 |  |
WBSK: WHAT’S BRUIN - Bruins to Begin National Title Defense at Home in West Regional
* Upcoming Games - NCAA Division III West Regional, Newberg, Oregon:
- Fri., Mar. 5, 5 pm PST - University of Puget Sound (23-4) vs. University of Redlands (22-5)
- Fri., Mar. 5, 7 pm PST - George Fox University (25-2) vs. Louisiana College (24-2)
- Sat., Mar. 6, 7 pm PST - West Regional Finals
NEWBERG, Ore. - In what they hope will be the first and second of six steps toward defending their 2008-09 national championship, the George Fox University Bruins will host the 2009-10 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament West Regional first and second-round games Friday-Saturday, March 5-6.
The Schedule: All West Regional games will be played in the Wheeler Sports Center/Miller Gym (capacity 2,500) on George Fox's Newberg campus. In Friday's first game at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) in the University of Puget Sound (23-4), an at-large team from the Northwest Conference, will take on the University of Redlands (22-5), winner of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Northwest Conference champion George Fox (25-2) and American Southwest Conference Tournament winner Louisiana College (24-2) will square off in Friday's second game at 7:00 p.m. PST. The two winners will play Saturday at 7:00 p.m. PST, with the regional champion advancing to a "Sweet 16" game in one of four sectionals Mar. 12-13 at sites to be determined.
Tickets: Ticket prices for both evenings are $6 for adults and $3 for students, children, and seniors 55 and older. Children age two and under are free. Tickets may be purchased in advance beginning Wednesday at the George Fox athletics department office in the Wheeler Sports Center. Northwest Conference and other passes are not valid for NCAA Tournament games. For additional information, contact the athletics department at 503-554-2910.
Multimedia Access: Live stats, live internet audio from George Fox campus station KFOX radio, and live video streaming via Stretch Internet will be provided for all three regional games by George Fox at the following links:
Live Stats: http://athletics.georgefox.edu/livestats/index
Live Audio: http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/
Live Video: http://secure.stretchinternet.com/demo/games.php?user=georgefox&o=cal_stamp&sd=today
The Teams:
George Fox (25-2): The Bruins are ranked No. 5 in both the WBCA and D3hoops national polls and No. 1 in the West Region after winning their fourth straight regular season Northwest Conference crown, their seventh overall, and second straight NWC Tournament and third overall. The Bruins defeated Puget Sound 77-51 in this year's tournament final to earn the league's automatic berth ... George Fox won last year's national championship with a perfect 32-0 record, defeating Washington University-St. Louis 60-53 in the title game in Holland, Mich. ... The Bruins enter the NCAA Tournament with a 21-game winning streak ... George Fox is 12-5 in six previous NCAA appearances ...
* Bruins in the NCAA National Tournament (12-5: Home 5-2, Road 1-1, Neutral 6-2) *
1999-2000
3/1 vs. Linfield (W 63-51) - 1st round
3/4 vs. California Lutheran (W 71-63) - 2nd round
3/10 vs. St. Thomas MN at Abilene, Texas (L 64-76) - "Sweet 16"
2000-01
3/3 vs. St. Thomas MN (L 52-64) - 2nd round
2004-05
3/5 vs. Chapman (W 86-55) - 2nd round
3/11 vs. St. Benedict at Ashland, Va. (W 74-69) - "Sweet 16"
3/12 at Randolph-Macon (L 51-63) - "Eltte 8"
2006-07
3/2 vs. Gustavus Adolphus (W 61-47) - 1st round
3/3 vs. Puget Sound (L 48-51) - 2nd round
2007-08
3/7 vs. Chapman at Tacoma, Wash. (W 71-55) - 1st round
3/8 at Puget Sound (W 72-66) - 2nd round
3/14 vs. Hope at Brownwood, Texas (L 40-47) - "Sweet 16"
2008-09
3/7 vs. Chapman (W 83-40) - 2nd round
3/13 vs. Oglethorpe at Crestview Hills, Ky. (W 71-56) - "Sweet 16"
3/14 vs. Hope at Crestview Hills, Ky. (W 58-46) - "Elite 8"
3/20 vs. College of New Jersey at Holland, Mich. (W 67-52) - Final Four semifinals
3/21 vs. Washington-St. Louis at Holland, Mich. (W 60-53) - Final Four national championship
Louisiana College (24-2): The Wildcats from Pineville, La., received the American Southwest Conference's automatic berth by defeating McMurry University 73-69 in overtime at home for their first NCAA Tournament appearance. They are the first team from the ASC East Division ever to win the conference tournament title ... The Wildcats enter the post-season with a 16-game winning streak ... Louisiana College is ranked 14th in the WBCA poll, 16th in the D3hoops polls, and 2nd in the South Region ... Series record: 1st meeting ...
