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Mar 5, 2009
WHAT’S BRUIN: Weekly News & Notes
Overall Record: 27-0 (Home
14-0, Road 10-0, Neutral 3-0)
Northwest Conference: 16-0, 1st (Home 8-0, Road 8-0)
Internet Links For:
Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule / Results / Statistics / Box Scores / Press Releases
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Coming Up: Bruins to Host Chapman in NCAA 2nd Round
* Recent Games: Bruins Win NWC Tournament and NCAA Bid
* Shielee, Rueck Earn NWC Top Awards as Four Bruins Honored
* Shielee Again Earns BAA Award, HM for NWC Honors
* Polls: Bruins Remain in 2nd in WBCA, 3rd in D3hoops Poll
* NCAA Stats: Shielee Now 2nd Nationally in FG Pct.
* NWC Stats: Seven Bruins Among League Leaders
* Shielee Rewriting Record Books in Blocks, FG Pct.
* COMING UP: Bruins to Host Chapman in NCAA 2nd
Round
Sat, Mar. 7, 7:00 pm - vs. Chapman University, in Newberg,
Ore. (NCAA Tournament)
After receiving the only first-round bye in the 63-team NCAA
Division III Women’s Basketball National Tournament, the
Bruins finally take to the court in the second round on Saturday,
March 7, when they will host Chapman University in the Wheeler
Sports Center’s Miller Gym at 7:00 p.m.
George Fox, ranked No. 2 in the USA Today / ESPN / Women’s
Basketball Coaches Association poll and No. 3 in the D3hoops.com
poll, is one of two remaining undefeated teams in D-III
women’s hoops (No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan at 27-0 is the
other). The Bruins are making their third straight appearance
in the national tournament, fourth in five years, and sixth in 10
seasons of NCAA eligibility. They have a 7-5 record in NCAA
post-season play, reaching the “Sweet 16” in 2000,
2005, and 2008, and the “Elite 8” in
2005. The Bruins earned the Northwest
Conference’s automatic bid to the playoffs by winning the
conference tournament with victories over Whitman College and the
University of Puget Sound.
NCAA Tournament Tickets: Tickets for
Saturday’s game are $6 for adults and $3 for students,
children, and seniors 55 and up. Children age two and under
are free. Advance tickets are on sale in the athletics office
and must be purchased in person. Regular season passes are
not valid for the NCAA playoffs.
Internet Coverage: Campus station KFOX Radio will
webcast the Chapman game, and LiveStats and live video streaming
will also be available. Links to George Fox
multimedia coverage when provided:
KFOX radio webcasts - http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/
LiveStats - http://academic.georgefox.edu/~sports/xlive.htm
Live video streaming - http://media.georgefox.edu/bruinsports.html
Chapman (20-8): The Chapman Panthers from Orange,
Calif., received one of three Pool B bids for independents to the
NCAA Tournament, earning their ninth consecutive appearance in the
playoffs … The Panthers defeated the Occidental Tigers 70-65
in overtime in Wednesday’s first-round game, advancing to the
second round for the fourth time in the last six
years. Lauren Kamiyama led Chapman with 24
points and Linda Ly added 13 … Series record: George Fox
leads 3-0 (2-0 home, 1-0 neutral) …The first two meetings
between the two came in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins defeating
the Panthers 86-55 on March 5, 2005, in the second round in
Newberg, and 71-55 on March 7, 2008, in last year’s first
round in Tacoma, Wash. … Chapman paid a regular-season visit
to Newberg this season on Dec. 13, with the Bruins prevailing 82-52
behind 17 points each from Elise Kuenzi and B.B.
Gardner. Linda Ly led the Panthers with 14
points. The Bruins set a new single-game record
in that contest with 33 made free throws, breaking the old mark of
32 vs. Central Washington on Nov. 19, 1993. They
also attempted 45 free throws, two short of the record of 47 in
that same Central Washington game … Chapman averages 65.1
ppg while allowing 58.0 ppg … The Panthers are aggressive on
defense, ranking 28th nationally in steals per game (12.7) and 28th
in turnover margin (+5.37) … Chapman also fouls a lot (see
the Bruin game above), ranking 421st out of 435 D-III teams in
fewest fouls and averaging 23.0 fouls per game … The
Panthers have two double-figure scorers: G Linda Ly (11.0) and PG
Lauren Kamiyama (10.1) … G Nicole Hayman was averaging 18.6
ppg through the Panthers’ first nine games before suffering a
leg injury that sidelined her for the rest of the season … C
Andrijana Kerkez is the leading rebounder (7.9) … Kamiyama
is the assists leader (4.11) … Coach Carol Jue is 127-38 to
date in her 6th season at Chapman, and 142-48 in her 7th season
overall.
