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Utah Women's Basketball Continues Road Trip
12/28/2001 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2001
Salt Lake City - COMING UP: Utah will travel to Stockton, Calif. to match-up with Pacific on Fri., Dec. 28, at 7:00 p.m. (PST). The Utes will face San Francisco on Sun., Dec. 30 at 2:00 p.m. in San Francisco, Calif.
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH: The Utes are currently 7-3 overall, 0-0 in MWC play. Utah defeated the Montana Lady Griz, 63-58 on the road on Fri., Dec. 21 and shut-down the Nevada Wolf Pack, 72-53, in Reno, Nev. on Wed., Dec. 19. The Utes are currently on a three-game win streak.
Utah returns three starters and nine letterwinners from a team which posted a perfect 14-0 league record and a 28-4 overall mark. Utah, which led the nation in scoring defense and made its 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament a year ago, has won or shared the conference title each of the past six years. The Utes add four newcomers to the roster this season.
Possible starters for the Utes in the match-up with Pacific and San Francisco are: Erin Gibbons (Sr., G), Katherine McColl (Sr., F), Kelsy Stireman (So., G), Lindsay Herbert (Sr., G/F) and Lauren Beckman (Sr., F/C). Utah's 2000-01 final RPI ranking, produced by the NCAA, was 12th out of 316 teams. The Mountain West Conference was 7th out of 32 conferences.
SERIES SHORTS: Utah leads the series with Pacific, 2-0. Utah defeated the Tigers, 82-63, in the last meeting on Nov., 29, 2000 in Salt Lake City. Utah is 2-0 at home, 0-0 away and 0-0 at a neutral site vs. Pacific. Utah leads the series with San Francisco, 5-1. In the last meeting on Dec. 22, 1999, the Utes defeated the Lady Dons, 75-62 in Salt Lake City. Utah is 3-0 at home, 1-0 away and 1-1 at a neutral site vs. San Francisco.
QUOTING ELLIOTT: On the upcoming Pacific and San Francisco games- "We seem extremely comfortable at home and not so much on the road. Our challenge now will be to find that comfort zone. We have to keep perfecting things and keep improving in order to be successful."
UP NEXT: After the first of the year, Utah will be back in action at home facing Wyoming to open Mountain West Conference action on Thurs., Jan. 10 at 7:00 p.m. On Sat., Jan. 12, the Utes will host Colorado State at 3:30 p.m. Utah will hit the road again on Thurs., Jan. 17, meeting the Air Force Falcons at 7:00 p.m. in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Utes will take on New Mexico on Sat., Jan 19, at 7:00 p.m. in Albuquerque, N.M.
SCOUTING PACIFIC: The University of the Pacific women's basketball team is currently 4-5 on the season. Most recently, the Tigers lost at San Jose State, 78-75 on Sat., Dec. 22.
Selena Ho leads the team, averaging 15.6 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game. Ho averages 21.6 minutes per game and shoots 40 percent (41-of-115) from the field, 37 percent (25-of-67) from behind the arc and 87 percent (33-of-39) from the free-throw line. Nancy Dinges totals 14.0 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game. Gillian d'Hondt posts 11.3 points and 6.7 boards per game, while Andrea Nederestek leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Tigers are 229-of-552 from the field, 58-of-157 from three-point range and 113-of-171 from the free-throw line. Pacific averages 69.9 points per game and 39.1 rebounds per game.
PACIFIC PROBABLE STARTERS: #40 Gillian d'Hondt, #23 Andrea Nederestek, #15 Selena Ho, #22 Corinne Wong and #33 Nancy Dinges.
SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO: The University of San Francisco women's basketball team is currently 5-5 on the season. Most recently, the Lady Dons lost to Long Beach State, 85-77 at home on Fri., Dec. 21.
Alicia Hernandez leads the team, averaging 10.2 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. Hernandez is 34-of-99 from the field, 11-of-48 from three-point range and 23-of-31 from the free-throw line. Carey Sauer posts 9.9 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game, while teammate Lindsey huff totals 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Lady Dons are 251-of-627 from the field, 48-of-148 from three-point range and 141-of-212 from the free-throw line. San Francisco averages 69.1 points per game and 37.2 rebounds per game.
SAN FRANCISCO PROBABLE STARTERS: #42 Carey Sauer, #44 Celeste Farmer, #13 Alicia Hernandez, #4 Lisa Whiteside and #22 Lindsey Huff.
HEAD COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: The winningest coach in school history, Elaine Elliott has kept the winning tradition alive since earning the head coaching position in 1983-84. She has posted a 381-155 (.711) career record in 18 seasons. In the last 11 years alone, Elliott has guided the Utes to nine 20-win seasons, six 1st-place, three 2nd-place and two 3rd-place finishes in conference play. Overall, Elliott has led the Utes to thirteen 20-win seasons and three 19-win seasons, averaging 20 wins per season. Elliott was named the 1999-2000 IKON/WBCA Division I District 7 Coach of the Year, the 2000-01 IKON/WBCA Division I District 7 Coach of the Year, the 1999-2000 inaugural Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Last season, Elliott led the Utes to a first-ever NCAA "Sweet 16" tournament appearance.
