WHAT’S BRUIN: Women’s Basketball News & Notes 1/5

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

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio

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

NWC Record: 3-0, 1st (Home 0-0, Road 3-0)

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins to Play 4th Straight NWC Road Game at Pacific Saturday

* Recent Games: Bruins Capture Battle of Ranked Unbeatens over Pioneers

* Gordon Wins BAA Award for Third Time, HM for NWC Weekly Honors

* Polls: Bruins Ranked No. 3 in both D3hoops and WBCA National Polls

* Bruins Two Wins Away from Securing 19th Straight Winning Record

* NCAA Stats: Gordon, Munger, Roos Listed Among National Leaders

* NWC Stats: Munger Paces Conference in Rebounds, Blocks, FG Pct.

* Career Lists: Munger Closing in on Top 10 on All-Time Points List

* Coming Up: Bruins to Play 4th Straight NWC Road Game at Pacific Saturday

- Sat., Jan. 7, 6:00 pm – at Pacific University (8-2, NWC 1-1), Forest Grove, Ore.

NEWBERG, Ore. – Playing their fourth straight Northwest Conference game on the road, the George Fox University Bruins, ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division III, have only one game this weekend as they visit the vastly-improved Pacific University Boxers Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. match in Forest Grove, Ore.

The Bruins are 12-0 and lead the conference with a 3-0 record, while the Boxers, at 8-2 and 1-1 in the NWC, are off to their best start in 21 years.  Following Saturday’s contest, the Bruins will have seven of their next eight games, all conference contests, back in the friendly environs of the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

Saturday’s action is a doubleheader, with the George Fox-Pacific men’s NWC game to follow at 8:00 p.m.

Multimedia: George Fox will provide audio coverage of both games at Pacific via campus radio station KFOX; see the quick link above.  Pacific will also provide a live audio feed of both games via Stretch Internet at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/pacific.portal#, and will have live stats available at http://www.goboxers.com/sports/2011/3/3/live-stats.aspx.

* Upcoming Opponents:

Pacific (8-2, NWC 1-1, 4th T): The much-improved Boxers from Forest Grove, Ore., were picked to finish 8th in the pre-season NWC coaches’ poll ... The Boxers, off to their best start since 1990-91, started the year 5-0 and won their last game on Dec. 30 over La Sierra 65-54 behind 20 points from Erica Schultz, 17 points and 14 rebounds from Paige Jensen, and 13 points from Heather Hitch ... Pacific plays at Willamette Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 39-24 (21-10 home, 18-14 road) ... The Bruins have won the last 16 meetings and 29 of the last 30, including wins of 89-53 in Newberg on Jan. 8 and 76-63 in Forest Grove on Feb. 4 last year ... Pacific’s last win in the series was 59-54 in Forest Grove on Feb. 8, 2003 ... Pacific by the numbers: Scoring (69.2 ppg, 4th in the NWC), Defense (50.8 ppg, 2nd, 33rd nationally), FG% (.430, 2nd, 38th nationally), 3-pt FG% (.307, 5th), FT% (.671, 6th), Reb Avg. (40.3 rpg, 6th) ... The Boxers have three double-figure scorers: F Erica Schultz (12.3 ppg, 12th), F Paige Jensen (12.0 ppg, 14th),  and F Heather Hitch (10.3 ppg, 10th) .... Jensen is the top rebounder (8.9 rpg, 4th) ... Jensen is the assists leader (2.5 apg, 13th) ... Hitch is 2nd in the NWC in field goal pct. (.597) ... Coach Sharon Rissmiller (Portland ‘01) is in her 5th season at Pacific and is the sister of former Bruin All-American Nancy Rissmiller ... Next game: Jan. 14 at Whitman, 6:00 p.m.