* Recent Games (2-0): Bruins Win NWC Tournament and NCAA
Bid
Feb. 26 - at George Fox 85, Whitman 47 (NWC
Tournament)
Feb. 28 - at George Fox 67, Puget Sound 58 (NWC Tournament)
The Bruins captured their second Northwest Conference Tournament
title in three years and earned the NWC’s automatic berth in
the NCAA Division III National Tournament with home-court wins over
Whitman and Puget Sound. Against the
Missionaries on Thursday, the Bruins had their largest scoring
output of the season, led by Keisha Gordon’s 20
points. The Bruins hit eight of their first 10
shots and jumped out to a 22-4 lead, leaving little doubt as to the
outcome. Saturday’s clash with the
Loggers, the third consecutive year the two have met for the
tournament crown, was considerably more competitive; in fact, the
game was tied 36-36 with 13 minutes left before the Bruins took
control with a 17-2 run over the next five
minutes. Sage Indendi and Kristen Shielee led
the Bruins with 20 points. It was a career high
for Shielee, who notched her ninth double-double of the season with
10 rebounds and blocked four shots, boosting her season record
total to 103.
* Shielee, Rueck Earn NWC Top Awards as Four Bruins
Honored
For the third year in a row, George Fox coach Scott
Rueck and one of his players - this time senior center
Kristen Shielee - received top honors as Coach of
the Year and Player of the Year on the 2008-09 All-Northwest
Conference women’s basketball team.
Joining them with All-NWC honors are freshman wings Sage
Indendi, who was a First Team selection, and
Keisha Gordon, who was named to the Second Team in
balloting by the league’s nine coaches.
Shielee, a 6-4 senior from Gresham, Ore., follows
two-time winner Katy Campbell in giving the Bruins three
consecutive Player of the Year awards. She
averages 12.3 points per game, tied for eighth in the conference,
and 9.7 rebounds, which ranks third, but it is her imposing 6-4
presence in the middle on defense that truly sets her
apart. She has shattered the George Fox
single-season record for blocked shots this year with 103, and
ranks sixth nationally in that category with 3.8 per
game. Her field goal percentage of .632 is fifth
nationally and is well on a pace to set a new Bruin single season
record. She recorded at least one block in
26 of the Bruins’ 27 games, with a record-tying high of 10
vs. Bridgewater. In that same game, she scored
12 points and had a career-high 21 rebounds for the second
triple-double in George Fox history. She has
posted nine double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.
Indendi, a 5-9 guard from Livingston, Mont.,
stepped immediately into a starter’s role at George Fox and
has established herself as one of the conference’s most
consistent performers. Her 12.3 scoring average
is tied for eighth in the NWC, and she also ranks second in the
conference in steals with 2.41 per game and eighth in assists at
2.96 a game. She is eighth in free throw
percentage (.755), ninth in three-point percentage (.410), 10th in
field goal percentage (.412), and 10th in threes per game
(1.26). She scored a career-high 24 points vs.
Whitman, and had season highs of eight assists and eight steals in
just her second college game at Dallas. She also
had a high of seven rebounds vs. Lewis & Clark.
Gordon, a 5-10 guard from Vancouver, Wash., burst
onto the scene with 30 points vs. Carleton in only her fourth
college game and has developed into one of the top offensive
threats in the conference. She leads the Bruins
with a 12.7 scoring average, which ranks seventh in the NWC, and is
a top defender with 1.96 steals per game, fifth in the
conference. Her .817 free throw percentage is
third in the league, while her .427 field goal accuracy is eighth
and her three-point percentage of .355 is
fourth. She stands fourth in the conference in
threes per game as well with a 1.65 average. She
grabbed eight rebounds at Pacific Lutheran for a season high, and
had highs of five assists and five steals in her first college game
vs. Austin in the UD Tip-Off Tournament. She
also had five assists vs. Whitman.