Redlands (22-5): The Bulldogs from Redlands, Calif., defeated Occidental College in Los Angeles 55-54 in overtime to capture the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title after the two had tied for the regular season crown. The Bulldogs played in each of the last three four-team SCIAC Tournaments, being ousted in the semifinals twice before winning it all this year to earn their first-ever NCAA appearance ... Redlands is not ranked in either national poll, and is 3rd in the West Region ... Series record: 1st meeting ...
Puget Sound (23-4): The Loggers from Tacoma, Wash., received one of 21 at-large bids after falling to George Fox in the Northwest Conference Tournament finals 77-51. UPS is making it fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five years, with their furthest advance an "Elite 8" trip in 2007 ... Puget Sound is ranked 13th in both the WBCA and D3hoops polls, and 2nd in the West Region ... Series record (since 1982): George Fox leads 21-16 (14-5 home, 7-11 away) .. The Bruins have won the last seven meetings ... The Loggers' last win in the series was 62-52 in Tacoma on Feb. 29, 2008, in the finals of the NWC Tournament ...
Tournament Tidbits: A total of 64 teams were selected for this year's tournament, with 41 automatic bids (Pool A), two independents (Pool B), and 21 at-larges (Pool C). Regional winners will advance to four sectionals Mar. 12-13, with the Final Four set for Mar. 19-20 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill. ... The George Fox-Louisiana College matchup is the only first-round game with both teams having two or fewer losses ... Of the 16 conferences with two or more teams in the tournament, only two - the Northwest Conference and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (Washington & Lee and Roanoke) - have teams that could possibly meet in the second round. All other conferences have had their teams separated until at least the "Sweet 16".
BRUIN BITS:
* 2009-10 Honors
Keisha Gordon
- All-Northwest Conference First Team
- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 16-22; Nov. 30-Dec. 6; Jan. 11-17
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 16-22; HM, Nov. 30-Dec. 6; HM, Jan. 11-17
Elise Kuenzi
- All-Northwest Conference Honorable Mention
- 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
- All-Northwest Conference First Team
- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Dec. 14-20; Dec. 28-Jan. 3; Jan. 18-24; Jan. 25-31; Feb. 1-7; Feb. 8-14
- 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; HM, Dec. 28-Jan. 3; HM, Jan. 18-24; Jan. 25-31; HM, Feb. 1-7; HM, Feb. 8-14; HM, Feb. 15-21
B.B. Gardner
- All-Northwest Conference Honorable Mention
- ESPN The Magazine / CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Women's Basketball College Division First Team
Scott Rueck
- Northwest Conference Coach of the Year
* '09 Champions, All-American Shielee Get Top Honors at Oregon Sports Awards
Former George Fox All-American center Kristen Shielee was named the Ad Rutschman Small College Female Athlete of the Year, and the 2008-09 Bruins' team which she led to the NCAA Division III national title was cited as a George Pasero Team of the Year at the 2009 Oregon Sports Awards presented Sunday night, Jan. 31, at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Ore. ... Bruins' head coach Scott Rueck was a finalist for the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year, which was won by Chip Kelly, head coach of the Pacific 10 Conference champion University of Oregon football team.