Most recently, Elliott recorded her 375th career win with a 77-54 victory over Butler University on Sun., Nov. 18 in Minneapolis, Minn.
ELLIOTT APPROACHES 400TH CAREER WIN: Utah's winningest coach in school history, Elaine Elliott is quickly approaching her 400th career win. Elliott needs 19 more wins and with 17 games left, the Mountain West Conference Tournament and a possible trip to the NCAAs, she could very well hit the mark.
ELLIOTT NOTCHES 375TH CAREER WIN: Elliott recorded her 375th career win with a 77-54 victory over Butler University on Sun., Nov. 18 in Minneapolis, Minn.
UTAH RANKINGS IN THE MWC: Utah, as a team is leads the MWC in 3-point field foal percentage defense (.233), field goal percentage defense (.324), scoring defense (54.2) and defensive rebounds (28.20). The Utes are second in rebounding offense (39.6), rebounding defense (36.1) and blocked shots (4.00). Utah is third in 3-point field goals made (6.8) and scoring margin (+14.4), and are fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.407) and field goal percentage (.447). Utah is fourth in assists (16.9), assist/turnover ratio (1.08), and are fifth in offensive rebounds (11.40). The Utes are sixth in scoring offense (68.6), seventh in free-throw percentage (.708), and eighth in turnover margin (-1.50) and steals (5.90). Individually, seven Utah players rank among the top 20 in the MWC statistical leaders.
BECK BREAKING THROUGH: Lauren Beckman recorded her 1,000th career point on Sat., Nov. 17 at the Gopher Basketball Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. Beckman scored 22 points against Santa Clara in the season-opener for the Utes. Currently Beckman has racked up 1,146 career points. She became only one of seventeen other 1,000-point-plus scorers in Utah women's basketball history.
GIBBIE IS GOLDEN: Erin Gibbons is approaching her 1,000th career point. Gibbons has 696 career points and needs 304 points to hit the mark. With 17 games left, the Mountain West Conference Tournament and a possible trip to the NCAAs, she could very well hit the mark.
HERBIE HITS FROM DOWNTOWN: Lindsay Herbert has been hitting the three-point shot 49 percent of the time this season. In 10 games this season, Herbert has made 18-of-37 from behind the arc. She is 71-of-193 (37 percent) during her career at the U.
UTES CAN NAIL THE THREE: For the past few years, the Utes have had the hot hand from behind the arc. In 1999-2000, Utah was fourth in the nation 3-point field goal percentage (40.1%) and 24th in 3-point field goals made per game (6.5 per game). This year is no different. Utah currently shoots 41.4 percent (53-of-128) from three-point range and averages 6.6 treys per game.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: Utah basketball has always been known for its tenacious defense. In 2000-01, Utah led the nation in scoring defense, holding its opponents to an average of 51.1 points per game. The U. outscored its opponents by an average of 15.8 points a game, ranking seventh in the nation in scoring margin. Utah's defense was again superior in 1999-2000 as opponents were held to just 52.2 points per game. The Utes were 19th in the nation in scoring margin, outscoring its opponents by an average of 13.0 points per game.
This season, Utah has held its opponents to just 54.2 points per game and has outscored its opponents by 14.4 points a game. Opponents are shooting just .233 from three-point range and .324 from the field, when facing Utah.
GOPHER BASKETBALL CLASSIC ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Senior Lauren Beckman was selected to the 2001 Gopher Basketball Classic All-Tournament team. On the weekend, Beckman racked up double-doubles both nights, 17 points 11 rebounds against Santa Clara, and 22 points 12 rebounds against Butler.
MONTANA GAME RECAP: The University of Utah women's basketball team defeated the Montana Lady Griz 63-58, on the road on Fri., Dec. 21. Montana dropped to 6-3 on the season.
Montana has a reputation for being a very tough place to play and Friday night was no different. The roar of the crowd was almost deafening, but could not shake up the Utes' determination to win. In the last four years, Utah has won twice in Missoula.
Utah went into the break leading 29-26, after a very physical first half. The Utes dominated on the boards early on and held the Lady Griz to zero percent from three-point range in the game. Utah shot 10-of-29 from the field, 4-of-12 from behind the arc and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line in the first half.
On the night, senior Lindsay Herbert led team with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field, 2-of-9 shooting from three-point range and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Senior Katherine McColl posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Erin Gibbons added 14 points, while teammates Lauren Beckman and Lana Sitterud totaled eight points each. As a team, the Utes went 19-of-48 from the field, 6-of-19 from three-point range and 19-of-25 from the free-throw line. Utah out-rebounded Montana, 40-39 on the night.
