WHAT’S BRUIN: Women’s Basketball News & Notes 3/8

Links: Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule & Results / Statistics / Press Releases

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 24-5 (Home 12-0, Road 8-3, Neutral 4-2)

NWC Record: 14-2, 1st T (Home 8-0, Road 6-2) 

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins Head to UW-Stevens Points for “Sweet 16” Sectional

* Recent Games: Bruins Advance in NCAAs with Two Wins in SoCal

* Gordon’s Regional Performances Secure BAA Weekly Award

* Polls: Bruins Back in National Rankings at No. 23 in WBCA Poll

* NCAA Stats: Bruins Listed in FG Pct., Rebound Margin, Blocked Shots

* NWC Stats: Bruins Conference Leaders in Eight Categories

* Munger and Gordon Rank Among Top 10 in Single-Season History

* Career Lists: Munger Takes Over as No. 2 All-Time Shot Blocker 

* Coming Up: Bruins Head to UW-Stevens Points for “Sweet 16” Sectional 

- Fri., Mar. 11, 5:00 pm CST - Illinois Wesleyan University (25-4) vs. Coe College (26-3), Stevens Points, Wis. (NCAA Tournament)

- Fri., Mar. 11, 7:00 pm CST - George Fox University (24-5) at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Points (27-2), Stevens Point, Wis.  (NCAA Tournament)

- Sat., Mar. 12, 7:00 pm CST - NCAA D-III UWSP Sectional Championship Game, Stevens Point, Wis. 

NEWBERG, Ore. – Hoping to move one step closer to a second national championship in women’s basketball, the George Fox University Bruins will meet the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers there this Friday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

The Bruins (24-5) and Pointers (27-2) will square off following the 5:00 p.m. game between the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans (25-4) from Bloomington, Ill., and the Coe College Kohawks (26-3) from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  All times listed are Central Standard Times; in the Pacific zone, the game times would be 3:00 p.m. for the IWU-Coe matchup and 5:00 p.m. for the GFU-UWSP contest. 

The two Friday winners will advance to the sectional “Elite 8” title game Saturday, March 12, also at 7:00 p.m., with a berth in the “Final Four” in Bloomington, Ill., on the line. 

Sectional Website: Wisconsin-Stevens Points has established a “Tournament Central” for the sectional at http://athletics.uwsp.edu/sports/2011/3/7/WBB_0307112224.aspx. 

Tickets:  Ticket prices for both nights have been set at $7 for adults, and $4 for senior citizens, children under 12, and students from the participating institutions with a valid ID.  Advanced ticket purchases are highly recommended, as UWSP’s Berg Gymnasium seats only 1,429.  Tickets may be purchased before 10:00 a.m. Central time Thursday with an acceptable credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or Discover) through the UWSP box office at 715-346-4100; after that, all remaining tickets go on sale to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Multimedia: George Fox will provide a live audio feed by campus station KFOX radio on the internet for all Bruins’ games in the UWSP sectional; see above for GFU multimedia links.  UWSP will provide live stats at http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/wbb/live/XLIVE.HTM.  D3hoops.com is planning to supply a broadcast crew and equipment for all three games; a link to its webcast will be released as it is made available.  The George Fox women’s basketball website will also carry links to all multimedia presentations this weekend. 

George Fox was the Northwest Conference co-champion with Lewis & Clark College, which was also selected for the tournament as an at-large team and lost in the first round to Howard Payne University, which was then eliminated at Coe.  The Bruins earned the league’s automatic bid by defeating the Pioneers 76-68 in overtime in the NWC Tournament championship game.  In their regional at Orange, Calif., the Bruins defeated Occidental 53-46 and Louisiana College 63-47 to advance to the “Sweet 16”.  George Fox is 0-0 against all three potential opponents in the sectional. 

Wisconsin-Stevens Point, located in Stevens Point, Wis. (it’s not always that obvious - Wisconsin-Parkside is in Kenosha, not Parkside!), was the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champion.  The Pointers are ranked 3rd in the nation and have won 20 in a row.  This is their third straight “Sweet 16” appearance, arriving with wins over St. Norbert 79-69 and Simpson (Iowa) 82-75 in last week’s regional at UWSP.  The Pointers are led by WIAC Player of the Year Britta Peterson, a 5-11 post who averages 14.4 points and 5.4 rebound a game.  6-0 post Ashley Averkamp (10.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and guard Andrea Flease (6.9 ppg, 5.3 apg) were also First Team All-WIAC selections. 

