January 13, 2010

WBSK: WHAT’S BRUIN - Bruins Return Home Hoping to Extend NWC Winning Streaks

* Upcoming Games:

- Fri., Jan. 15, 8:00 pm - vs. Willamette University (NWC), Newberg, Ore.

- Sat., Jan. 16, 8:00 pm - vs. Linfield College (NWC), Newberg, Ore.

NEWBERG, Ore. - Fresh from a successful 2-0 road swing through eastern Washington, the George Fox University Bruins return home to host the Willamette University Bearcats Friday and the Linfield College Wildcats Saturday with an eye toward extending their two 23-game Northwest Conference winning streaks.

Both games this weekend tip off at 8:00 p.m. as the conference experiments with a time reversal of all NWC doubleheaders; the men's games will tip off at 6:00 p.m. before the women play.  The same situation will occur for all conference twinbills the week of Feb. 8-14 when the Bruins visit Willamette and Linfield. KFOX radio will webcast every game this weekend, with live stats and live video from Stretch Internet also provided at the following links:

KFOX Radio: http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/

Live Video: http://secure.stretchinternet.com/demo/games.php?user=georgefox&o=cal_stamp&sd=today

Live Stats: http://athletics.georgefox.edu/livestats/index

The defending NCAA Division III national champion Bruins, who are ranked 7th in the latest WBCA poll and 10th by D3hoops.com, are now 11-2 on the season, winning their last seven in a row, and 4-0 in conference play, a half-game behind 5-0 Lewis & Clark College.  Their last regular-season loss to an NWC team was a 45-35 setback at Lewis & Clark on Feb. 15, 2008; they have won 23 regular-season NWC games since.  The last George Fox loss to a conference team at any time was a 62-52 reversal at the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 29, 2008, in the finals of the Northwest Conference Tournament; the Bruins have also won 23 straight against NWC competition including tournament games since then.

George Fox is coming off a weekend sweep, with a 60-49 win at Whitman College and a 60-51 victory at Whitworth University.  The Bruins defeated the Missionaries on Friday behind 18 points from Keisha Gordon and 10 from Breezy Rinehart-Young.  On Saturday, the Bruins trailed by 11 early in the second half before out-scoring the Pirates 39-19 to close out the game.  Elise Kuenzi led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds, B.B Gardner scored 13 by hitting four three-pointers without a miss, and Hannah Munger added 11 points and three blocked shots.

Willamette (2-12, NWC 0-5, 9th): The Bearcats from Salem, Ore., were picked to finish 8th in the pre-season NWC coaches' poll, George Fox 1st ... Willamette has lost eight in a row since defeating Whittier 61-49 on Dec. 4, including a 61-40 loss at home Tuesday to Lewis & Clark in which Kaileigh Westermann and Alex Zennan led the Bearcats with 10 points apiece ... Series record (since 1982): George Fox leads 45-12 (26-3 home, 18-9 away, 1-0 neutral) ... The Bruins have won the last 14 meetings, including 70-55 in Salem on Jan. 23 and 67-55 in Newberg on Feb. 20 last year ... The Bearcats' last win in the series was 53-51 in Salem on Feb. 9, 2002 ... Willamette is 2nd in the NWC in rebounding (41.2) and blocked shots (4.36, 41st nationally), and 9th in scoring (52.6) and defense (68.3) ... G Alex Zennan is 5th in scoring (15.2), 1.5) and steals (2.14), 1st in 3-point field goals (2.64, 36th nationally) ... P Keilyn Fujioka is 13th in scoring (11.2), 2nd in rebounding (8.2) and blocked shots (2.00, 40th nationally) ... F Kaileigh Westermann is 7th in rebounding (6.8) and blocked shots (0.79) ... PG Erin Barclay is 5th in assists (3.25) ... P Nicki Clowdsley is 5th in blocked shots (1.00) ... Coach Anne Lapray is 2-12 to date in her 1st season as the Bearcats' head coach after serving as a co-coach last year ... Next game: Jan. 22 vs. Pacific Lutheran, 6 p.m.