* Recent Games: Bruins Capture Battle of Ranked Unbeatens over Pioneers

Jan. 3 - George Fox 68, at Lewis & Clark 63

In a battle of unbeaten nationally-ranked teams, the Bruins captured a hard-fought 68-63 victory over the Lewis & Clark Pioneers Tuesday in Portland.  George Fox, ranked third, moved to 12-0 and into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference at 3-0.  The Pios, ranked 10th by the WBCA and 11th by D3hoops, slipped to 11-1 overall and 2-1 in the NWC.  In the expected back-and-forth game, L&C held an early 12-6 lead, but the Bruins bounced back to go up 27-20 before settling for a 35-31 halftime lead.  In the second half, the Pios used an 11-2 run to build the largest lead of the game at 54-46 with 12:28 left, but the Bruins out-scored the Pios 22-9 the rest of the way.  A 13-0 run over a five-minute span gave the Bruins a 59-54 lead with 7:05 to play, but the Pios tied it 61-61 for the last time with five minutes left.  Keisha Gordon put the Bruins back in front with a back-door score at 4:49, then finished off a traditional three-point play at 3:47 for a 66-61 lead, and the Bruins hung on.  Gordon and Hannah Munger both posted double-doubles for the Bruins, the former with 18 points and 11 boards and the latter with 12 and 11.  Gordon also handed out a game-high six assists, and Munger stuffed seven shots.  Jami Roos chipped in with 10 points and Hayley Cusick made four steals, three in the final five minutes to thwart any L&C comeback.

* Gordon Wins BAA Award for Third Time, HM for NWC Weekly Honors

After leading George Fox in scoring both games in the Hoop n Surf Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i, on Dec. 19-20, wing Keisha Gordon has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week for the two-week period of Dec. 12-25 and honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week award.

Gordon, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., scored 12 points on 6-11 field goals, with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal in a 58-34 win over Spalding on Dec. 19.  The next day, in a 70-42 win over Worcester State, she had 19 points on 7-13 field goals (1-3 on threes) and 4-6 on free throws, with 4 assists and a steal.  For the week, she scored 31 points (15.5 ppg) on 13-24 field goals (.542), including 1-5 (.200) on threes, and 4-6 free throws (.667), with 7 rebounds (3.5 rpg), 7 assists (3.5 spg), and 2 steals.

In NWC stats, Gordon ranks 1st in steals (3.1 spg), 2nd in field goal pct. (.598), 7th in scoring (14.2 ppg), 10th in assists (2.7 apg), and 14th in rebounding (5.9 rpg).  In NCAA stats thru Dec. 18, she was 4th in field goal pct. (.618), and 29th in steals (3.6 spg).  She was the BAA Athlete of the Week for Nov. 21-27 and Nov. 28-Dec. 4, and has been honorable mention for NWC Student-Athlete of the Week three times.

The next Bruin Athletic Association and Northwest Conference weekly awards will include all games between Dec. 26 and Jan. 8.

The George Fox 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. 

2011-12 Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athletes of the Week

Aug. 29-Sept. 4 - Patti Reeves (Volleyball)

Sept. 5-11 - Melanie Gaither (Soccer)

Sept. 12-18 - Kelsey Morrison (Golf)

Sept. 19-25 - Megan McGrew (Golf)

Sept. 26-Oct. 2 - Kate Freiheit (Cross Country)

Oct. 3-9 - Stephanie Kerr (Volleyball)

Oct. 10-16 - Courtney Hochstetler (Cross Country)

Oct. 17-23 - Megan McGrew (Golf)

Oct. 24-30 - Tiffany Burk (Volleyball)

Oct. 31-Nov. 6 - Patti Reeves (Volleyball)

Nov. 7-13 - Courtney Hochstetler (Cross Country)

Nov. 14-20 - Jami Roos (Basketball)

Nov. 21-27 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

Nov. 28-Dec. 4 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

Dec. 5-11 - Jami Roos (Basketball)

Dec. 12-25 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

BRUIN BITS:

* 2011-12 Honors

Jami Roos

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 14-20; Dec. 5-11

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 14-20; (HM) Dec. 5-11

Keisha Gordon

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 21-27; Nov. 28-Dec. 4; Dec. 12-25

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 21-27 (HM); Nov. 28-Dec. 4 (HM); Dec. 12-25 (HM)

- Posada Royale Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team (MVP)

Hannah Munger 

- Posada Royale Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team

* Polls: Bruins Ranked No. 3 in both D3hoops and WBCA National Polls

With an 11-0 record through games of Jan. 1, the George Fox Bruins are ranked No. 3 in both NCAA Division III national polls.  After receiving one vote for first and 577 points in the D3hoops.com poll last week, the Bruins got one first and 578 points in the Jan. 3 poll.  The top three teams all held their places as defending national champion Amherst College (10-0) was first with 21 firsts and 619 points, followed by the University of Chicago 98-0) with three firsts and 598 points. Fellow Northwest Conference member Lewis & Clark College (11-0) moved up from 12th to 11th with 372 points. 

