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WHAT’S BRUIN: Women’s Basketball News & Notes 12/1
Overall Record: 5-2 (Home 3-0, Road 1-1, Neutral 0-1)
NWC Record: 1-0, 1st (Home 0-0, Road 1-0)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Coming Up: Final Game before Christmas at Pacific Lutheran
* Recent Games: Bruins Go 1-1 in Idaho, Win Conference Opener
* Gordon Receives BAA Athlete Award, HM for NWC Weekly Honor
* Polls: Bruins 15th in WBCA Poll, 17th in D3hoops.com Poll
* NWC Stats: Munger Leads NWC in Blocks, Rebounding
* GFU Career Lists: Gordon Moving Closer to 1,000-Point Club
* Coming Up:
- Sat., Dec. 4, 6 pm - at Pacific Lutheran University (2-1, NWC 0-0), Parkland, Wash.
NEWBERG, Ore. – In their final game for over three weeks, the George Fox Bruins will play their fifth straight game away from home as they visit the Pacific Lutheran Lutes in Northwest Conference action Saturday at 6:00 p.m., part of an NWC doubleheader with the men’s game following at 8:00 p.m.
After going 1-1 in the Best Western Caldwell Inn & Suites Lady ‘Yote Classic Nov. 26-27 at the College of Idaho, the Bruins opened conference play Tuesday with a 60-38 win at Willamette. This week’s NWC games mark the first time since the 2006-07 season that conference games have been played before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Pacific Lutheran will provide live stats and a live webcast of both games Saturday. George Fox campus station KFOX will have live audio of the games as well. Links for all are provided below:
Pacific Lutheran live stats: http://www.plu.edu/athletics-stats/wbball/livestats/xlive
Pacific Lutheran webcast: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/plu.portal#
George Fox KFOX live audio: http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/
The Bruins will be off following the PLU game for 23 days, returning to action on Dec. 27 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham in the Surf ‘n Slam Classic at Pt. Loma Nazarene in San Diego, Calif.
Pacific Lutheran (2-1, NWC 0-0, 2nd T): The Lutes from Parkland, Wash. (a Tacoma suburb) were picked to finish 6th in the Northwest Conference pre-season poll, the Bruins 1st ... The Lutes are coming off a 75-63 win over Trinity (Texas) at home on Nov. 29 in which Samantha Potter led the way with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds ... Series record: George Fox leads 21-15 (13-5 home, 8-10 road) ... The Bruins have won the last eight meetings, including 67-47 in Newberg on Jan. 23 and 60-41 in Parkland on Feb. 20 last year ... The Lutes’ last win in the series was 75-57 in Parkland on Feb. 17, 2006 ... In NWC stats, PLU ranks 1st in 3-pt pct. (.487), assists (17.67), steals (15.00), 2nd in field goal pct. (.450), 3rd in blocked shots (2.67), 4th in scoring (70.0), 6th in defense (64.0), 7th in free throw pct. (.630), 8th in rebounding (37.7) ... The Lutes have three double-figure scorers: Melissa Pixler (12.0, 13th in the NWC), Samantha Potter (11.7, 15th), Shelly Kilcup (11.3, 16th) ... The Lutes have three of the top six 3-pt pct. shooters in the league in Angel Pele (.714), Kilcup (.667), and ex-Bruin Jordan Westering (.444) ... Potter is the top rebounder (8.7, 5th) ... Mandy Wall is the assists leader (3.00, 6th T) ... Coach Kelly Robinson is 37-41 to date in her 4th year at PLU ... Next: PLU hosts Pacific Friday to open NWC play before meeting the Bruins ... Dec. 6 at St. Martin’s, 7 pm (non-conference).