The NWC Coach of the Year award is the sixth overall for
Rueck, who has led the Bruins to a 255-85 record
and a winning percentage of .750 in 13 seasons with the program,
but the 2008-09 season might well go down as his finest coaching
job. Taking a squad with no returning starters
from a 25-5 “Sweet 16” team, only four returning letter
winners, and 10 freshmen, he molded them into a unit that has gone
27-0 and is one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the NCAA
Division III. George Fox won the NWC by a margin
of five games with a 16-0 record, the third straight conference
crown and sixth in the last 10 years the Bruins have won or shared.
COACH SCOTT RUECK:
Scott Rueck (Oregon State '91), the 2008-09
Northwest Conference Coach of the Year, is 255-85 (.750) to date in
his 13th season as a college head coach, all at George
Fox. He picked up his 250th win on Feb. 10 when
the Bruins defeated Pacific 73-52 in Forest Grove, Ore.
He also received NWC Coach of the Year honors in
‘99-00, ‘00-01 (Co-Coach), ‘04-05, ‘06-07,
and ‘07-08, and was named West Region Coach of the Year in
‘07-08 by D3hoops.com. He has guided the
Bruins to six NWC titles, six NCAA Tournament appearances, and a
7-5 playoff record in the last 10 years. Click here for the
complete bio on Coach
Rueck.
Rueck vs. upcoming opponents:
Chapman - 3-0 (2-0 home, 1-0 neutral)
BRUIN BITS:
* Shielee Earns BAA Award for Sixth Time
Senior center Kristen Shielee was named the Bruin
Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week
for the sixth time this year for the week of
Feb. 23-Mar. 1. In an 85-47 win over Whitman in
the semifinals of the Northwest Conference Tournament on Feb. 26,
she scored 12 points on 5-9 field goals and 2-2 free throws, with 7
rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and an assist. In a
67-58 win over Puget Sound in the NWC Tournament title game on Feb.
28, she scored a career-high 20 points on 9-11 field goals and 2-4
free throws, with 10 rebounds for the 9th double-double of the
season, and 4 blocked shots. For the week, she
totaled 32 points (16.0 pg) on 14-20 field goals (.700) and 4-6
free throws (.667), with 17 rebounds (8.5 pg), 7 blocked shots (3.5
pg), and an assist. She now has 103 blocks on
the season, surpassing the previous Bruin record of 86 by Tammy
Lewis in 1986-87. She capped off the week by
being named the Northwest Conference Player of the
Year. Shielee ranks 1st in the NWC in blocked
shots (3.81, 6th nationally), field goal pct. (.632, 2nd
nationally), 3rd in rebounding (9.7), 8th in scoring (12.3,
T)…
* 2008-09 Honors:
Kristen Shielee ---
- Northwest Conference Player of the Year
- Bruin Athletic Association Women's Athlete of the Week (Dec. 15-21; Jan. 12-18; Jan. 19-25; Feb. 9-15; Feb. 16-22; Feb. 23-Mar. 1)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Dec. 15-Jan. 4; HM, Jan. 12-18; HM, Jan. 19-25; HM, Feb. 9-15; HM, Feb. 16-22)
Sage Indendi ---
- All-Northwest Conference First Team
- Bruin Athletic Association Women's
Athlete of the Week (Dec. 8-14; Jan. 26-Feb. 1)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (HM, Dec. 8-14;
HM, Jan. 26-Feb. 1)
Keisha Gordon ---
- All-Northwest Conference Second Team
- Bruin Athletic Association Women's
Athlete of the Week (Nov. 24-30; Jan. 5-11; Feb. 2-8)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (Nov. 24-30;
HM, Jan. 5-11; Feb. 2-8)
Elise Kuenzi ---
- Bruin Athletic Association Women's Athlete of the Week (Nov.
17-23; Dec. 29-Jan. 4)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (HM, Nov.
17-23)
* Polls: Bruins Remain in 2nd in WBCA, 3rd in D3hoops
Poll
After winning the Northwest Conference Tournament, the George Fox
Bruins (27-0) remained 2nd with 239 points in the final
regular-season USA Today / ESPN NCAA Division III Women’s
Basketball Coaches Association poll of Mar. 3, and 3rd with 578
points in the D3hoops.com poll of Mar. 2.