Illinois Wesleyan, from Bloomington, Ill., won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin to get in the tournament, then posted wins in the regional in Bloomington over Webster 82-70 and Wisconsin Lutheran 84-69.  The Titans, ranked 7th in the nation, are riding a 10-game winning streak and are also in the “Sweet 16” for the third straight season.  Stacey Arliss leads the team in scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg).  Olivia Lett averages 13.7 points a game, and Nikki Preston is at 12.1.  Hope Schulte leads teh team with 90 assists and averages 9.5 points a game. 

Coe, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, reached the tournament by defeating Simpson in the Iowa Conference Tournament, then defeated Minnesota-Morris 78-53 and Howard Payne 79-56 in the regional in Cedar Rapids.  The Kohwaks, ranked 23rd in the nation, are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance.  Leading the Kohawks are Kayla Lincoln (12.5 ppg) and Kayla Waskow (12.0 ppg), while Lincoln and Sarah Anciaux average 5.8 rebounds apiece.  Kaitlin Breitbach has passed out 126 assists. 

Bruins in the NCAA Tournament: This is the fifth consecutive year and eighth time overall in 12 years of NCAA eligibility for George Fox to make the national tournament.  Counting this year’s two wins, the Bruins have compiled a 17-6 record (7-2 home, 1-2 road, 9-2 neutral) in the tournament, reaching the “Sweet 16” six times, including the last four years in a row, the “Elite 8” three times, and winning the national championship in 2008-09 with a 32-0 record. 

99-00    W 63-51 vs. Linfield

            W 71-63 vs. California Lutheran

            L 64-76 vs. St. Thomas MN at Abilene, Texas (Sweet 16)

00-01    L 52-64 vs. St. Thomas MN (2nd round - had 1st-round bye)

04-05    W 86-55 vs. Chapman (had 1st-round bye)

            W 74-69 vs. St. Benedict at Ashland, Va.

            L 51-63 at Randolph-Macon (Elite 8)

06-07    W 61-47 vs. Gustavus Adolphus

            L 48-51 vs. Puget Sound

07-08    W 71-55 vs. Chapman at Tacoma, Wash.

            W 72-66 at Puget Sound

            L 40-47 vs. Hope at Brownwood, Texas (Sweet 16)

08-09    W 83-40 vs. Chapman (had 1st-round bye)

            W 71-56 vs. Oglethorpe at Crestview Hills, Ky.

            W 58-46 vs. Hope at Crestview Hills, Ky.

            W 67-52 vs. College of New Jersey at Holland, Mich.

            W 60-53 vs. Washington-St. Louis at Holland, Mich. (National champions)

09-10    W 65-49 vs. Louisiana College

            W 59-37 vs. Puget Sound

            W 55-48 vs. Carthage at St. Louis, Mo.

            L 52-59 at Washington-St. Louis (Elite 8)

10-11    W 53-46 vs. Occidental at Orange, Calif.

            W 63-47 vs. Louisiana College at Orange, Calif. 

* Recent Games: Bruins Advance in NCAAs with Two Wins in SoCal 

Mar. 4 - George Fox 53, Occidental 46, at Orange, Calif.

Hannah Munger and Keisha Gordon combined for 39 points, leading the Bruins to a 53-46 win over the Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament’s West Regional.  George Fox never trailed in the game, jumping out to 7-2 lead in the first two minutes on a three-pointer by Gordon and two baskets by Munger, the Bruins’ All-NWC First Team duo.  A Munger layup with 3:53 left in the first half gave the Bruins their first double-digit lead of 24-13, and they took a 28-19 lead into the break.  The Tigers got within two at 36-34 with 10:27 left, but Gordon responded with a jumper and two free throws and Munger hit short shot in the lane as the Bruins bumped the lead back to eight at 42-34 with eight minutes to go.  They maintained the margin between four and eight points the rest of the way.  Munger with 20 points and Gordon with 19 were the only Bruins in double-digit scoring.  Munger grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots, while Hayley Cusick handed out three assists.

Mar. 5 - George Fox 63, Louisiana College 47, at Orange, Calif.

