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Utah Women's Basketball Notes
12/31/2002 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2002
SALT LAKE CITY -
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COMING UP:
The University of Utah women's basketball team (8-2) travels to Ogden, Utah, to play in-state rival Weber State (7-3) at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 4.
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH:
After defeating No. 14 Mississippi State last Saturday night, the Utes fell to Montana 53-49 in the championship game of the Lady Griz Holiday Classic on Sunday, snapping an eight-game winning streak. Utah shot a season-low 28 percent on the game and connected on just 9-of-14 free throws (64 percent). The Utes were also out-rebounded 43-32 by a much bigger Montana team. On a positive note, the Utes committed a season-low 10 turnovers and forced 18 by the Lady Griz. Freshman Kim Smith and sophomore Shona Thorburn were both named to the all-tournament team after both finished with 16 points on the game. Smith also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds (six offensive), while Thorburn had six. Each played all 40 minutes of both games in the tournament.
On the season, Smith and Thorburn are averaging double figures scoring (Smith 17.4, Thorburn 16.2). Smith also averages a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game, while Thorburn and juniors Carley Marshall and Mandie Little each average 5.5. As a team, Utah is out-shooting its opponents .423 to .363 and outscoring them by an average of 18.7 points per game.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:
Weber State - The Wildcats (7-3) are coming off a 60-46 win over Air Force on Monday. Senior Crystal Howe led three Weber State players in double figures scoring with 16 points. She also added 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Julie Gjertsen added 12 and Sheila Robertson finished with 11 points for the Wildcats, who shot 40 percent on the game and held the Falcons to just 26 percent. Karsen Muller dished out six assists on the game, while Howe finished with a team-high three blocks and two steals.
On the season, Weber State is led by Gjertsen, who averages 14.5 points per game, and Howe, with 14.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Muller averages a team-high 5.3 assists per game. The Wildcats are just outshot by their opponents -- .396 to .395 -- but outscore them by an average of 5.4 points a game. Weber State also out-rebounds opponents 38.6 to 32.7.
QUOTING HEAD COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT:
On the upcoming game against Weber State - "Weber State is another team with a big, strong center," says Elliott. "That was obviously an issue against Montana, so we'll have to address it."
SERIES SHORTS:
* Utah leads the series with Weber State 36-4. In their last meeting on Dec. 17 of last year, the Utes won 72-65 in Ogden. Utah is 17-1 at home, 16-3 away and 3-0 at a neutral site vs. the Wildcats.
MWC LEADERS:
As a team, the Utes lead the conference in five statistical categories: scoring defense (51.4), scoring margin (+18.7), three-point field goal percentage (.396), turnover margin (+6.2) and three-point field goal average (9.10). Utah ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.363) and third in scoring (70.1), rebounding margin (+1.1), steals (9.90) and assist/turnover ratio (1.04).
Individually, freshman Kim Smith ranks second in three-point field goal percentage (.519), fourth in scoring (17.4) and three-point field goal average (2.8), sixth in offensive rebounds (2.6), eighth in rebounding (6.1) and field goal percentage (.500), and 14th in both free throw percentage (.714) and defensive rebounds (3.5).
Sophomore Shona Thorburn ranks third in three-point field goal average (3.0), sixth in scoring (16.2), defensive rebounds (4.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.67), tied for seventh in steals (1.7), 10th in three-point field goal percentage (.405), tied for 11th in free throw percentage (.733), 13th in assists (3.0), tied for 13th in rebounding (5.5).
Junior Carley Marshall ranks fifth in blocked shots (1.3), sixth in free throw percentage (.828), ninth in field goal percentage (.486), 12th in offensive rebounds (2.1), tied for 13th in rebounding (5.5) and 18th in scoring (9.4).
Point guard Kelsy Stireman ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.06), tied for seventh in steals (1.7) and 10th in assists (3.3). Meanwhile, junior Mandie Little ranks 10th in offensive rebounds (2.3), 12th in blocked shots (0.5) and tied for 13th in rebounding (5.5).
Sophomore Lana Sitterud is tied for seventh in steals (1.7), and freshman Julie Wood is third in three-point field goal percentage (.484) and sixth in three-point field goal average (1.7).
IN THE POLLS:
For the first time all season, the Utes have received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Utah received five points, good for 47th place nationally. Fellow Mountain West schools Colorado State (33rd), Brigham Young (37th) and New Mexico (49th) also received votes. Mississippi State, which the Utes beat last week, fell three spots to No. 17.
MWC STANDINGS
W L Pct.
UTAH 8 2 .800
New Mexico 8 3 .727
UNLV 7 3 .700
Wyoming 6 3 .667
BYU 6 3 .667
Colorado State 7 4 .636
Air Force 5 4 .556
San Diego State 4 5 .444
ELLIOTT APPROACHING 400TH WIN
With a career record of 397-165 (.706), Utah Head Coach Elaine Elliott is just three wins away from 400. The earliest she could achieve this feat is Saturday, Jan. 11, when the Utes host Northern Arizona at 4 p.m. Elliott, in her 20th season at Utah, has averaged just over 20 wins a year.
SMOTHERING DEFENSE:
Utah has not allowed more than 65 points in a game this season and has held eight of its 10 opponents to 55 points or less. In addition, only three teams (New Mexico State, Mississippi State and Montana) have shot more than 37 percent from the field, but two of those three games were wins for the Utes, including the victory over No. 14 Mississippi State. Utah ranks seventh nationally in scoring defense and 19th in scoring margin.
UTES ON THE RADIO
Utah's game against Weber State will be broadcast live on KALL 910-AM. The game will be called by Brad Stone, Sports Director. In his 13th year with the station, Stone is also the host of the Ute men's basketball and football game broadcasts, as well as the "Redzone," an hour-long show devoted to Ute sports that airs from 1-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
UP NEXT:
At 7 p.m. next Thursday, Jan. 9, Utah hosts Montana for a rematch of last week's loss. On Saturday, Jan. 11, the Utes host Northern Arizona at 7 p.m.
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