* Recent Games: Bruins Go 1-1 in Idaho, Win Conference Opener
Nov. 26 - Westminster-Salt Lake City 50, George Fox 41
In the lowest-scoring game in the 11-year history of the Best Western Caldwell Inn & Suites Lady ‘Yote Classic in Caldwell, Idaho, the Griffins, ranked 10th in the pre-season NAIA Division I poll, used an 11-4 run late in the game to edge the Bruins. Both teams struggled offensively, the Bruins shooting .267 from the field and the Griffins .266. Hayley Cusick led the Bruins with 12 points and three assists, and Keisha Gordon added 11 points with three steals. Hannah Munger had 12 rebounds added four blocked shots.
Nov. 27 - George Fox 58, at College of Idaho 51
Keisha Gordon scored five straight points to break a 48-48 tie late in the second half, leading the Bruins past the host Lady Coyotes in the final game of the Best Western Caldwell Inn & Suites Lady ‘Yote Classic. George Fox blistered the nets in the second half, hitting .591 (13-22) to finish with a .458 field goal mark (22-48). Gordon and Hannah Munger had 15 points apiece and Hayley Cusick added 13. Munger and Gordon had seven rebounds each, and Munger blocked three shots. Gordon added four assists and four steals, and Cusick handed out four assists also.
Nov. 30 - George Fox 60, at Willamette 38
Hannah Munger posted career highs of 25 points and 19 rebounds as the Bruins extended their two long winning streaks against Northwest Conference competition with a win over the Bearcats. George Fox has now won 36 consecutive regular-season games against NWC competition, and 39 in a row counting conference tournament and post-season play. Leading by only four with 15 minutes left, the Bruins pulled away with a 21-4 outburst featuring 10 points by Munger, and held the Bearcats scoreless for over six minutes late in that run. Keisha Gordon passed out six assists and made four steals, and Hayley Cusick also had four swipes.
BRUIN BITS:
* Gordon Receives BAA Athlete Award, HM for NWC Weekly Honor
Good performances in the Bruins’ first three road games of the year have earned junior wing Keisha Gordon of Vancouver, Wash., the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week for Nov. 22-28, and honorable mention for Northwest Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week.
In an 84-64 loss at Concordia University-Portland on Nov. 23, Gordon led the Bruins with 21 points on 8-19 field goals, including 3-8 from three-point range, and 2-3 free throws, with a team-high 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. In the first game of the Best Western Caldwell Inn & Suites Lady ‘Yote Classic in Caldwell, Idaho, on Nov. 26, she scored 11 points on 4-14 field goals (1-9 on threes) and 2-2 free throws, with 8 rebounds, 3 steals and an assist in a 50-41 setback to Westminster-Salt Lake City. She led the Bruins to a 58-51 win over the tournament host College of Idaho the next day with 15 points on 5-9 field goals (1-3 on threes) and 4-7 free throws, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. She broke a 48-48 tie in the final five minutes by scoring five unanswered points in a row, giving the Bruins the lead for good. For the week, she totaled 47 points (15.7 ppg) on 17-42 field goals (.405), including 5-20 on threes (.250), and 8-12 free throws (.667), 23 rebounds (7.7 rpg), 8 assists (2.7 apg), and 11 steals (3.7 spg).
Gordon ranks 1st in the NWC in assist/TO ratio (1.41), 4th in assists (3.43), 5th in steals (2.86), 6th in 3-pt field goals (1.71), 7th in rebounding (7.9), 9th in scoring (13.4). With 919 career points, she is closing in on becoming the 12th player in Bruin history to join the 1,000-point club.
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
Keisha Gordon
- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 22-28
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 22-28
* Polls: Bruins 15th in WBCA Poll, 17th in D3hoops.com Poll
In the second in-season poll of the year by the USA Today / ESPN / Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, released on Nov. 30, George Fox (4-2) slipped from 4th with 167 points to 15th with 79 points after going 1-2 against three NAIA teams on the road. In the first regular-season D3hoops.com poll, the Bruins, who were picked 10th with 333 points in the pre-season, were ranked 17th with 172 points ... Amherst College, which won last year’s Final Four consolation game and finished 32-1, remained No. 1 in both polls ... Lewis & Clark (3-2) was 23rd with 28 points and Whitman (3-1) was 25th with 19 points, giving the Northwest Conference three teams in the top 25 in the WBCA poll. In the D3hoops.com poll, Puget Sound (38 points), Lewis & Clark (32), and Whitman (17) were listed among “others receiving votes” ...
