WHAT’S BRUIN: Women’s Basketball News & Notes 11/24

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

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 3-1 (Home 3-0, Road 0-1, Neutral 0-0)

NWC Record: 0-0 (Home 0-0, Road 0-0) 

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Two Games in Lady ‘Yote Classic, Then First NWC Game

* Recent Games: Bruins Inaugurate Meek Coaching Era with 3 Wins

* Munger Receives BAA Athlete, NWC Player of the Week Awards

* Polls: Bruins 4th in WBCA Poll, 10th in Two Other Pre-Season Polls

* NWC Stats (thru Nov. 23): Bruins Put Seven Among Early Leaders

* Career Lists: Gordon, Munger, Rinehart-Young Looking at Milestones 

* Coming Up:

- Fri., Nov. 26, 5 pm MST - vs. Westminster College-Salt Lake City (9-1), Caldwell, Idaho

- Sat., Nov. 27, 5 pm MST - at College of Idaho (4-2), Caldwell, Idaho

- Tue., Nov. 30, 6 pm - at Willamette University (0-3, NWC 0-0), Salem, Ore. 

NEWBERG, Ore. – Continuing their 10-game stretch of games away from home, the George Fox Bruins will play twice in the Caldwell Best Western Inn & Suites Lady ‘Yote Classic at the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho, this weekend, Nov. 26-27, before opening Northwest Conference play on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Willamette University. 

The Bruins will meet the Westminster-Salt Lake City Griffins Friday and the host Lady Coyotes Saturday in Caldwell, both times at 5:00 p.m. Mountain time (4:00 p.m. Pacific).  Fellow Northwest Conference member Whitworth University will also participate in tournament, playing the College of Idaho Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Westminster Saturday at 3:00 p.m. 

The Bruins’ game at Willamette and their Dec. 4 game at Pacific Lutheran University will mark the first time since the 2006-07 season that conference games have been played before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. 

The College of Idaho will provide live stats and a live broadcast/webcast of the game with George Fox on Saturday, and live stats for all four games in the Lady ‘Yote Classic.  Willamette will provide live stats and a live webcast of the game on Tuesday.  George Fox campus station KFOX will have live audio of the Willamette game.  Links for all are provided below: 

C of I live stats: http://yotestats.i8.com/basketball/xlive.htm

C of I / KIOV broadcast/webcast: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=KIOV&skinPreview=tuner-blue

Willamette live stats: http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/bsn/live_stats/index.php

Willamette webcast: http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/bsn/webcast/stream/basketball/index.php

George Fox KFOX live audio: http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/ 

Westminster-Salt Lake City (9-1): The Griffins from Salt Lake City, Utah, are members of the NAIA Division I and the Frontier Conference ... Westminster, with four consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, was ranked 10th in the NAIA D-I pre-season poll ... The Griffins have won their last eight games, the latest a 78-61 win at Simpson (Calif.) on Nov. 20 in which Jenteal Jackson led the way with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals ...  Series record: First meeting ... The Griffins have two double-figure scorers: F Michelle Pace (14.8) and G Dani Evans (11.1) ... Pace is the top rebounder (6.8) ... G Nicole Yazzie is the assists leader (4.25) ... Coach J.D. Gustin is 127-77 to date in his 7th season ... Next: Nov. 27 vs. Whitworth in Lady ‘Yote Classic, Caldwell, Idaho, 3 pm MST. 

College of Idaho (4-2): The Lady Coyotes from Caldwell, Idaho, are members of the NAIA Division II and the pre-season favorites to win the Cascade Collegiate Conference ... C of I was ranked 19th in the NAIA D-II pre-season poll ... The Lady ‘Yotes have won their last three games, the latest a 78-61 win on Nov. 20 over Montana Western in the Aramark Classic in La Grande, Ore., in which Nicole Gall led the way with 21 points and 9 assists ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 1-0 (1-0 away), defeating then-Albertson College 71-58 on Nov. 30, 2002, in the Lady ‘Yote Classic ... C of I has three starting double-figure scorers: G Nicole Gall (21.0), G Dayna Drager (15.3), and G Katelin Shannon (10.5) ...  Gall is the top rebounder (5.5) and assists leader (5.33) ... The Lady ‘Yotes average 17.5 steals and force 30.2 turnovers a game ... Coach Reagan Rossi is 170-111 to date in her 10th season ... C of I plays Whitworth Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next: Dec. 3 vs. Northwest (Wash.), 7 pm. 

