Women's Basketball Opens Six-Game Homestand Thursday
12/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2002
SPOKANE, Wash. -
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Game No. 6 - Gonzaga vs. University of Texas-Pan American
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2002, 7 p.m.
The Kennel (4,000) - Spokane, Wash.
Game No. 7 - Gonzaga vs. San Jose State
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, 7 p.m.
The Kennel (4,000) - Spokane, Wash.
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS 1-4 (West Coast Conference)
G - 10 Shannon Mathews, 5-6, So., Riverside, CA
(14.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.2 assists)
G - 21 Triana Allen, 5-6, Sr., Long Beach, CA
(7.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 assists)
C - 54 Delphine Lecoultre, 6-3, Jr., Decines, France
(4.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.6)
F - 13 Ashley Burke, 6-1, So., North Vancouver, BC
(14.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.6 assists)
F - 30 Ashley Anderson, 6-0, Fr., Enterprise, OR
(5.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.2 assists)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 16-44 (3rd year) CAREER RECORD: 82-70 (6th year)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN BRONCS 0-3 (Division I Independent)
G - 11 Jennifer Piwonka, 5-7, So., Louise, TX
(10.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 assists)
G - 20 Michelle Smith, 5-11, Sr., Vancouver, BC
(2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .33 assists)
C - 40 Julie Porter, 6-1, Sr., Manchester, MI
(4.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 assists)
F - 34 Jennifer Arriola, 6-2, So., Rio Rico, AZ
(4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 assists)
F - 32 Naima Williams, 6-0, Sr., Houston, TX
(2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .33 assists)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
HEAD COACH: Tracy Anderson (Marymount College, 1989)
UTEP RECORD: 0-3 (!st year) CAREER RECORD: 30-60 (3rd year)
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS 1-2 (Western Athletic Conference)
G - 1 Cricket Williams, 5-7, Jr., New Orleans, LA
(19.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.0 assists)
G - 22 Jessica Kellogg, 5-7, Jr., Sonora, CA
(12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 assists)
C - 24 Teoma Taylor, 6-0, Jr., San Francisco, CA
(4.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0 assists)
F - 21 Tatiana Taylor, 6-0, Jr., San Francisco, CA
(10.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, .33 assists)
F - 43 Lamisha Augustine, 6-1, So., Fresno, CA
(7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .75 assists)
SERIES RECORD: Gonzaga leads 1-0
HEAD COACH: Janice Richard (Louisiana College, 1986)
SJSU RECORD: 33-51 (3rd year) CAREER RECORD: 187-80 (8th year)
LAST TIME OUT: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is coming off a disappointing eighth-place finish at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i, over the weekend. The Bulldogs entered the tournament 1-1 before dropping three consecutive games. Tourney host Hawai'i handed Gonzaga a 71-61 first round loss. Gonzaga suffered a low-scoring 62-43 loss to the University of Denver Pioneers during their second game Saturday. Gonzaga rebounded against Fordham in the second-half of the final game Sunday, out-shooting the Rams 42-37 but could not avoid a 74-69 loss. Sophomore forward Ashley Burke led the Bulldogs in scoring every game, averaging 16 points per appearance. Burke finished the tournament with 50 points, 23 rebounds and six assists. The defending national champion University of Connecticut Huskies won the tournament, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 73-60.
VS. TEXAS PAN-AMERICAN LADY BRONCS: The University of Texas Pan-American Lady Broncs (0-3) from Edinburg, Texas visit the Kennel for the first time Thursday night. The Lady Broncs are the third first-time opponents the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (1-4) are facing this season. Head coach Tracy Anderson is in her inaugural season leading the Texas Pan-American women's program. The Lady Broncs return five letterwinners and three starters including seniors Naima Willliams and Michelle Smith. Williams is averaging seven points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jennifer Piwonka is leading the Lady Broncs with 10.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds and 9 assists. Texas-Pan American is off to a slow start posting a 0-3 record. The Lady Broncs are a Division I Independent team and will be visiting the Eastern Washington Eagles Friday night at 7 p.m. before heading home.
VS. SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS: The Gonzaga University Bulldogs (1-4) host the San Jose State University Spartans (1-2) Saturday night for the second meeting between the two teams. The Bulldogs hold the one game advantage in the series as they defeated the Spartans 82-65 during their first game in 1999. Fourth-year head coach Janice Richard returns eight letterwinners and three starters. The Spartans are led by junior guard Cricket Williams with an average of 19.7 points a game. Junior forward Tatiana Taylor has pulled down a team-high 33 boards this season and is averaging 10.7 points per game. San Jose defeated Cal State Northridge 76-51 during their season opener for their only win this season. The Spartans are members of the Western Athletic Conference and finished fourth in league play 12-6, posting a 17-11 overall record.
BULLDOGS HOME FOR SIX GAMES: The Gonzaga University Bulldogs will get a chance to catch up on laundry this month as they play six-consecutive home games before hitting the road New Year's Eve. The six-game homestand begins Thursday night when Gonzaga hosts the Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs at 7 p.m. at the Kennel. The Bulldogs wrap up their December home schedule with three rare 2 p.m. matinees.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ZAGS: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team makes their inaugural television debut from the Kennel this season. The Bulldogs' Jan. 5, game against the University of Portland Pilots will be locally televised on PAX at 3 p.m.
RADIO DAYS: Bulldog fans at home will be able to follow women's basketball from the comfort of their radios or home computers as eight home games will be broadcast on 1510 KGA. Mark Doolittle will call play-by-play action starting Wednesday, Dec. 11 when the Bulldogs host the Washington State Cougars at 7 p.m. 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 will begin with a pre-game show 20 minutes before tip off.
LECOULTRE LOOKS TO SHAKE OFF SLOW START: Delphine Lecoultre, a 6-3 junior transfer from Decines, France has had a slow start in her first season as a Bulldog. Lecoultre had to wait a week before starting her career, sitting out her first NCAA regular-season game because she participated in four Division I games in France last year. She than missed the last round game of the Rainbow Wahine Classic against the Fordham Rams as she nursed a sore back. Lecoultre continues to have a sore back and her status remains a game day decision. If she does not start, 6-0 freshman forward Anne Bailey will take her place in the lineup.
ASHLEY ANDERSON EARNS STARTING ROLE: Freshman Ashley Anderson has earned a starting position in the Bulldogs lineup. The 6-0 forward has appeared in all five games and marked her first start Sunday against the Fordham Rams. Anderson is averaging 5.2 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The Enterprise, Ore., product was a four-year letterwinner at Enterprise High and a three-time first-team All-District selection.
SOPHOMORES BURKE AND MATHEWS LEAD: Sophomores Ashley Burke and Shannon Mathews are taking the reins of the Bulldogs offense averaging 14.8 and 14.6 points respectively. The duo has combined for 147 of the Bulldogs' 321 points this season. Burke has pulled down a team-high 35 rebounds while Mathews has 18. Mathews is also leading the West Coast Conference with a league-high 17-of-50 from three point territory and 31 assists.
THE ELK CONNECTION CONTINUES: This season marks the third consecutive year that a Riverside High product from nearby Elk, Wash., has been a member of the Bulldog roster. Freshman guard Katie Prichard replaces Riverside product Bernice Stime who graduated last season with an average of 7.0 points and 2.2 assists. Prichard has made four appearances and is averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2 assists.