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 Extend Winning Streaks vs. NWC Foes with Willamette Win
With the Bruins’ win over Willamette on Nov. 30 to start Northwest Conference play, they extended their winning streaks vs. NWC opponents to 36 in a row in regular-season games, and to 39 in a row in all games including conference tournament and post-season action. 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. 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. The Bruins shared NWC championships with Puget Sound in 2007 and 2008, then won outright titles in 2009 and 2010 with perfect 16-0 conference records.
* 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. 30): Munger Leads NWC in Blocks, Rebounding
- George Fox is 1st in field goal pct. defense (.338), blocked shots (6.43), 2nd in defense (58.4), 3rd in 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.274), rebounding (46.1), rebound margin (+8.3), assists (15.86), 5th in scoring margin (+7.0), field goal pct. (.412), rebounding defense (37.9), steals (8.86), assist/TO ratio (0.65), 6th in 3-pt field goals (4.14), 7th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.274), 8th in scoring (65.4), turnover margin (-4.43) 9th in free throw pct. (.599) ...
- Keisha Gordon is 1st in assist/TO ratio (1.41), 4th in assists (3.43), 5th in steals (2.86), 6th in 3-pt field goals (1.71), 7th in rebounding (7.9), 9th in scoring (13.4) …
- Hannah Munger is 1st in rebounding (11.3), blocked shots (4.00), 4th in scoring (16.6), 10th in field goal pct. (.522) …
- Arianna Mohsenian is 5th in 3-pt field goals (1.86), 12th in assists (2.43), 15th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.342), steals (1.57) …
- Megan Arnoldy is 9th in field goal pct. (.532), 8th in free throw pct. (.773, T), 20th in rebounding (5.6), 25th in scoring (9.6)...
- Hayley Cusick is 3rd in assists (3.50), 5th in blocked shots (0.83), assist/TO ratio (1.05), 9th in steals (2.00, T), 28th in scoring (8.8) ...
* Double-Doubles
- Hannah Munger: season 3, career 14 - 20 pts, 13 reb vs. Corban, 11/16; 11 pts, 14 reb vs. Chapman, 11/21; 25 pts, 19 reb at Willamette, 11/30
- 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 Moving Closer to 1,000-Point Club
- Keisha Gordon: Gordon went 9-15 from the free throw line in the last three games, putting her career free throw pct. at .796 (191-240), which is 3rd behind Kim Leith (.8108, 210-259, 2002-06) and Christy Brock (.8105, 77-95, 1997-98) ... With 11 steals in three games, she has 153 career steals, and needs 20 to tie Heather Gurney (173, 1987-91) for 10th on the all-time list ... With 33 points in three games, she has 919 career points, and needs 81 to become the 12th player in Bruin history to reach 1,000 career points and 82 to tie Tracy Nelson (1,001, 1988-92) for 11th on the all-time list …
- Hanna Munger: With 9 blocked shots in the last three games, to start the season, Munger has 135 career blocked shots, 5th on the all-time list at George Fox. She needs 40to tie Kristen Shielee (175, 2005-09) for 4th on the all-time list ... After going 21-39 from the field in three games, she has a career field goal pct. of .545 (216-396), 2nd to Kristen Shielee (.599, 223-372, 2005-2009) ...
- Breezy Rinehart-Young: Rinehart-Young had 3 blocks in the last three games, giving her 54 in her career. She needs 18 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 5-2 (.714) 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. Pacific Lutheran.