In the first in-season USA Today / ESPN / Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll of Jan. 3, the Bruins received 184 points, trailing Amherst (5 firsts and 197 points) and Chicago (3 firsts and 194).  Lewis & Clark was 10th with 124 points. The Bruins were third with 156 points in the WBCA pre-season poll. 

USAToday/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

* Bruins Two Wins Away from Securing 19th Straight Winning Record

Now 12-0, the Bruins can secure their 19th consecutive winning season with two more victories.  Their string of 18 straight winning records began in 1993-94 in the 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 winning seasons under Scott Rueck, who left in the summer of 2010 for the women’s basketball position at his alma mater, Oregon State. The 2010-11 Bruins finished 25-6, their 18th straight winning season, under first-year coach Michael Meek.  Including this year’s 12-0 record, George Fox has gone 376-127 (.738) during that 18-years-plus span from 1993-2012.

* Bruins Take Home Streaks of 41 in a Row vs. NWC into New Season

Entering the 2011-12 season, the Bruins have a home court winning streak against Northwest Conference opponents in all games, including post-season NWC and NCAA Division III Tournament games, of 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 to Puget Sound in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 3, 2007. The Bruins have also won 41 straight regular season-only games vs. the NWC in Newberg since a 55-51 setback to Linfield on Nov. 28, 2006. 

NWC Poll: Bruins Favored to Win 6th Straight League Title

After winning or sharing each of the last five Northwest Conference championships, and with five starters returning, it is perhaps little wonder that the George Fox Bruins are favored to win their sixth straight NWC title as predicted in a pre-season poll of the league’s nine coaches The Bruins picked up seven of nine first-place votes and tallied 70 of 72 possible points in the poll. Lewis & Clark, which shared last year’s regular-season conference crown with George Fox, was second in the poll with 59 points and picked up the other two first-place votes.

(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

* NCAA Stats: Gordon, Munger, Roos Listed Among National Leaders

- In NCAA Division III national statistics thru games of Jan. 1, George Fox ranked 1st in won-lost pct. (1.000, tied with 13 others), 6th in scoring margin (+21.9), 11th in field goal pct. (.449), 18th in defense (49.2 ppg), rebound margin (+11.1), 37th in steals (13.1 spg), 43rd in scoring (71.1 ppg) ...

- Keisha Gordon was 11th in field goal pct. (.592), 36th in steals (3.5 spg) ...

- Hannah Munger was 4th in field goal pct. (.606), 6th in blocked shots (4.3 bspg) ... Her 8 blocked shots vs. Northwest on Nov. 19 are tied for the 9th-most in a game this season ...

- Jami Roos was 50th in 3-pt field goals (2.5 fgpg) ...

* NWC Stats: Munger Paces Conference in Rebounds, Blocks, FG Pct.

- Thru NWC stats of Jan. 4, George Fox is 1st in scoring (70.8 ppg), defense (50.3 ppg), scoring margin (+20.5), field goal pct. (.449), field goal pct. defense (.350), rebounding (42.2 rpg), rebounding margin (+10.8), steals (13.0 spg), blocked shots (6.8 bspg), 2nd in 3-pt field goals (71), 3-pt field goal pct. (.343), assists (15.1 apg), 5th in 3-pt pct. defense (.315), 8th in fewest turnovers (19.7 topg), 9th in free throw pct. (.597) ...

- Keisha Gordon is 1st in steals (3.3 spg), 3rd in field goal pct. (.586), 4th in assist/turnover ratio (1.8), 5th in assists (3.1 apg), 7th in scoring (14.3 ppg), 11th in rebounding (6.3 rpg) …

- Hannah Munger is 1st in rebounding (9.9 rpg), field goal pct. (.611), blocked shots (4.5 bspg), 5th in scoring (14.8 ppg) …

- Arianna Mohsenian is 5th in 3-pt field goals (18, T), 3-pt pct. (.360), 9th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4) ...

