Women's Basketball Hosts Boise State Sunday
12/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 24, 2002
SPOKANE, Wash. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game No. 11 - Gonzaga vs. Boise State University
Sunday, Dec. 29, 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 5-5 (West Coast Conference)
G - 10 Shannon Mathews, 5-6, So., Riverside, CA
(11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.6 assists)
G - 21 Triana Allen, 5-6, Sr., Long Beach, CA
(9.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 assists)
C - 31 Anne Bickelhaupt, 6-2, Jr., Waitsburg, WA
(3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.0 assists)
F - 13 Ashley Burke, 6-1, So., North Vancouver, BC
(16.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 assists)
F - 32 Raeanna Jewell, 5-7, So., Veradale, WA
(6.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 assists)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 21-46 (3rd year) CAREER RECORD: 87-72 (6th year)
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS 3-6 (Western Athletic Conference)
G - 3 Lynnette Grondin, 5-7, Fr., Oregon City, OR
(6.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 assists)
G - 11 Abby Vaughan, 5-6, Sr., Encinitas, CA
(10.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.6 assists)
F - 22 Camille Woodfield, 5-11, Jr., La Grande, OR
(5.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.1 assists)
F - 33 Jamie Hawkins, 6-1, Fr., Bieber, CA
(9.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.6 assists)
F - 44 Simone Grant, 6-0, So., Queensland, Australia
(3.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 assists)
SERIES RECORD: BSU leads 12-3
HEAD COACH: Jen Warden (University of Colorado, 1993)
BSU RECORD: 3-6 (1st year) CAREER RECORD: Same
LAST TIME OUT: The Weber State University Wildcats edged the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (5-5) Saturday afternoon 52-49 in non-conference play at the Kennel. The Wildcats snapped the Bulldogs four-game win streak as they handed GU their first home loss of the season. Karsen Muller gave the Wildcats the dramatic win as she hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to break the 49-all tie. Ashley Burke led the Bulldogs with 14 points while Shannon Mathews was the only other Gonzaga player in double digits with 12 points. Freshman Ashley Anderson pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds against the Wildcats. Raeanna Jewell aided the defense with a career-high six steals. The Bulldogs are now 5-5 on the season.
LAST MATINEE OF THE YEAR: Sunday's game against the Boise State Broncos wraps up the Bulldogs six-game homestand that started Dec. 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
VS. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS: The Gonzaga University Bulldogs (5-5) will look to re-establish their winning ways Sunday afternoon as they host the Boise State Broncos (3-6) at the Kennel. The Broncos enter the 2 p.m. matinee with the 12-3 series advantage as they defeated the Bulldogs 71-59 during their 2002 meeting. Head coach Jen Warden is in the midst of her first season leading the Broncos. Warden is the fifth head coach of the Boise State women's basketball program. Previously the 10-year coach of the University of Colorado, she took the Buffaloes to the 2002 NCAA West Regional Finals. The Broncos are off to a slow start, posting a 3-6 record with their last road win coming against the University of Idaho Vandals, Dec. 7. Boise State is led by senior Abby Vaughan who is posting 10.8 points per game while Camille Woodfield is pulling down a team-high 7.4 rebounds. The Broncos finished 10-20 overall last season, posting a 5-13 Western Athletic Conference record.
BULLDOGS WRAP UP HOMESTAND: The Bulldogs pick up the last contest of their six-game homestand Sunday 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 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.
SUPER SOPHOMORES: Three of the five starters for the Gonzaga University Bulldogs are only in their second year in Bulldog Blue. Yet, the trio of returnees is setting the pace for the even-record squad who now sits 5-5 on the season. As freshmen, Ashley Burke, Raeanna Jewell and Shannon Mathews each saw action in every game. Now Burke, Jewell and Mathews are anchoring the starting lineup and helping the Bulldogs to one of their best starts in program history. The sophomore trio has combined for 352 points, over 50 percent of the Bulldogs total points.
RADIO DAYS: Gonzaga University women's basketball radio coverage continues Sunday afternoon as Mark Doolittle calls all the action on AM KGA 1510. Gonzaga hosts the Boise State Broncos 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 convenience 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.
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.
ASHLEY BURKE ADDING BULK: Sophomore Ashley Burke continues to lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs into battle as she is averaging a team-high 16. 7 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per appearance. Burke has been the leading scorer in six of the Bulldogs last ten games; hitting a career-high 26 points against the University of Texas Pan-American. The British Columbia native has also posted career-high rebound and assist marks this season. Burke pulled down 11 boards against San Jose State and has twice handed over five assists, her last against Whitworth College. She has also landed on the West Coast Conference individual rankings lists as third in the league in scoring and second in offensive rebounding with 10.
SHANNON MATHEWS SHARES: Sophomore guard Shannon Mathews can dish it out and take it as she leads the West Coast Conference in assists with 56 for an average of 5.6 per game. She is also taking it to the hoop as she seventh in league scoring with 11.9. Mathews leads the Bulldogs in assists (56), threes (24) and field goal percentage, shooting a team-high 83 percent. The Riverside, California native has amassed 119 points, 37 rebounds and 56 assists in 10 starts. She is also second on the team in steals, taking 16 from opponents.
WEST COAST CONFERENCE CONTENDERS: The Gonzaga University Bulldogs have finished in the basement of the West Coast Conference standings during the last three years, but this may very well be the year the Bulldogs dig themselves out. Gonzaga is off to one of the best program starts at home since the 1993-94 season when they finished 21-10 overall and 10-4 in league play, garnering a second place WCC finish under head coach Julie Holt.
COACH GRAVES GOOD THINGS: "I though we played well against Weber State," said Gonzaga University Bulldogs head coach Kelly Graves of his team's first loss in five games Saturday. "We played good defense, we just didn't finish our shots," Graves said. Gonzaga finished shooting 39.2 percent on the night against Weber State as they limited the Wildcats to 28.1 percent in the second half. "We're doing well defensively, we just need to get some people to get the ball in the hoop," said Graves. The Bulldogs return to the Kennel Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. matinee against the Boise State Broncos before hitting the road for New Year's Eve. "Boise beat Weber State, so they are going to be pretty good and they have got a lot of skilled players," said Graves. "It is going to be a good test for us." Gonzaga plays their next five-of-six games on the road, with five games in 11 days before beginning their West Coast Conference schedule Jan. 10, at Pepperdine. "We need to play well against Boise State, it's important to get a good start on the next couple of weeks," said Graves.