Cheryl Keller led Montana with 14 point. Teammates Julie Deming and Crystal Baird totaled 12 points a piece, while Simarron Schildt added 11 points. The Lady Griz shot 31 percent (20-of-64) from the field and 77 percent (13-of-17) from the free-throw line .
"Our execution has been poor down the stretch, but tonight we didn't turn the ball over and we kept our composure," said Head Coach Elaine Elliott. "I would have wanted to shoot the ball better, but it is tough to do against their zone. Our rebounding was good and we held them to just 58 point when they are averaging about 75 points per game. This is a very tough place to play, they are a good team and I am happy with the win."
NEVADA GAME RECAP: The University of Utah women's basketball team defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack by almost 20 points on Wed., Dec. 19, on the road to extend their win streak to two. The Utes shut-down Nevada, 72-53. The Wolf Pack moved to 3-6 on the season.
Utah came out shooting in the first half. Utah took an 18-2 lead with 11:11 left in the first half on a three-point shooting clinic from seniors Lindsay Herbert and Erin Gibbons. Utah shot 52 percent (14-of-27) from the field, 50 percent (5-of-10) from behind the arc and was perfect from the free-throw line in the first half. Nevada managed just 18 points and shot just 27 percent from the field before the break.
On the night, Herbert led Utah with 17 points and four rebounds. She went 6-of-10 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range and 1-of-1 from the free-throw line. Gibbons totaled 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, 4-of-7 shooting from the three-point line and went 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. Senior Lauren Beckman added 11 points and led the team on the boards with seven. Utah unloaded its bench with all 11 players seeing time in the game. As a team, the Utes went 27-of-57 from the field, 9-of-20 from three-point range and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Kate Smith led Nevada with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Teammate April Bankston notched 13 points and eight rebounds and Laura Ingham added 12 points. The Wolf Pack shot 34 percent (21-of-62) from the field, zero percent from three-point range (0-of-7) and 69 percent from the free-throw line.
"We started strong and it was a physical game," said Head Coach Elaine Elliott. "I'm glad we got an early lead because they killed us on the boards. I thought Nevada played harder than us in the second half but these last two road games we shot the ball well and that helped us."
MWC PRE-SEASON POLL: Utah, defending MWC regular season champion, placed second in the MWC preseason media poll with five first-place votes. Colorado State ranked first, BYU ranked third, followed by UNLV, New Mexico, Wyoming, San Diego State and Air Force. Utah senior Lauren Beckman was picked as to the MWC preseason all-conference team.
UTES ON THE RADIO/TV: Utah women's basketball is back on KALL 910-AM this season. KALL will carry 20 regular-season games and all post-season contests live. Clear Channel is in the third year of a four-year contract as the exclusive radio home of University of Utah sports.
Anchoring the broadcast team is KALL-910 AM Sports Director Brad Stone. Stone will broadcast the women's home games, while Kent Rupe will call the road games
As part of its agreement with the University of Utah, KJZZ-TV televised the Utah-UCLA game on Dec. 1 and is scheduled to televise the Utah-BYU game on Jan. 26 live from the Huntsman Center. KJZZ is also tentatively scheduled to televise one of the Utes' games in the MWC Tournament.
Veteran sportscaster Steve Brown will call the Ute women's basketball games on KJZZ.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Utes practice from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. in the Jon M. Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus. All practice times and dates are tentative and subject to change. For regular scheduled practice times, please contact Julie Lapomarda. Utah Women's Basketball practices are closed to the media. To set up interviews before or after practice with Head Coach Elaine Elliott or Ute players, please contact Julie Lapomarda women's basketball SID at: (801) 581-3771.
POST-GAME SERVICES/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 match. Box scores will be provided and faxed upon request.
WEEKLY INTERVIEWS: Members of the media who wish to interview head coach Elaine Elliott, and any interviews with the athletes should be arranged through Julie Lapomarda (801-581-3771).
THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: The newest conference in the nation has quickly emerged as one of the best. The Mountain West Conference, which officially commenced operation on July 1, 1999, sent two basketball teams to NCAA post-season play and one team to the WNIT in its first year. The Mountain West Conference saw five out of the eight schools compete in either the NCAAs or the WNIT last season. League champion Utah made it to the NCAA "Sweet 16," Colorado State made it to the NCAA Second Round, while UNLV, New Mexico and BYU were all WNIT participants.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEDIA INFORMATION: Ron Christian, Assistant Director of Communications, handles all information requests related to women's basketball at the Mountain West Conference office. The MWC address is 15455 Gleneagle Drive, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80921. The MWC telephone number is (719) 488-4040. The fax number is (719) 487-7240.
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