- Jami Roos is 2nd in 3-pt field goals (29, T), 3-pt pct. (.403), 18th in scoring (11.2 ppg) ...

- Breezy Rinehart-Young is 4th in blocked shots (1.1 bspg) ...

- Carrie Myers is 13th in rebounding (5.8 rpg) ...

* Records Set or Tied in 2011-12

- Most Steals, Career - 247 by Keisha Gordon, 2008-present (broke previous record of 243 by Linda Funderhide, 1987-91, with career high-tying 7 steals at Concordia-Portland, 12/27/2011)

- Most Blocked Shots, Team, Single Game - 14 at Concordia-Portland, 12/27/11: Hannah Munger 8, Breezy Rinehart-Young 3, Carrie Myers 2, Megan Arnoldy 1 (broke previous record of 13 at Dallas, 11/28/2008, and tied vs. Linfield, 1/16/2010)

* Double-Doubles

- Hannah Munger: season 6, career 31 - 10 pts, 10 reb vs. Corban, 11/15; 14 pts, 18 reb vs. Northwest (Wash.), 11/19; 24 pts, 13 reb vs. Chapman at Thousand Oaks, Calif., 11/26; 19 pts, 10 reb at Whitworth, 12/3; 12 pts, 11 reb vs. Chapman, 12/10; 12 pts, 11 reb at Lewis & Clark, 1/3

- Keisha Gordon: season 3, career 10 - 12 pts, 12 reb vs. Northwest (Wash.), 11/19; 21 pts, 10 reb at California Lutheran, 11/27; 18 pts, 11 reb at Lewis & Clark, 1/3

- Megan Arnoldy: season 0, career 1

* Career Lists: Munger Closing in on Top 10 on All-Time Points List

- Keisha Gordon: With 18 points at Lewis & Clark, Gordon raised her career points total to 1,456, 3rd on the all-time scoring list.  Ahead are Katie (Greller) Lacey (1,524, 1997-2001) and Melody Groeneveld-McMaster (1,629, 1981-85) … By going 2-3 at the free throw line in the last game, her career free throw pct. is .765 (310-405), 7th-best all-time ... With 11 rebounds in the last game, she has 620 in her career, passing Angela Pettit (613, 1993-97) for 9th on the all-time list.  Ahead are Hannah Munger (685, 2009-present), Liz Clark (743, 2001-05), Katy Campbell (747, 2004-08), and Susie Davis (753, 1983-87) …... She had 2 steals in the last game, giving her 247 in her career, 1st on the all-time list ... She had 6 assists in the last game, giving her 276 in her career and moving her past Tiffany Behary (271, 2004-08) into 6th on the all-time list.  Ahead is B.B. Gardner (279, 2006-10) ...

- Hanna Munger: With 12 points at Lewis & Clark, Munger raised her career points total to 1,062, 11th on the all-time list.  Ahead are Katy Campbell (1,093, 2005-08) and Nicole Prazeau (1,133, 1998-2002) ... With 7 blocked shots in the last game, she has 254 in her career, 2nd on the all-time list. No. 1 is Tammy Lewis (287, 1985-89) ... After going 6-9 from the field in the last game, she has a career field goal pct. of .564 (443-785), 2nd to Kristen Shielee (.599, 223-372, 2005-09) ... With 11 rebounds in the last game, she has 685 in her career, 8th on the all-time list. Ahead are Liz Clark (743, 2001-05), Katy Campbell (747, 2004-08), and Susie Davis (753, 1983-87) …

- Breezy Rinehart-Young: With 1 blocked shot at Lewis & Clark, Rinehart-Young has 81 career blocks, 8th on the all-time list.  Ahead are Angela Pettit (85, 1993-97) and Darby Cave (92, 2000-04) ...

* Head Coach Michael Meek

Head coach Michael Meek (Eastern Oregon ‘99) is 37-6 (.860, 16-0 home, 14-3 road, 7-3 neutral) to date in his second season at George Fox. Prior to joining the Bruins, he 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 ...

Meek vs. upcoming opponents: 2-0 vs. Pacific (1-0 home, 1-0 away)