Women's Basketball Continues Homestand Saturday
12/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2002
SPOKANE, Wash. -
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Game No. 10 - Gonzaga vs. Weber State University
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002, 2 p.m.
The Kennel (4,000) - Spokane, Wash.
Radio: News Talk AM 1510 KGA - Pre-game show at 1:45 p.m.
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS 5-4 (West Coast Conference)
G - 10 Shannon Mathews, 5-6, So., Riverside, CA
(11.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.8 assists)
G - 21 Triana Allen, 5-6, Sr., Long Beach, CA
(9.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.6 assists)
C - 31 Anne Bickelhaupt, 6-2, Jr., Waitsburg, WA
(3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.1 assists)
F - 13 Ashley Burke, 6-1, So., North Vancouver, BC
(17.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 assists)
F - 32 Raeanna Jewell, 5-7, So., Veradale, WA (7.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 assists)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 21-45 (3rd year) CAREER RECORD: 87-71 (6th year)
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY WILDCATS 3-3 (Big Sky Conference)
G - 12 Julie Gjertsen, 5-10, So., Arvada, CO
(14.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.0 assists)
G - 14 Karsen Muller, 5-6, Sr., Littleton, CO
(6.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 5.2 assists)
C - 42 Crystal Howe, 6-4, Sr., Roy, UT
(12.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.6 assists)
F - 5 Kristen Hesselbach, 5-9, Jr., Littleton, CO
(3.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 assists)
F - 34 Angela Sampson, 6-0, Jr., Port Orchard, WA
(5.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0 assists)
SERIES RECORD: GU leads 3-1
HEAD COACH: Carla Taylor (Weber State, 1984) WSU RECORD: 182-211 (14th year) CAREER RECORD: Same
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs hosted 'Meet Your Neighbor Week,' as they faced the Washington State University Cougars Wednesday night and cross-town rivals Whitworth College Sunday afternoon. Raeanna Jewell led the offensive assault Wednesday as she scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Bulldogs a 77-57 win over the Cougars. Senior Triana Allen helped Gonzaga record their fifth-straight home win Sunday, as she sank a career-high 26 points as Gonzaga trounced Whitworth 85-36 in non-conference action.
GAME TIME CHANGE: Saturday's home game against the Weber State Wildcats is at 2 p.m. at the Kennel. The game was originally scheduled at 7 p.m. as the schedule cards and posters read. Please take note of the schedule change as the game will tip-off at 2 p.m.
VS. WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY WILDCATS: The Weber State University Wildcats (3-3) enter the Kennel Saturday afternoon for their fifth meeting with the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (5-4). Gonzaga leads the series 3-1, defeating Weber State 71-61 the last time the two teams met in 1998. Carla Taylor, who returns for her 15th season guiding the defending Big Sky Conference Co-Champions, coaches the Wildcats. Taylor returns eight letterwinners and four starters as they are led by sophomore guard, Julie Gjertsen with an average of 14.8 points. Crystal Howe, a 6-4 center is grabbing a team-high average of 10.7 rebounds a game. The Wildcats finished last season 22-9 overall and 11-3 in league play to capture the first place spot. Weber State then advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the first time in program history and suffered a 76-51 first-round loss to Stanford.
BULLDOGS SPEND CHRISTMAS AT HOME: The Gonzaga University Bulldogs will have a week off for the Holidays after the Saturday matinee against Weber State. The Bulldogs pick up the last contest of their six-game homestand Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. against the Boise State Broncos at the Kennel. Gonzaga then heads south for a New Year's Eve fracas with the Cal State-Fullerton Titans Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs start the New Year on the road against the University of California-Riverside Highlanders Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. The University of Montana Grizzlies host Gonzaga Sunday, Jan. 5, at Dahlberg Arena at 1 p.m. PST. The Bulldogs do not return to Kennel until Wednesday, Jan. 8 when they take on the Eastern Washington University Eagles at 7 p.m.
TWO BULLDOGS POST CAREER-HIGHS: Sophomore Raeanna Jewell and senior Triana Allen hit personal-bests last week in two separate games to help lead the Gonzaga University Bulldogs to victory. Jewell who has not broken the 10-point plateau all season, sank 21 points against Washington State University, going 7-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point territory and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Jewell is averaging 7.1 points per game and pulling down 4.9 rebounds. Allen had also been shooting under 11 points a game before lighting it up against Whitworth Sunday afternoon. The senior team captain shot 11-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range; she also pulled down two rebounds and handed over two assists. Allen is averaging 9.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per outing.
RADIO DAYS: Gonzaga University women's basketball returns to the airwaves Saturday afternoon as Mark Doolittle calls all the action on AM KGA 1510. Gonzaga hosts Weber State at 2 p.m. with the pre-game show beginning at 1:45 p.m. Bulldog fans at home will be able to follow women's basketball from the comfort of their radios or home computers. Fans can also access the web and track home games through the live stats link or a live radio feed through the Zags official website, at http://www.gozags.com. All radio broadcasts begin with a pre-game show 20 minutes before tip off.
POINT WELL TAKEN: Sunday's large margin of victory over the Whitworth Pirates was the second most in program history as Gonzaga won the game by 49 points. Gonzagas' biggest program win was by 56 points in 1988 as they defeated Saint Martins 102-46. The Bulldogs also tied their own record for the fewest points allowed with 36. The University of San Francisco only put up 36 points against Gonzaga in 1987. The Bulldogs have kept all of their opponents under 57 points at the Kennel this season. Gonzaga is undefeated at home with five wins. The Bulldogs own a non-conference home win streak that dates back to Dec. 1, 2001, collecting nine straight wins in non-conference action at the Kennel.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ZAGS: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team makes its inaugural television debut from the Kennel this season. The Bulldogs' Jan. 25, game against the University of Portland Pilots will be locally televised on PAX at 3 p.m.
RETURNING FIVE FINDING GROOVE: Since Gonzaga head coach Kelly Graves set his starting lineup to include five returnees, the Bulldogs are undefeated at home. Junior center Anne Bickelhaupt, sophomore forward Raeanna Jewell, senior guard Triana Allen and sophomore guards Ashley Burke and Shannon Mathews are setting the early pace against GU opponents as the Bulldogs are posting their best home start since the 1993-94 season.
THE BIG THREE: The over six-foot trio of Anne Bickelhaupt, Delphine Lecoultre and Monica Uhrig are bringing much needed height to the Bulldogs inside game according to Gonzaga University head coach Kelly Graves. "Lecoultre, Bickelhaupt and Uhrig need to give us good minutes," said Graves. "We need to get 12-15 points and 6-8 rebounds from those three and they have been doing that." While Bickelhaupt has earned the starting position, Lecoultre and Uhrig are developing off the bench. "They are really starting to assert themselves," said Graves. The trio has combined for 72 points and 50 rebounds.
GRAVES GOOD THINGS: "We've played a lot better since we've been at home," said Gonzaga University head coach Kelly Graves about his Bulldogs five-game win streak at the Kennel. "We've played well defensively and have not allowed our opponents to score over 57 points at home." The Bulldogs complete a six-game homestand Sunday, Dec. 29, against the Boise State Broncos after this Saturday's match-up against the Weber State Wildcats. "As long as we keep playing good defense, we'll keep winning." Graves said. The Bulldogs are focusing on one game at a time and right now they are concerned with the Wildcats. "Weber is the best team we'll play at home so far this season," said Graves. "It's important to be successful and be in a great frame of mind before the break because when we get back, it's going to be a whirlwind." After Christmas the Bulldogs play five games in 11 days before beginning their West Coast Conference schedule Jan. 10.