Hannah Munger and Keisha Gordon each posted double-doubles and the Bruins overcame a slow start to whip the Wildcats 63-47 and advance to the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.  After LC took an early 14-6 lead, the Bruins answered with a 13-0 run to go ahead 19-14 with 6:04 left and never trailed again.  Hayley Cusick got the rally going with a steal and layup and a jumper, and Arianna Mohsenian drained two three-pointers, the second capping the run.  Another Cusick basket gave the Bruins their largest lead of the half at 29-18 before they settled for a 29-21 halftime lead.  The Wildcats pulled within seven at 37-30 with 12:43 remaining, but the Bruins exploded for a 14-2 run to make it 51-32 with 8:32 left, Gordon chalking up seven points in that span,effectively sealing the deal. Munger recorded her 13th double-double of the season and 24th of her career with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Gordon tossed in 15 points and had 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season and seventh of her career.   Gordon set a new career high with nine assists.  The Bruins finished with a .542 field goal percentage (26-48) while limiting the Wildcats to a .203 mark (25-74).

BRUIN BITS: 

* Gordon’s Regional Performances Secure BAA Weekly Award

With two good games in the NCAA Division III West Regional in Orange, Calif., including her 6th double-double of the season, junior wing Keisha Gordon of Vancouver, Wash., has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week for Feb. 28-Mar. 6. 

In a 53-46 tournament-opening win over Occidental on Mar. 4, Gordon scored 19 points on 5-11 field goals, including 1-4 on threes, and 8-10 free throws, with 6 rebounds, 2 steals, a blocked shot and an assist.  In a 63-47 win over Louisiana College on Mar. 5, she helped propel the Bruins to their fourth straight “Sweet 16” appearance with 15 points on 6-10 field goals, including 1-2 on threes, and 2-3 free throws, with 11 rebounds and a career-high 9 assists.  For the week, she scored 34 points (17.0 ppg) on 11-21 field goals (.524), including 2-6 (.333) on threes, and 10-13 free throws (.769), with 17 rebounds (8.5 rpg), 11 assists (5.5 apg), 2 steals, and a blocked shot. 

Gordon, a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and Second Team All-West Region last year, currently leads the NWC in steals (2.43) and assist/TO ratio (1.40), and is 3rd in assists (3.39), 5th in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (7.4), 7th in free throw pct. (.769), 9th in field goal pct. (.464), and 12th in 3-pt field goals (1.29).  She has been the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week four times, NWC Student-Athlete of the Week once, and honorable mention for NWC honors three times.

The Athlete of the Week Award for both men and women is presented throughout the Bruin sports seasons by the Bruin Athletic Association, whose mission is to provide George Fox student-athletes with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Bruin athletics program.  For more information about the organization or to become a member, visit the Bruin Athletic Association website. 

* 2010-11 Honors 

Hannah Munger

- All-Northwest Conference First Team (second year in a row)

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 15-21; Nov. 29-Dec. 5; Jan. 10-16; Jan. 17-23; Jan. 24-30; Jan. 31-Feb. 6; Feb. 7-13; Feb. 21-27

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 15-21; Nov. 29-Dec. 5; Jan. 10-16; HM, Jan. 17-23; HM, Jan. 24-30; HM, Jan. 31-Feb. 6; HM, Feb. 7-13 

Keisha Gordon

- All-Northwest Conference First Team (second year in a row)

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 22-28; Dec. 23-Jan. 2; Jan. 3-9; Feb. 28-Mar. 6

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 22-28; Dec. 23-Jan. 2; HM, Jan. 3-9; HM, Feb. 14-20 

Arianna Mohsenian

- All-Northwest Conference Honorable Mention 

* Polls: Bruins Back in National Rankings at No. 23 in WBCA Poll 

In the final regular-season national polls through games of Feb. 27, the George Fox Bruins, at 22-5, had moved back into the top 25 in the USA Today / ESPN / Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll at No. 23, receiving 30 points in the voting.  In the D3hoops.com poll, they were the top vote-getter among “others receiving votes” with 33 points ... In the final NCAA Division III regional rankings (thru Feb. 28), George Fox (22-5, 17-3 vs. regional opponents) was rated 2nd in the West Region.  Coe (24-3, 23-3) was the top-ranked team in the West, followed by George Fox, Chapman (22-5, 16-3), Lewis & Clark (21-6, 17-4), Simpson IA (21-6, 19-5), and Concordia-Moorhead (21-6, 21-6). 

