Dec. 10, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game No. 11 - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Friday, December 12 - 6 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
Gametracker & Live Video: GoZags.com; Radio: 1510 KGA
Dad & Daughter Date Night (Daughters 12 and under are free with Dad's ticket)
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (8-2, 0-0 West Coast)
F - 11 Janelle Bekkering, 6-0, So., Taber, Alberta, Canada
(6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F - 12 Vivian Frieson, 6-0, Jr., Seattle, WA
(9.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.9 spg)
F - 30 Heather Bowman, 6-2, Jr., Spokane, WA
(18.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.9 spg)
G - 32 Jami Schaefer, 5-11, Sr., Spokane, WA
(5.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.6 spg )
G - 34 Tiffanie Shives, 5-10, Jr., Lansing, MI
(10.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 153-104 (9th year); CAREER RECORD: 219-130 (12th year)
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS (9-1, 2-0 Summit League)
F - 22 Ketty Cornemann, 5-11, Fr., Yankton, SD
(8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.7 apg)
F - 30 Stacie Oistad, 6-0, Sr., Sartell, MN
(6.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.7 apg)
F - 44 Jennifer Warkenthien, 6-0, Sr., Willow Lake, SD
(12.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)
G - 14 Kristin Rotert, 6-0, So., Salem, SD
(11.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 apg)
G - 42 Ashlea Muckenhirn, 5-8, Sr., Osceola, WI
(5.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg)
HEAD COACH: Aaron Johnston (Gustavus Adolphus, 1996)
SDSU RECORD: 202-63 (9th year); CAREER RECORD: Same
Game No. 12 - PORTLAND STATE
Sunday, December 14 - 2 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
Gametracker & Live Video: GoZags.com; Radio: 1510 KGA
Military Day (Military members and their immediate families get in free when Military ID is shown)
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-3, 0-0 Big Sky)
F - 2 Katia Hadj-Hamou, 5-10, Sr., Huntington Beach, CA
(7.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F - 22 Kelli Valentine, 5-11, So., Spokane, WA
(9.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 10 Claire Faucher, 5-9, Jr., Yakima, WA
(8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.4 spg)
G - 11 Kelsey Kahle, 5-10, Sr., Aurora, OR
(14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 spg )
G - 20 Kelly Marchant, 5-10, So., Oregon City, OR
(8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)
HEAD COACH: Sherri Murrell (Pepperdine University, 1991)
PSU RECORD: 27-12 (2nd year); CAREER RECORD: 174-205 (14th year)
THIS WEEK: After six-straight road games, the Gonzaga University women's basketball squad returns to the McCarthey Athletic Center for two contests. The Bulldogs face South Dakota State University, who are receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls, on Friday at 6 p.m. The Zags then host Portland State University on Sunday at 2 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO COVERAGE: All home Gonzaga University women's basketball contests can be seen live on CBS College Sports all-access through GoZags.com. Check out the women's basketball schedule page for the link to the video broadcast. Gametracker is also available for all home games and can be accessed at GoZags.com
ON THE RADIO: Gonzaga University will have all regular-season home games broadcast on the radio this season as Steve Myklebust returns for his fifth year of calling the action. Each game will be broadcast on either KGA 1510 AM or KJRB 790 AM in Spokane with a pre-game show 20-minutes prior to tip. Games will also be available on the internet at GoZags.com.
TICKET INFORMATION: Single game tickets to Gonzaga University women's basketball can be purchased through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT (7328), TicketsWest.com, at any TicketsWest outlet, or at the McCarthey Athletic Center Ticket Office, Monday through Friday, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Women's Basketball Ticket Prices are as follows: $8-Reserved, $5-General Admission Adult; $3-General Admission Child (12 and under), or Senior (65 and over); Gonzaga Students, Faculty & Staff are free with a valid Gonzaga ID.
SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS: South Dakota State University enters into its contest against Gonzaga University with a 9-1 overall record and 2-0 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits, who have won five-straight, are coming off an impressive 65-55 victory over the University of Minnesota, ranked 25th at the time. SDSU has defeated three Big 10 Conference schools this season (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois), one Big 12 Conference member (Missouri), a Big Sky Conference school (Montana) and a Mountain West Conference institution (Utah). The Jackrabbits only loss of the season is a 68-56 setback to the University of Maryland, members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). SDSU is led by Jennifer Warkenthien who is averaging 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. South Dakota is coached by Aaron Johnston, is his ninth year at the helm.
