in the opposite poll. Air Force Academy placed eighth in both polls.

Utah's Lori Red is one of just two first team all-conference selections (the other being Froehlich, UNLV) back for the 1999-2000 season. Red averaged 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season and was selected as the conference player of the week twice in 1998-99. She was chosen to the preseason team by both the coaches and the media.

The preseason all-conference teams also have a similar look with four players appearing on both teams. Named as both the coaches and media's choice as the Top Returning Player is UNLV's Linda Froehlich. Also named to both squads were Utah's Lori Red, Colorado State's Heather Haanen and BYU's Cady Williams. Rounding out the coaches' five-member team is New Mexico's Mirando Sanchez. The media chose BYU's Jill Adams.

FLASHBACK TO '98-'99

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE:
Utah was one of the top defensive teams in the nation last season, ranking first in the NCAA in scoring defense (55.1 ppg). The U. outscored its opponents by an average of 10.8 points a game, ranking 30th in the nation in scoring margin. The Utes also ranked 25th in the NCAA in rebound margin in 1998-99 with an advantage of 5.5 boards per game and was fifth in the final NCAA rankings in field goal percentage defense (.361). Utah led the 16-team Western Athletic Conference in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and rebound margin.

UTES LIGHT IT UP FROM DOWNTOWN:
Utah's offense got a boost from its outside shooting last season. The Utes ranked 23rd in the final NCAA rankings in three-point field goals per game (6.1) and 37th in three-point field goal percentage (.352). Utah was third in the Western Athletic Conference in three-point field goal percentage and fourth in three-point field goals per game. A solid inside game also helped the Utes lead the WAC in field goal percentage last season (.443).

A BALANCED ATTACK:
As the old saying goes, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and Ute head coach Elaine Elliott had lots of quality parts to work with last season. Ten players appeared in at least 27 of the 28 games, averaging at least 9.6 minutes per contest. While Erin Gibbons was the only Ute to average in double-figures in scoring (11.7 ppg), seven players averaged 5.4 points per game or better. Nine different players led Utah in scoring in 1998-99.

THEY DIDN'T PLAY LIKE FRESHMEN:
Utah's quick rebuilding project last season was due at least in part to the solid production Elaine Elliott got from her freshman class. Of the five newcomers, four averaged at least 9.6 minutes per game and three averaged 17.0 minutes per contest or better. Erin Gibbons, Lauren Beckman and Katherine McColl were among the top seven on the team in scoring, with Gibbons ranking first (11.7 ppg), Beckman third (9.6 ppg) and McColl seventh (5.4 ppg). Beckman led the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and McColl was fifth (4.0 rpg).

OH, CANADA:
Utah has raided the pool of talent to the north, featuring three Canadians on its roster this season. Junior 6-0 forward/guard Amy Ewert, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, became the first-ever Canadian to play for the Utes in 1997-98. Ewert was joined by two others last season. Erin Gibbons, a 5-9 guard from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and Katherine McColl, a 6-0 forward from Hamilton, Ontario, also made the trek south. All three have averaged at least 14.4 minutes per game and ranked among the Utes' top nine scorers and top eight rebounders last season.

Gibbons started 17 games last season, while Ewert started the last nine games and 10 overall. Ewert, Gibbons and McColl each played in 27 of the 28 games.

ELLIOTT'S MARK:
During her illustrious career, Elliott has led Utah to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, four regular-season conference titles, three divisional crowns and four league tournament championships. Elliott posted her 300th career victory with a 67-53 win over Colorado State on Feb. 14, 1998 at the Huntsman Center.

Elliott, who was named the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division Coach of the Year for 1998-99, has been regarded for years as one of the top women's collegiate coaches in the country. Elliott has amassed a 323-140 record (.698) during her career at Utah. She has the longest tenure of any coach in the MWC.

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