Illinois Wesleyan (27-0), the only other undefeated team in D-III,
sits atop both polls for the sixth week in a row.
Hope (25-1) is 2nd in the D3hoops poll by four
points and seven points behind the Bruins in the WBCA
poll. George Fox has been ranked in the top 25
at some point in eight of the past 10 years (‘00, ‘01,
‘02, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ‘09),
finishing last season 15th in the WBCA poll and 16th in the D3hoops
poll after a 25-5 season and a trip to the “Sweet 16”.
The Bruins’ highest ranking ever was No.
1, a spot they held for two weeks in February of 2001.
George Fox remained atop the West Region rankings which came out
for the third time on Feb. 22 from the NCAA Division III Selection
Committee. At the time, the Bruins were 25-0
overall, 20-0 in the region. The rest of the
West included St. Benedict (22-3, 22-3), Simpson IA (22-3, 18-3),
Concordia-Moorhead (18-7, 17-5), St. Thomas MN (18-7, 18-7), and
Redlands (19-6, 18-6).
* Bruins Set New NWC Standards with Perfect
Season
The Bruins’ 16-0 record in Northwest Conference play is only
the second unbeaten season for a team in the NWC or its
predecessor, the Women’s Conference of Independent
Colleges. The only other known undefeated team
was Willamette University in 1985-86, which went 10-0 in the
WCIC. Only one other conference team has won
more than 15 games, Pacific Lutheran University going 17-1 in
1998-99 when there were ten teams in the NWC instead of the current
nine.
* Bruins Have Posted 16 Straight Winning Seasons
With their 27-0 record, the Bruins have secured their 16th
straight winning season, three under Sherri Murrell (1992-96) and
the last 13 under Scott Rueck. George Fox has
posted a record of 306-116 (.725) during that time, with six NWC
championships or co-championships (including this season) and six
NCAA post-season appearances.
* Ten Records Set or Tied in 2008-09:
The Bruins have set or tied 10 records thus far in 2008-09:
- Most Blocked Shots, Game, Team - 13 at Dallas
in U of Dallas Tip-Off Tournament, 11/22 (previous record was 12
vs. Lewis & Clark, 1/19/1985, and vs. Eastern Oregon,
2/18/1989)
- Most Free Throws Made, Game, Team - 33 (45 fta) vs. Chapman, 12/13 (previous record was 32 vs. Central Washington, 11/19/1993)
- Most Blocked Shots, Game, Player - 10 by Kristen Shielee vs. Bridgewater in Las Vegas Hoopla, 11/20 (tied record set by Shawna Chandler vs. Western Oregon, 1/11/1983)
- Best Free Throw Pct., Game, Player - 1.000 (13-13) by Elise Kuenzi at Whitman, 1/3 (previous record was 11-11 by Nancy Rissmiller vs. Hamline, 11/22/1997)
- Most Blocked Shots, Season, Player - 103 by Kristen Shielee (previous record was 86 by Tammy Lewis, 1986-87)
- Most Wins, Team, Season - 27 (previous record was 25 by 25-5 team in 2007-08)
- Most Conference Wins, Team, Season - 16 (previous record was 15 in 2000-01)
- Highest Conference Winning Percentage, Team, Season - 1.000, 16-0 (previous record was .885, 15-1 in 2000-01)
- Most Wins at Start of Season, Team - 27, Nov. 21-Feb. 28, 2008-09 (previous record was 11 by 2001-02 and 2005-06 teams)
- Longest Winning Streak, Team - 27, Nov. 21-Feb. 28, 2008-09 (previous record was 12, Dec. 18-Feb. 1, 2007-08)
* NCAA Stats: Shielee Now 2nd Nationally in FG
Pct.