TRANSITION TO NCAA DIVISION I: The NCAA Division I Management Council Administrative Committee, acting on behalf of the DI Management Council, announced in late June that South Dakota State University has met the requirements to become an active member of NCAA Division I, starting at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year. Previously a member of Division II, SDSU successfully completed the five-year process of moving its athletics programs to comply with Division I membership requirements.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The contest between Gonzaga University and South Dakota State on Friday will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: Portland State University holds a 5-3 overall record on the year. The Vikings dropped a 58-24 decision to Oregon State University in their last contest. The 24 points was the lowest output in school history. In addition to shooting just 14 percent in the first half (six points) and 22 percent for the game, PSU had 35 turnovers. Portland State is led by Kelsey Kahle who is averaging 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Kelli Valentine and backup guard Lexi Bishop are both Spokane natives. Valentine, averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds, attended Mead high school, while Bishop, averaging 13.4 minutes per contest, attended Shadle Park high school.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST PORTLAND STATE: This will be the 15th meeting between Gonzaga University and Portland State University. The Bulldogs had won four-straight until the Vikings broke the streak with a 75-72 victory last season in Portland. The Zags are 4-1 against the Vikings at home.
Bowman Named To Preseason Wooden Award List: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Heather Bowman became the inaugural Bulldog player to be named to the preseason Women's Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy as the 30 student-athletes for 2008-09 were announced by Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, Wooden Award Chairman and founder. The list is composed of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor.
BOWMAN AND VANDERSLOOT AMONG TOP WCC RETURNEES: Heading the group of Gonzaga University returners are 2008 WCC Player of the Year Heather Bowman and Newcomer of the Year Courtney Vandersloot. Bowman and Vandersloot were tabbed by the West Coast Conference coaches as one of the top 10 returnees this season. Bowman led the WCC in scoring at 20.1 points per game in just her second year in the league and was third in the conference in rebounding at 8.6 per game. Vandersloot will enter the year as the conferences steals (62) leader and led the team in assists (191).
RECEIVING VOTES IN THE AP POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team continued to receive votes in the latest Associated Press national poll. The Bulldogs have appeared in the receiving votes category of at least one national poll every week this season.This week's poll has the Bulldogs (8-2) receiving 10 votes after posting a 1-1 record last week, beating Eastern Washington University 71-56 last Thursday and dropping a 59-47 road decision to 2008 NCAA tournament participant UC Santa Barbara on Sunday.
RECEIVING VOTES IN THE ESPN/USA TODAY POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team stummbled a little bit in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll after posting a 1-1 week. The Zags, who garnered 42 votes a week ago, received only seven votes this week. The Bulldogs, have though, received votes in each weekly poll this season.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?: When looking at the Gonzaga University women's basketball roster some may wonder what happened to Bulldog Jami Bjorklund. Don't fret, the senior guard from Spokane is still on the squad, she is just going by a different name. Bjorklund was married to Drew Schaefer this past August and is now going by her married name - Jami Schaefer.
CAREER NIGHT: Courtney Vandersloot scored a career-high 32 points in the Bulldogs 80-77 setback to Marquette University in the first round of the WBCA Classic. Vandersloot joined nine other former Bulldogs in the 30-Point Club. She was six points off a single-game record, as Amy Simpson scored 38 points against Lewis-Clark State Feb. 1, 1983. The last Zag to score 30 or more points was junior Heather Bowman who tallied 30 against Santa Clara on Feb. 28, 2008.
ZAGS KNOCK OFF RANKED OPPONENT: Heather Bowman scored 18 points to lead Gonzaga University to a 69-62 upset over then-No. 15/16 University of Virginia in the WBCA Classic. The win secured the Bulldogs the WBCA Classic title. The victory against Virginia was the first over an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) school in three tries and the second-ever over a ranked opponent. The Bulldogs only other win over a top ranked team was Nov. 24, 2006 when they defeated then-No. 19 UCLA 62-57 at the Rainbow Wahine Tournament.
