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WBSK: WHAT’S BRUIN - Bruins Head for Midwest to Face Carthage in NCAA “Sweet 16”
* Upcoming Games - NCAA Division III Sectional, St. Louis, Missouri:
- Fri., Mar. 12, 5 pm CST - George Fox University (27-2) vs. Carthage College (24-4)
- Fri., Mar. 12, 7 pm CST - Washington University-St. Louis (25-2) vs. Mount Union College (26-4)
- Sat., Mar. 13, 7 pm CST - Sectional Finals
NEWBERG, Ore. - With two steps down and four to go, the George Fox University Bruins will continue their quest for a second consecutive national championship when they meet the Carthage College Lady Reds Friday in the "Sweet 16" round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.
Joining George Fox (27-2) and Carthage (24-4) in one of four four-team sectionals Mar. 12-13 will be the host Washington University-St. Louis Bears (25-2) and the Mount Union College Purple Raiders (26-4). The Bruins and Lady Reds tip off Friday at 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (3:00 p.m. Pacific time), followed by the Bears and Purple Raiders at 7:00 p.m. CST (5:00 p.m. PST ). The "Elite 8" game on Saturday is at 7:00 p.m. CST (5:00 p.m. PST ), with the winner advancing to the Final Four at Illinois Wesleyan University's Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill., Mar. 19-20.
Below are internet links provided by host Washington University to the official sectional website, ticket information, and live stats and live video streaming which will be provided for all three games. George Fox campus station KFOX Radio will also provide live audio, with Justin Sweeney and Nick Metz as play-by-play and color commentators.
Sectional Tournament Site: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/releases/2010NCAASectional.html
Live Stats: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/mensbball/LiveStats/xlive.htm
Live Video: http://www.stretchinternet.com/wustlschedule.html
Ticket Information: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/releases/WBTicketInformation.html
KFOX Radio Live Audio: http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/
The field for the St. Louis sectional presents an intriguing possible scenario, as wins by both George Fox and Washington would set up a rematch of last year's national championship game in Holland, Mich., won by the Final Four newcomer Bruins 60-53 over the tournament-tested Bears.
Carthage (24-4): The Lady Reds from Kenosha, Wisc., are ranked 14th by D3hoops and 16th in the WBCA poll. Carthage finished second to Illinois Wesleyan University in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and received an at-large bid to the post-season. The Lady Reds posted their first-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament on Friday with a 73-60 victory over Northland College, and advanced to the sectional with a 79-74 win over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday. George Fox and Carthage have never met.
Washington-St. Louis (25-2): The champion of the University Athletic Association with a 13-1 record and perhaps the most storied program in Division III women's basketball, the Bears are ranked 6th in both national polls. Wash U is making an NCAA-record 21st straight trip to the playoffs and 22nd overall, with a 51-18 all-time mark in the post-season and four national championships in a row from 1998-2001. The Bears advanced to their eighth Final Four last season before falling to the Bruins in their first-ever meeting. This year, Washington won its first-round game 81-67 over Maryville College and then won at Thomas More College 68-49 in the second round.
Mount Union (26-4): The Purple Raiders from Alliance, Ohio, are making their fourth tournament appearance, having made it to the sectionals in 1995, losing in the national title game in 1996, and winning the third-place game in 1998. The Purple Raiders are 19th in the WBCA poll and second among "others receiving votes" in the D3hoops poll. Mount Union finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference but defeated Capital University 80-71 in the title game of the OAC Tournament. The Puple Raiders went on to defeat Washington & Jefferson College 71-48 in a first-round game and No. 17 Messiah College 64-55 in the second round. The Bruins and Purple Raiders have never met.
George Fox (27-2): The Bruins are ranked 5th in both national polls and enter the sectional on a 23-game winning streak. Winners of both the Northwest Conference regular season and tournaments titles, the Bruins are in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time and have a record of 14-5 to date after defeating Louisiana College 65-49 and the University of Puget Sound 59-37 in the first two rounds at home this year. Here is how the Bruins have fared in their NCAA trips:
* Bruins in the NCAA National Tournament (14-5: Home 7-2, 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) - "Elite 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
2009-10
3/5 vs. Louisiana College (W 65-49) -1st round
3/6 vs. Puget Sound (W 59-37) - 2nd round
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 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 38
The Bruins' last loss to a Northwest Conference team in regular-season games only 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 Puget Sound in the NCAA West Regional on Mar. 6, they have won 38 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 27-2 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 Mar. 6): Bruins Lead League in 11 Different Stats
- George Fox is 1st in defense (47.9), scoring margin (+17.9), field goal pct. (.425), field goal pct. defense (.319), 3-pt field goals (7.31), 3-pt field goal pct. (.347), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.280), rebounding defense (33.8), rebound margin (+6.8), blocked shots (5.62), steals (9.62), 2nd in scoring (65.9), rebounding (40.6), assists (14.83), 3rd in turnover margin (+1.28), assist/TO ratio (0.84), 8th in free throw pct. (.651) ...
- Keisha Gordon is 2nd in free throw pct. (.828), steals (2.48), 3rd in 3-pt field goals (1.90), 4th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.350), 5th in scoring (14.1), 8th in field goal pct. (.417), 11th in blocked shots (0.55), assists (2.52), rebounding (6.2) ...
- Hannah Munger is 1st in blocked shots (3.38), field goal pct. (.553), 2nd in rebounding (7.8), 11th in scoring (12.1) ...
- Elise Kuenzi is 8th in assists (2.62), 9th in field goal pct. (.417), 17th in rebounding (5.5), 23rd in scoring (9.4) ...
- B.B. Gardner is 3rd in assist/TO ratio (1.17), 6th in assists (3.03), 13th in steals (1.41) ...
- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 9th in blocked shots (0.86) ...
- Arianna Mohsenian is 2nd in 3-pt field goal pct. (.368, T), 10th in 3-pt field goals (1.59) ...
* Double-Doubles
- Hannah Munger: season 9, career 9 - 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; 11 pts, 11 reb vs. Louisiana College, 3/5; 16 pts, 10 reb vs. Puget Sound, 3/6
- 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
- Keisha Gordon: season 1, career 1 - 15 pts, 13 reb vs. Puget Sound, 3/6
* GFU Career Lists: Gardner Moves into 5th in All-Time Assists
- B.B. Gardner: With 5 assists in the two West Regional games, Gardner has 275 in her career and has passed Tiffany Behary (271, 2004-08) for 5th on the all-time list. Ahead is Marianne Funderhide (294, 1984-88) ...
- Keisha Gordon: Going 9-13 from the line in the two West Regional games, Gordon still has the all-time best free throw pct. (.814, 175-215). Kim Leith is 2nd (.8108, 210-259) and Christy Brock is 3rd (.8105, 77-95) ...
- Hannah Munger: With 5 blocked shots in the two West Regional games, Munger has 98 for her career, which is already 5th all-time in only her freshman year. She will have to wait until next season to catch No. 4, Kristen Shielee (175, 2005-09) ...
* GFU Season Lists: Munger Now 2nd in Season Blocked Shots
- Hannah Munger: With 5 blocked shots in the two West Regional games, Munger has 98 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 287-87 (.767, 146-24 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 Carthage and Mount Union, he is 0-0 ... Against Washington-St. Louis, he is 1-0 (1-0 neutral) ...