In the latest NCAA Division III national statistics release (thru
Mar. 1), George Fox as a team ranked 1st in
won-lost pct. (1.000, tied with unbeaten Illinois Wesleyan), 5th in
defense (49.0), 8th in fouls (12.8 pg), 10th in scoring margin
(+19.5), 13th in blocked shots (5.5 pg), 20th in turnovers (15.4
pg), 23rd in field goal pct. defense (.331), 41st in field goal
pct. (.428), rebound margin (+6.4) … There are 3 other
unbeaten women’s teams left at other levels: Connecticut in
D-I, and Morningside (Iowa) and Shawnee State (Ohio) in the NAIA
Division II … Kristen
Shielee was 2nd in field goal pct. (.632), 6th in blocked
shots (3.8 pg) … B.B. Gardner was 47th in
assist/turnover ratio (1.66) …
* NWC Stats: Seven Bruins Among League Leaders
Where the Bruins rank in the latest Northwest Conference stats
(thru Mar. 1):
Scoring Offense – 1st (68.5)
Scoring Defense – 1st (49.0)
Scoring Margin – 1st (+19.5)
Field Goal Pct. - 1st (.428)
Field Goal Pct. Defense – 1st (.331)
3-Pt Field Goals – 2nd (6.04)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. – 1st (.325)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. Defense – 1st (.273)
Free Throw Pct. – 6th (.668)
Rebounding Offense – 2nd (40.0)
Rebounding Defense – 1st (33.6)
Rebounding Margin – 1st (+6.4)
Assists – 3rd (13.81)
Blocked Shots - 1st (5.48)
Steals – 1st (10.33)
Turnover Margin – 1st (+4.00)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – 3rd (0.90)
- Kristen Shielee
is 1st in blocked shots (3.81), field goal pct. (.632), 3rd in
rebounding (9.7), 8th in scoring (12.0, T) …
- Elise Kuenzi is 5th in free throw pct. (.800),
12th in field goal pct. (.403), 13th in steals (1.41), 15th in
assists (2.07), 20th in scoring (10.0, T), rebounding (5.2) ...
- B.B. Gardner is
1st in assist/turnover ratio (1.66), 7th in assists (3.07)
…
- Keisha Gordon is 3rd in free throw pct. (.817),
4th in 3-pt field goals (1.65), 3-pt field goal pct. (.355), 5th in
steals (1.96), 7th in scoring (12.7), 8th in field goal pct. (.427)
…
- Sage Indendi is 2nd in steals (2.41), 8th in scoring (12.3, T), free throw pct. (.755), assists (2.96), 9th in 3-pt pct. (.330), 10th in field goal pct. (.412), 3-pt field goals (1.26) ...
- Arianna Mohsenian is 7th in 3-pt field goals (1.44), 13th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.317) …
- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 7th in blocked shots (0.81) ...
* Double-Doubles:
- Elise Kuenzi: career 1, season 1 - 18 pts/11
reb at Dallas, 11/22
- Kristen Shielee: career 9, season 9 - 11 pts/15 reb vs. Virginia Wesleyan at Las Vegas, Nev., 12/19; 12 pts/21 reb/10 blocks vs. Bridgewater at Las Vegas, Nev., 12/20; 16 pts/19 reb at Whitman, 1/3; 12 pts/13 reb at Pacific Lutheran, 1/24; 16 pts/11 reb vs. Whitworth, 1/30; 13 pts/10 reb vs. Lewis & Clark, 2/6; 13 pts/10 reb at Pacific, 2/10; 16 pts/17 reb vs. Willamette, 2/20; 20 pts/10 reb vs. Puget Sound, 2/28
* Triple-Doubles:
- Kristen Shielee: career 1, season 1 - 12 pts/21
reb/10 blocks vs. Bridgewater at Las Vegas, Nev., 12/20 (2nd in
Bruin history)
* Shielee Rewriting Record Books in Blocks, FG
Pct.
With 7 blocked shots in the past two games, Kristen
Shielee now has 156 in her career, 4th on the all-time
list. Ahead is Melissa Marek-Farris (182,
2004-08) … She also pushed her season total to 103 blocks,
further extending her new George Fox single-season
record. She surpassed the previous record of 86
set by Tammy Lewis in 1986-87. Shielee’s
per-game average is 3.81, which would surpass Lewis’s season
record of 3.44 blocks per game in 1986-87 (86 blocks in 25
games). The Pacific Lutheran game on Feb. 21 was
the only game all season she has not had at least one block
… Shielee’s current field goal percentage of .632
(146-231) would set a new single-season record, topping the .582
mark posted by Katie Greller in 1997-98 … Her career field
goal percentage, now at. 601 (203-338), would also be a new record,
besting the .543 record by Katie (Greller) Lacey from 1997-2001.