WBCA ALL-TOURNAMENT: Junior Heather Bowman and classmate Vivian Frieson both were named to the WBCA Classic All-Tournament squad after leading the Gonzaga University women's basketball team to a 2-1 record. Bowman also was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Bowman averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest, while Frieson averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
NATIONAL STATISTICS - INDIVIDUALS: Heather Bowman, Courtney Vandersloot and Vivian Frieson, of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, all are among the nations leaders in NCAA Division I statistics. Bowman is 30th in scoring at 18.8 per game and Vandersloot is 75th in scoring at 17.0 per game. Vandersloot is also seventh in assists per game at 6.8, while Frieson is 41st in steals per game at 2.9.
NATIONAL STATISTICS - TEAM: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is ranked in the Top 40 of the NCAA Division I statistics in six categories. The Bulldogs are 26th in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.0), 29th in steals per game (11.7), 31st in turnover margin (5.1), 34th in scoring offense (75.2), and 36th in both scoring margin (+15.3) and assists pre game (15.3).
THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Junior Vivian Frieson posted her third career double-double on Nov. 29 against the University of Utah. Frieson helped Gonzaga University to a 60-55 victory by scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 boards. The forward, who didn't have any double-doubles as a freshman, had her first two late in the season as a sophomore. Frieson had 12 points and 11 rebounds against Pepperdine University in the Zags opening game of the West Coast Conference Tournament. She then posted a 10 point, 11 rebound performance at the University of Colorado, in the second round of the WNIT.
PICKING POCKETS: Gonzaga University junior Vivian Frieson was a big factor in why the Bulldogs defeated the University of Washington 64-59 on Nov. 16. Frieson finished the contest with a career-high 10 steals. The forward, who was playing in her hometown of Seattle, had five steals in each half. It is the single-highest steal total during head coach Kelly Graves' tenure. For the season, Frieson has 26 steals to her credit.
DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS: Sophomore Courtney Vandersloot had her third and fourth career double-figure assist games in back-back contest this season. Vandersloot dished out 10 assists against Utah Valley University on Nov. 19 and then had a career-high 13 assists versus Montana State University, Nov. 21. Those two games were also double-doubles for the point guard as she finished with 15 and 19 points, respectively.
SLOPPY WITH THE BALL: After averaging just 14.3 turnovers during the first seven contests, the Gonzaga University women's basketball squad has been sloppy with the ball the last three games, giving the ball away 21.3 per game. The Bulldogs had a season-high 23 turnovers in their last game, a 59-47 setback to UC Santa Barbara, Dec. 7
LOWEST SCORING OUTPUT: Junior forward Heather Bowman scored a game-high 16 points with eight rebounds, but the Gonzaga women's basketball team lost to Santa Barbara 59-47 on Sunday in Santa Barbara, Calif. Vivian Frieson added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs, who had their lowest scoring output since losing 85-46 to Middle Tennessee State in the 2007 NCAA tournament (45 games). It was GU's sixth road game in 15 days.
BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE DOUBLES: Junior Heather Bowman put together two-straight impressive double-double performances. Bowman had 18 points and 10 boards in Gonzaga University's 69-62 upset of then-No. 15 University of Virginia Nov. 30 and followed that performance up with a 23 point, 11 board output at Eastern Washington Dec. 4. She nearly had her third-straight double-double against UC Santa Barbara, finishing two rebounds shy at 16 points and eight boards.
SUFFOCATING DEFENSE: Gonzaga University women's basketball has stepped up its defensive game, forcing its opponents to turn the ball over 21.5 times per game, while only turning the ball over 16.4 times per contest. The Bulldogs have forced two schools to turn the ball over 30-plus times, three schools to turn it over 20-plus times and four others to have 10-plus miscues.
LIGHT'S OUT: Tiffanie Shives had a career-night against Utah Valley University, Nov. 19. The sharpshooter scored a career-high 25 points in the 16-point victory and had tied her career-high points in the first half with 19. Shives finished the game hitting 9-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-6 three pointers, and was a perfect 3-of-3 at the charity stripe.
BULLDOGS PICKED TO WIN WCC: Gonzaga University was chosen as the favorite to claim the West Coast Conference women's basketball title, as the Zags try to defend their WCC regular season title. The Bulldogs, who received seven first place votes for a total of 49 points, lost in the finals of last year's WCC Tournament to host University of San Diego and hosted their first round matchup in the WNIT, where they beat UC Davis.