USA Today/ESPN/WBCA poll: http://www.wbca.org/news/top-25-polls/usa-today-espn-division-iii-top-25-coaches-poll/

D3hoops.com poll: http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/index

Regional rankings: http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d3/regional_rankings 

* Bruins Claim Share of 5th Consecutive NWC Championship 

George Fox won a share of its fifth straight Northwest Conference women’s basketball regular season championship this season and its eighth overall in 12 seasons of NCAA eligibility.  The Bruins won NWC titles in 1999-2000 (shared with Pacific Lutheran), 2000-01, 2004-05, 2006-07 (with Puget Sound), 2007-08 (with Puget Sound), 2008-09, and 2009-10, with perfect 16-0 records in ’09 and ’10.  This year’s team is NWC co-champion with Lewis & Clark College.  The Pioneers and Bruins, who split their regular season games, both finished with 20-5 overall regular season records and 14-2 conference records.  Each won semi-final NWC Tournament games before George Fox won the title game 76-68 in overtime. 

* Bruins Stretch Streak of Winning Seasons to 18 in a Row 

The 2010-11 Bruins under first-year coach Michael Meek are 24-5, their 18th consecutive winning season.  The Bruins’ string began in 1993-94 in their first year under Sherri Murrell, now the women’s basketball coach at Portland State.  Following three winning seasons with Murrell, the Bruins added 14 more winnings season under Scott Rueck, who left this past summer for the women’s basketball position at his alma mater, Oregon State.  George Fox is 353-125 (.738) during that 18-year span. 

* Bruins Add Another Game to NWC Home Winning Streak 

With a win over Puget Sound on Feb. 24 in the NWC Tournament, George Fox extended its home court winning streak against Northwest Conference opponents in all games, including post-season NWC and NCAA Division III Tournament games, to 41 in a row at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.  The last time the Bruins lost at home to a conference team was 51-48 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 3, 2007.  The Bruins have also won 41 straight regular season games vs. the NWC in Newberg since a 55-51 setback to Linfield on Nov. 28, 2006. 

* NCAA Stats: Bruins Listed in FG Pct., Rebound Margin, Blocked Shots 

In the latest NCAA Division III national statistics (thru Mar. 5), George Fox was ranked 8th in field goal pct. (.456), 17th in blocked shots per game (5.5), 33rd in rebound margin (+7.8) ... Center Hannah Munger ranked 15th in field goal percentage (.565) and blocked shots per game (3.1), and 39th in double-doubles (12) ...

* NWC Stats: Bruins Conference Leaders in Eight Categories 

- Thru NWC stats of Mar. 5, George Fox is 1st in defense (56.3), scoring margin (+11.7), field goal pct. (.457), field goal pct. defense (.337), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.282), blocked shots (5.45), assists (14.93), steals (9.28), 2nd in scoring (68.0), rebounding (42.3), rebounding defense (34.3), rebound margin (+7.9), 3rd in assist/TO ratio (0.72), 4th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.314), 7th in 3-pt field goals (4.31), turnover margin (-1.97), 8th in free throw pct. (.604)...

- Keisha Gordon is 1st in steals (2.43), assist/TO ratio (1.40, 3rd in assists (3.39), 5th in scoring (15.4), rebounding (7.4), 7th in free throw pct. (.769), 9th in field goal pct. (.464), 12th in 3-pt field goals (1.29) …

- Hannah Munger is 1st in rebounding (10.1), blocked shots (3.10), 2nd in field goal pct. (.554), 4th in scoring (16.1) …

- Arianna Mohsenian is 5th in 3-pt field goals (1.72), 8th in steals (1.59), 13th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.340), 15th in assists (1.72), 30th in scoring (7.6) …

- Hayley Cusick is 4th in steals (1.93), 5th in blocked shots (0.89), 8th in assists (2.52), 12th in assist/TO ratio (0.69), 27th in scoring (8.2) ...

- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 7th in blocked shots (0.70) ... 

* Double-Doubles 

- Hannah Munger: season 13, career 24 - 20 pts, 13 reb vs. Corban, 11/16; 11 pts, 14 reb vs. Chapman, 11/21; 25 pts, 19 reb at Willamette, 11/30; 22 pts, 10 reb vs. St. Mary’s (Ind.) at San Diego, Calif., 12/28; 21 pts/11 reb vs. Whitman; 13 pts, 10 reb at Puget Sound, 1/21; 16 pts, 14 reb vs. Linfield, 1/22; 14 pts, 14 reb vs. Pacific Lutheran, 1/28; 15 pts, 13 reb vs. Lewis & Clark, 2/5; 33 pts, 12 reb at Whitworth, 2/12; 11 pts, 10 reb vs. Puget Sound, 2/24; 17 pts, 14 reb at Lewis & Clark, 2/26; 19 pts, 13 reb vs. Louisiana College at Orange, Calif.