Willamette (0-3, NWC 0-0): The Bearcats from Salem, Ore., were picked to finish 9th in the Northwest Conference pre-season poll, the Bruins 1st ... Willamette dropped three straight to open the season, the latest a 70-55 loss at home on Nov. 22 to Eastern Oregon in which Kaileigh Westermann led the Bearcats with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 47-12 (27-3 home, 19-9 road, 1-0 neutral) ... The Bruins have won the last 14 meetings, sweeping last year 74-54 on Jan. 15 in Newberg and 84-42 on Feb. 12 in Salem ... The Bearcats’ last win was 53-51 on Feb. 9, 2002, in Salem ... In NWC stats, Willamette is 4th in rebounding (43.7), blocked shots (2.00), 6th in steals (7.67), 8th in defense (79.3), assists (10.67), 3-pt pct. (.258), 9th in scoring (54.7), scoring margin (-24.7), field goal pct. (.352), free throw pct. (.500), 3-pt field goals (2.67), turnover margin (-9.33) ... The Bearcats have two double-figure scorers: G Alex Zennan (14.0, 7th in the NWC) and F Kaileigh Westermann (11.0, 14th T) ... Westermann is the top rebounder (9.7, 3rd) ... Zennan leads in 3-pt field goals (1.67, 7th) ... Coach Anne Lapray is 4-24 to date in her 2nd season ... Willamette hosts the Academy of Art on Nov. 27 before meeting the Bruins ... Next: Dec. 3 at Puget Sound, 6 pm.

Recent Games: Bruins Inaugurate Meek Coaching Era with 3 Wins

Nov. 16 - at George Fox 87, Corban 61

Arianna Mohsenian scored 21 points and Hannah Munger posted her seventh straight double-double as the Bruins inaugurated the Michael Meek coaching era with an 87-61 win over the Corban Warriors at home.  Mohsenian led all scorers by hitting 7-12 from the field, including 5-9 from three-point range, while Munger contributed 20 points on 8-11 field goals and 4-5 from the line with 13 rebounds.  She had recorded double figures in points and rebounds in each of the Bruins’ final six games of 2009-10, all post-season action (two in the Northwest Conference Tournament, four in the NCAA Division III National Tournament).  The Bruins shot .655 (19-29) in the second half to break open a close game with a 15-2 run midway through the period to take an insurmountable 64-49 lead. 

Nov. 19 - at George Fox 73, Southern Oregon 68

Hannah Munger scored a career-high 23 points and Megan Arnoldy posted her first career double-double with 17 points and 12 boards as the Bruins held off the Raiders 73-68.  Two free throws by Arnoldy broke a 55-55 tie with nine minutes remaining, and the Bruins held the visitors scoreless over the next three-and-a-half minutes while getting buckets by Munger and Arnoldy and two charity tosses by Keisha Gordon to build a 63-55 lead.  After SOU’s Whitney Scott hit a three with 12 seconds left to cut the lead to 71-68, Arnoldy iced the game with two free throws with six ticks left.  Munger added 8 rebounds but had her string of seven consecutive double-doubles stretching back to last season snapped, though she did add 7 blocked shots.  Gordon and Arianna Mohsenian passed out 4 assists each, and Hayley Cusick made 4 steals. 

Nov. 21 - at George Fox 75, Chapman 57

Keisha Gordon scored 20 points, 17 in the first half, and Hannah Munger notched her second double-double in three games with 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Bruins downed the independent Chapman Panthers for the sixth time in as many meetings 75-57. After falling behind 19-17 midway through the first half, the Bruins reeled off eight unanswered to take control, led by 12 at the half, and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.  Megan Arnoldy added to the Bruins’ totals with 16 points and eight boards as the Bruins out-rebounded the Panthers 48-31.  Munger had 8 blocked shots, two blocks short of a triple-double, and Arianna Mohsenian handed out 4 assists. 

Nov. 23 - at Concordia-Portland 84, George Fox 64

The Bruins endured their most one-sided defeat and allowed the most points since an 85-61 loss to Puget Sound on Jan. 6, 2006, as the Cavaliers ended a 19-game losing streak to George Fox.  Keisha Gordon scored 21 points with 8 rebounds and 4 steals, and Hannah Munger added 16 points, while Carly Towne passed out 6 assists.  The Bruins could not slow down two-time Cascade Conference Player of the Week Danielle Clauson, who scored 32, or guard Courtney May, who has a triple double of 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.  It was the first loss for new coach Michael Meek after three straight wins.  

BRUIN BITS:

* Munger Receives BAA Athlete, NWC Player of the Week Awards

Averaging a double-double in points and rebounds while leading the Bruins to a 3-0 start to the season, center Hannah Munger has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week and the Northwest Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for games of Nov. 15-21.

In a season-opening 87-61 win over Corban on Nov. 16, Munger posted her seventh consecutive double-double dating back to last season by scoring 20 points on 8-11 field goals and 4-5 free throws and grabbing 13 rebounds, along with 3 blocked shots.  In a 73-68 win over Southern Oregon on Nov. 19, she scored a career-high 23 points on 8-17 field goals and 7-13 free throws, with 8 rebounds, 7 blocked shots, 2 assists and a steal.  She capped off her week in a 75-57 win over Chapman on Nov. 21 with another double-double, the 13th of her career, with 11 points on 5-13 field goals and 1-2 free throws, 14 rebounds, 8 blocked shots and an assist.  In three games, she collected 54 points (18.0 ppg) on 21-41 field goals (.512) and 12-20 free throws (.600), 35 rebounds (11.7), 18 blocked shots (6.00), 3 assists and a steal.