* Polls: Bruins 5th in Final National Polls, 1st in West Region
The George Fox Bruins remained 5th in the final regular season NCAA Division III national polls. In the USA Today / ESPN / WBCA poll, the Bruins, now 25-2, received 152 points, while in the D3hoops.com poll, they were 5th with 516 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. Amherst College (27-0) remained as the No. 1 team in both polls with 21 first-places votes and 617 points in the D3hoops poll, and 7 firsts and 175 points in the WBCA poll.
In the final NCAA Division III regional rankings by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, George Fox remained No. 1 in the West Region (25-2 overall, 16-1 vs. regional competition). Following the Bruins were Puget Sound (23-4, 18-3), Redlands (22-5, 21-4), Simpson (22-5, 18-4), Gustavus Adolphus (20-6, 20-5), and St. Thomas (21-7, 21-7).
D3hoops.com Poll: http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/
USA Today / ESPN / WBCA Poll: http://www.wbca.org/DIIICoachesPoll.asp
West Regional Rankings: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/030110aaf.html
* Records Set or Tied in 2009-10:
- Most Blocked Shots, Team, Game - 13 vs. Linfield, 1/16/2010 (tied record set at U of Dallas, 11/22/2008)
- Most Conference Wins, Season - 16 (tied record set in 2008-09)
- Best 3-Pt Field Goal Pct., Player, Game - 1.000 (6-6) by Arianna Mohsenian vs. Lewis & Clark, 2/25/10 (previous record was 5-5 by Traci Blair vs. Lewis & Clark, 11/28/90; and by Tabitha Dawson (Greller) vs. Hamline, 11/22/97
* Bruins Stretch Winning Streaks vs. NWC Teams to 35 and 37
The Bruins' last loss to a Northwest Conference team in regular-season games was a 45-35 setback at Lewis & Clark on Feb. 15, 2008; they have won 35 regular-season NWC games since. The last George Fox loss to a conference team of any kind was a 62-52 reversal at Puget Sound on Feb. 29, 2008, in the finals of the Northwest Conference Tournament. With the Bruins' win over Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound in the NWC Tournament on Feb. 25, they have also won 37 straight against all NWC competition including conference tournament and post-season games.
* Bruins Set Precedent with Back-to-Back Perfect NWC Seasons
George Fox finished the 2009-10 season with a 16-0 record in Northwest Conference play and accomplished something no other team in NWC history has ever done - post back-to-back perfect conference seasons. The Bruins were 16-0 in league play in 2008-09 on the way to a 32-0 season and NCAA national championship. The only other team to go unbeaten in league play was Willamette in 1985-86, with a 10-0 record in the NWC's predecessor, the Women's Conference of Independent Colleges. Only one other conference team has ever won more than 15 games, Pacific Lutheran going 17-1 in 1998-99 when Seattle University was a member and there were ten teams in the NWC instead of the current nine.
* Bruins Have Posted 17 Consecutive Winning Seasons
This year's 25-2 overall record has extended the Bruins' string of winning seasons to 17 in a row. The streak began in 1993-94 when Sherri Murrell, now the coach at Portland State University, went 16-12 in the first of her three years at George Fox. The last 14 have all come under coach Scott Rueck.
* NCAA Stats (thru Feb. 28): Munger, Gordon Among National Leaders
- George Fox is 5th in defense (48.3), 7th in field goal pct. defense (.322), 8th in won-lost pct. (.926), 9th in 3-point field goals (7.4), 12th in scoring margin (+16.9), 13th in blocked shots (5.8), 15th in fewest fouls (13.4), 35th in rebounding margin (+6.8), 40th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.345) ... The Bruins' 15 3-pt field goals vs. Linfield on Jan. 16 and at Willamette on Feb. 12 are tied for the 2nd-most threes in a game this season in D-III (Sewanee had 16 in a game vs. Rhodes) ...