- Megan Arnoldy: season 1, career 1 - 17 pts, 12 reb vs. Southern Oregon, 11/19

- Keisha Gordon: season 6, career 7 - 27 pts, 10 reb at Pacific Lutheran, 12/4; 22 pts, 11 reb vs. Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham at San Diego, Calif., 12/27; 17 pts, 10 reb vs. St. Mary’s (Ind.) at San Diego, Calif., 12/28; 19 pts, 11 reb vs. Lewis & Clark, 2/5; 26 pts, 11 reb at Whitworth, 2/12; 15 pts, 11 reb vs. Louisiana College at Orange, Calif.

* Records Set or Tied in 2010-11 

- Best FG Pct. in a Game - 1.000 (7-7), Hayley Cusick at Pacific (Ore.), 2/4/11 (broke record of 6-6 by Katie (Greller) Lacey at Cascade, 11/21/2000, and Darby Cave vs. Lewis & Clark, 1/26/2002)

- Best FG Pct. in a Game (with a miss) - .900 (9-10), Keisha Gordon at Pacific Lutheran, 12/4 (ties record set by Katie Lacey vs. Menlo, 11/27/1999) 

* Munger and Gordon Rank Among Top 10 in Single-Season History 

- Hannah Munger’s 466 points rank 2nd on the GFU single-season list, and she is only 19 points away from Kim Leith’s record of 485 in 2004-05 ... Her 90 blocked shots are 3rd-best, her 294 rebounds are 4th-best, and her .554 field goal pct. (190-343) is the 6th-best ...

- Keisha Gordon’s 430 points are the 8th-most in one season, and her 68 steals are tied for 9th-most ... 

* Career Lists: Munger Takes Over as No. 2 All-Time Shot Blocker 

- Keisha Gordon: With 34 points in two games in the NCAA West Regional, Gordon raised her career points total to 1,255, 7th on the all-time list.  Ahead is Susie Davis (1,274, 1983-87) … After going 10-13 from the line in two NCAA games, her career free throw pct. is at .798 (277-347), third-best in Bruin history behind Kim Leith (.8108, 210-259, 2002-06) and Christy Brock (.8105, 77-95, 1997-98) ... She had 2 steals in two NCAA games, giving her 201 in her career, 4th on the all-time list.  Ahead is Nancy Rissmiller (205, 1994-98) ... She had 10 assists in two NCAA games, giving her 235 in her career and tying her for 9th with Kim Leith (235, 2002-06).  Ahead is Roxy Cate (254, 1979-82) ... 

- Hanna Munger: With 5 blocked shots in two games in the NCAA West Regional, Munger has 197 career blocked shots, 2nd on the all-time list.  Ahead is Tammy Lewis (287, 1985-89) ... With 22 rebounds in the two games, she has 547 in her career, needing 8 to tie Tracy Nelson (555, 1988-92) for 10th and 19 to tie Liz Stephens (566, 1992-96) for 9th on the all-time list … After going 16-35 in the two games, she has a career field goal pct. of .555 (358-647), 2nd to Kristen Shielee (.599, 223-372, 2005-09) ... 

- Breezy Rinehart-Young: Rinehart-Young had one blocked shot in two games in the NCAA West Regional and has 68 in her career.  She needs 4 more to tie Melody Groeneveld-McMaster (72, 1981-85) for 10th on the all-time list ...

* Head Coach Michael Meek 

Head coach Michael Meek (Eastern Oregon ‘99) is 24-5 (.828) to date in his first season at George Fox after replacing Scott Rueck, who took the women’s basketball head coaching job at his alma mater, Oregon State.  Meek composed a record of 264-79 (.769) in 13 years of high school coaching in Oregon, three at La Grande (1997-2000) and 10 at Beaverton Southridge (2000-10).  He led Southridge to five large-school state championships in his last six years, received 12 league or state Coach of the Year awards during his career, and was the 2006 MaxPrep National Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year ... He is 0-0 vs. Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Illinois Wesleyan, and Coe.