Munger, a 6-5 sophomore from Newberg, Ore., ranks 1st in the Northwest Conference blocked shots (4.75), 2nd in rebounding (10.3), 5th in scoring (17.5), and 14th in field goal pct. (.509).

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

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 15-21

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 15-21 

* Polls: Bruins 4th in WBCA Poll, 10th in Two Other Pre-Season Polls

In the first in-season poll of the year by the USA Today / ESPN / Women’s Basketball Coaches Association,  George Fox (3-0) climbed from a pre-season rating of 8th with 139 points to 4th with 167 points.  In the D3hoops.com and DIII News pre-season polls, the Bruins were picked 10th in both, garnering 333 points in the D3hoops poll.  George Fox finished last year ranked 8th by D3hoops and 4th by the WBCA after reaching the ‘Elite 8’ of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost  at eventual national champ Washington-St. Louis, the same team they beat for the 2009 national championship.  Amherst College, which won last year’s Final Four consolation game and finished 32-1, was the pre-season favorite in all three polls and remained No. 1 in the updated WBCA poll ...  

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

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

* Bruins Enter NWC Play with Long Winning Streaks

When the Bruins visit Willamette on Nov. 30 to start Northwest Conference play, they will take two long winning streaks vs. NWC opponents into that match.  The Bruins’ last loss to an NWC 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; they have won 38 straight against all NWC competition including conference tournament and post-season games. 

* Bruins Look to Extend String of 17 Winning Seasons in a Row 

Last year’s 28-3 overall record 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, went 16-12 in the first of her three years at George Fox.  The last 14 came under Scott Rueck, who is now the coach at Oregon State. 

* NWC Stats (thru Nov. 23): Bruins Put Seven Among Early Leaders 

- George Fox is 1st in blocked shots (6.75), assists (18.50), 2nd in scoring (74.8), field goal pct. (.454), 3rd in rebounding (45.8), rebounding defense (37.0, T), rebound margin (+8.8), 3-pt field goals (5.50), 4th in field goal pct. defense (.370), steals (8.75), assist/TO ratio (0.76), 5th in scoring margin (+7.2), 3-pt field goal pct. (.314), 6th in defense (67.5), 7th in free throw pct. (.629), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.323), turnover margin (-5.25) …

- Keisha Gordon is 2nd in 3-pt field goals (2.50, T), 3rd in assist/TO ratio (2.17), 4th in rebounding (8.0, T), 5th in steals (2.25), 6th in scoring (15.3), 13th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.357), 10th in blocked shots (0.50, T), assists (3.25) …

- Hannah Munger is 1st in blocked shots (4.75), 2nd in rebounding (10.3), 5th in scoring (17.5), 14th in field goal pct. (.509) …

- Arianna Mohsenian is 2nd in 3-pt field goals (2.50, T), 10th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.400), 11th in assists (2.75), 13th in steals (1.75), 23rd in scoring (10.3) …

- Megan Arnoldy is 7th in field goal pct. (.576), 8th in scoring (13.5, T), 12th in free throw pct. (.800, T), 14th in rebounding (6.8) ...

- Hayley Cusick is 5th in blocked shots (0.67, T), 7th in assists (3.67), steals (2.00, T), 10th in assist/TO ratio (0.92)  ...

- Carly Towne is 8th in assists (3.50, T), 9th in assist/TO ratio (0.93) ...

- Jordin Ketelsen is 10th in blocked shots (0.50, T) ...

 * Double-Doubles 

- Hannah Munger: season 2, career 13 - 20 pts, 13 reb vs. Corban, 11/16; 11 pts, 14 reb vs. Chapman, 11/21

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

- Keisha Gordon: season 0, career 1

* GFU Career Lists: Gordon, Munger, Rinehart-Young Looking at Milestones 

- Keisha Gordon: Gordon started the season 5-8 from the free throw line, putting her career free throw pct. at .809 (182-225), which is 3rd behind Kim Leith (.8108, 210-259, 2002-06) and Christy Brock (.8105, 77-95, 1997-98) ... With 9 steals in the first four games, she has 142 career steals, and needs 31 to tie Heather Gurney (173, 1987-91) for 10th on the all-time list ... With 61 points this season, she has 886 career points, needing 114 to become the 12th player in Bruin history to reach 1,000 career points and 115 to tie Tracy Nelson (1,001, 1988-92) for 11th on the all-time list  … 

- Hanna Munger: With 19 blocked shots to start the season, Munger has 126 career blocked shots, 5th on the all-time list at George Fox.  She needs 49 to tie Kristen Shielee (175, 2005-09) for 4th on the all-time list ... After going 27-53 21-41 from the field in the first three games, she has a career field goal pct. of .546 (195-357), 2nd to Kristen Shielee (.599, 223-372, 2005-2009) ... 

- Breezy Rinehart-Young: Rinehart-Young had 2 blocks in her first two games (she missed two due to a knee injury), giving her 51 in her career.  She needs 21 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 State ‘99) is 3-1 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. Westminster, College of Idaho, and Willamette.