- Hannah Munger is 8th in blocked shots (3.4), 23rd in field goal pct. (.557) ... Her 9 blocks vs. Linfield are tied for the 6th-most in a game in D-III this season ...
- Keisha Gordon is 34th in free throw pct. (.844) ...
* NWC Stats (thru Feb. 28): Bruins Lead League in 12 Different Stats
- George Fox is 1st in scoring (66.1), defense (48.3), scoring margin (+17.9), field goal pct. (.423), field goal pct. defense (.322), 3-pt field goals (7.41), 3-pt field goal pct. (.345), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.285), rebounding defense (33.9), rebound margin (+6.8), blocked shots (5.78), steals (9.93), 2nd in rebounding (40.7), assists (15.00), 3rd in turnover margin (+1.44), 4th in assist/TO ratio (0.84), 8th in free throw pct. (.655) ...
- Keisha Gordon is 2nd in free throw pct. (.844), steals (2.59), 3rd in 3-pt field goals (2.04), 3-pt field goal pct. (.362), 5th in scoring (14.3), 9th in field goal pct. (.415), 11th in blocked shots (0.59), assists (2.48), 13th in rebounding (5.9) ...
- Hannah Munger is 1st in blocked shots (3.44), field goal pct. (.557), 3rd in rebounding (7.6), 11th in scoring (12.0) ...
- Elise Kuenzi is 8th in assists (2.59), 11th in field goal pct. (.409), 17th in rebounding (5.5), 25th in scoring (9.0) ...
- B.B. Gardner is 3rd in assist/TO ratio (1.12), 6th in assists (3.07), 13th in steals (1.48) ...
- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 8th in blocked shots (0.88) ...
- Arianna Mohsenian is 4th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.351), 10th in 3-pt field goals (1.48) ...
* Double-Doubles
- Hannah Munger: season 7, career 7 - 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; 12 pts, 14 reb vs. Pacific Lutheran, 1/23; 10 pts, 11 reb at Puget Sound, 1/29; 15 pts, 15 reb vs. Whitman, 2/5; 16 pts, 10 reb vs. Puget Sound, 2/27
- Elise Kuenzi: season 2, career 3 - 14 pts, 10 reb vs. Chaminade in Honolulu, Hawai'i, 12/20; 13 pts, 12 reb at Linfield, 2/13
* GFU Career Lists: Gardner Two Assists Away from Top Five
- B.B. Gardner: With 4 assists vs. Lewis & Clark, Gardner has 270 in her career, 6th on the all-time assists list. Ahead is Tiffany Behary (271, 2004-08) ...
- Keisha Gordon: Going 6-6 from the line vs. Puget Sound, Gordon improved her all-time best free throw pct. (.822, 166-202). Kim Leith is 2nd (.8108, 210-259) and Christy Brock is 3rd (.8105, 77-95) ...
* GFU Season Lists: Munger Now 2nd in Season Blocked Shots
- Hannah Munger: With one blocked shot vs. Puget Sound, Munger has 93 on the season, the second-most in one season. The record is 122 by All-American Kristen Shielee during the 2008-09 national championship season ...
* Head Coach Scott Rueck
Head coach Scott Rueck (Oregon State ‘91), the 2009-10 Northwest Conference Coach of the Year and the winningest coach in GFU women's basketball history, is 285-87 (.766, 144-24 home, 105-52 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 and West Region Coach of the Year by both D3hoops.com and the WBCA ... He is a seven-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year ('00, '01, '05, '07, '08, '09, and ‘10) ... He was a finalist for the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year which was presented at the 2009 Oregon Sports Awards show on Jan. 31 ... Against Puget Sound, he is 21-14 (14-4 home, 7-10 away) ... He is 0-0 vs. both Redlands and Louisiana College ...