Linfield (3-10, NWC 1-3, 6th T): The Wildcats from McMinnville, Ore., were picked to finish 9th in the pre-season NWC coaches' poll, George Fox 1st ... The Wildcats broke an eight-game losing streak with a 68-55 win at Willamette in their last game on Saturday behind 19 points and 10 rebounds from Gretchen Owens, 15 points from Kelsey Forrest, 14 from Lindsey Gummersall, and 10 from Nadra Evans ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 42-22 (26-4 home, 16-16 away, 0-2 neutral) ... The Bruins have won the last four meetings, sweeping last year 75-49 in Newberg on Jan. 17 and 69-34 in McMinnville on Feb. 14 ... The Wildcats' last win in the series was 51-50 in McMinnville on Jan. 23, 2007 ... Linfield is 1st in the NWC in 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.281), 3rd in blocked shots (3.38), 3-pt field goals (5.62), rebounding (40.9) and rebound margin (+4.9), 5th in scoring (61.6) and defense (64.8) ... Gretchen Owens is 6th in scoring (14.7), rebounding (7.2), 4th in steals (2.38), 5th in 3-pt field goals (1.69) ... Lindsey Gummersall is 10th in scoring (11.8), 3rd in blocked shots (1.31), 5th in rebounding (7.5), 3-pt field goal pct. (.357) ... Nadra Evans is 9th in assists (2.77) ... Coach Casey Kushiyama is 3-10 to date in the 1st season at Linfield ... Linfield hosts Pacific Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next game: Jan. 22 at Whitworth, 6 p.m.

BRUIN BITS:

* Kuenzi BAA Athlete of the Week, HM for NWC Honors

Leading George Fox in rebounds in both games and in points once,Elise Kuenzi has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Women's Athlete of the Week and received honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Women's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week as the nationally-ranked Bruins went 2-0 in eastern Washington during the week of Jan. 4-10.  It is her second time this season to get the BAA award and honorable mention for the NWC award.

In a 60-49 win at Whitman on Jan. 8, Kuenzi scored 9 points on 4-9 field goals and 1-4 free throws, with 7 rebounds and an assist.  In a 60-51 victory at Whitworth on Jan. 9, she keyed a comeback from an 11-point second-half deficit with a team-leading 15 points on 5-7 field goals and 5-6 free throws, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.  In two games, she scored 24 points (12.0 ppg) on 9-16 field goals (.563) and 6-10 free throws (.600), hauled down 15 rebounds (7.5 rpg), and had 5 assists.

Kuenzi, a senior forward from Silverton, Ore., ranks 12th in the conference in rebounding (5.8, T), 15th in assists (2.00, T), and 30th in scoring (8.2).

* 2009-10 Honors

Keisha Gordon

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 16-22; Nov. 30-Dec. 6

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 16-22; HM, Nov. 30-Dec. 6

Elise Kuenzi

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 23-29; Jan. 4-10

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 23-29; HM, Jan. 4-10

Hannah Munger

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Dec. 14-20; Dec. 28-Jan. 3

- D3hoops.com National Team of the Week - Dec. 14-20; Dec. 28-Jan.3

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Dec. 14-27; Dec. 28-Jan. 3

* Polls: Bruins Climb to 7th in WBCA Poll, 10th in D3hoops

After going 3-0 in conference play during the week, George Fox has rise in both NCAA Division III national polls.  In the USA Today / ESPN / WBCA poll, the Bruins (11-2) moved from 10th to 7th with 145 points.  In the D3hoops.com poll, they climbed from 12th to 10th with 352 points.  Coming off a 32-0 season and the D-III national championship, George Fox was ranked 4th in the D3hoops.com pre-season poll and 5th in the WBCA pre-season poll.

Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark were other Northwest Conference schools mentioned in the polls.  UPS was 22nd in the D3hoops poll with 108 points and 22nd in the WBCA poll with 36.  L&C was listed among "others receiving votes" with 17 points in D3hoops and 12 in the WBCA poll.  Illinois Wesleyan University (13-0) remained No. 1 with 620 points in the D3hoops poll and 200 in the WBCA poll.

D3hoops.com Poll: http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/

USA Today / ESPN / WBCA Poll: http://www.wbca.org/DIIICoachesPoll.asp

* Bruins Went 7-2 Against Toughest Non-Conference Schedule Ever

Playing perhaps its toughest non-conference schedule ever, and certainly as a D-III team, George Fox was very successful, going 7-2 before Northwest Conference play started.  The Bruins were 3-0 vs. NAIA Division II teams, 1-1 vs. NAIA Division I, 2-0 vs. NCAA Division II, and 1-1 vs. NCAA Division III. 

* NCAA Stats (thru Jan. 10): Munger Among Leaders in Blocks, Gordon in FT Pct.

- George Fox is 10th in defense (50.5), 18th in blocked shots (5.2), 21st in won-lost pct. (.846), 33rd in fewest fouls (14.3), 43rd in 3-point field goals (6.5) ...

- Hannah Munger is 12th in blocked shots (2.8) ...

- Keisha Gordon is 47th in free throw pct. (860) ...

* NWC Stats (thru Jan. 12): Bruins Lead League in Five Defensive Categories

- George Fox is 1st in defense (50.5), field goal pct. defense (.349), rebounding defense (33.4), blocked shots (5.15), steals (10.31, T), 2nd in scoring margin (+11.2), rebound margin (+5.5), 3-pt field goals (6.46), 3rd in field goal pct. (.398), 4th in assists (12.31), turnover margin (+1.08), 5th in scoring (61.6, T), 3-pt field goal pct. (.295), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.325), rebounding (38.9), assist/TO ratio (0.63), 6th in 8th in free throw pct. (.638) ...

- Keisha Gordon is 1st in steals (2.85), 2nd in 3-pt field goals (2.15), free throw pct. (.860), 4th in scoring (15.3), 3-pt field goal pct. (.359), 6th in blocked shots (0.85), 12th in rebounding (5.8, T), 13th in field goal pct. (.415), 14th in assists (2.15) ...

- Hannah Munger is 1st in blocked shots (2.85), 3rd in field goal pct. (.536), 8th in rebounding (6.8), 15th in scoring (10.5) ...

- Elise Kuenzi is 12th in rebounding (5.8, T), 15th in assists (2.00, T), 30th in scoring (8.2) ...

- B.B. Gardner is 4th in assist/TO ratio (1.00), 6th in assists (3.08, T), 14th in steals (1.54, T) ...

- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 8th in blocked shots (0.77, T) ...

* Double-Doubles

- Hannah Munger: season 3, career 3 - 16 pts, 11 reb vs. Concordia-Portland, 11/20; 18 pts, 10 reb at Western Oregon, 12/29; 12 pts, 13 reb vs. Puget Sound, 1/2

- Elise Kuenzi: season 1, career 2 - 14 pts, 10 reb vs. Chaminade in Honolulu, Hawai'i, 12/20

* Head Coach Scott Rueck

Head coach Scott Rueck (Oregon State ‘91), the winningest coach in GFU women's basketball history, is 271-87 (.757, 136-24 home, 99-52 road, 36-11 neutral) to date in his 14th season at George Fox ... He was named the 2008-09 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year for leading the Bruins to the national championship by D3hoops.com and the WBCA, West Region Coach of the Year by both, and Northwest Conference Coach of the Year for the sixth time (also in '00, '01, '05, '07, and '08) ... Against Willamette, he is 23-3 (13-0 home, 10-3 away) ... Against Linfield, he is 21-6 (12-2 home, 9-4

away) ...