Dec. 28, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game No. 15 - TENNESSEE
Tuesday, December 30 - 5 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
TV: KHQ/FSN; Gametracker: GoZags.com; Radio: 1510 KGA
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (11-3, 0-0 West Coast)
F - 30 Heather Bowman, 6-2, Jr., Spokane, WA
(19.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 spg)
F - 33 Kayla Standish, 6-2, Fr., Ellensburg, WA
(5.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.6 bpg)
F - 44 Kelly Bowen, 6-0, Fr., Victoria, Australia
(4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.9 spg)
G - 11 Janelle Bekkering, 6-0, So., Taber, Alberta, Canada
(6.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg )
G - 21 Courtney Vandersloot, 5-8, So., Kent, WA
(15.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 7.0 apg )
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 156-105 (9th year); CAREER RECORD: 222-131 (12th year)
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE LADY VOLS (9-2, 0-0 SEC)
F - 25 Glory Johnson, 6-3, Fr., Knoxville, TN
(14.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 spg)
F - 40 Shekinna Stricklen, 6-2, Fr., Morrilton, AR
(13.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.6 apg)
C - 21 Vicki Baugh, 6-4, So., Sacramento, CA
(7.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg)
G - 1 Briana Bass, 5-2, Fr., Indianapolis, IN
(5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G - 5 Angie Bjorklund, 6-0, So., Spokane Valley, WA
(14.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.7 apg)
HEAD COACH: Pat Summitt (University of Tennessee-Martin, 1974)
UT RECORD: 992-184 (35th year); CAREER RECORD: Same
BULLDOGS OFF THE BENCH
G - 10 Tatriana Lorenzo, So., 5-7, Wahiawa, HI
1.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.3 apg
Second in assists with 28...had six assists in upset win over then-No. 15 Virginia.
F - 12 Vivian Frieson, Jr., 6-0, Seattle, WA
8.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 spg
First in steals with 31...had double-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds against Utah.
F - 35 Claire Raap, So., 5-11, Prosser, WA
4.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.8 spg
Played a season-high 19 minutes versus EOU...had career-high 12 points versus Portland State.
C - 31 Shannon Reader, Fr., 6-2, Lake Oswego, OR
2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Had eight points in collegiate debut against EOU...played 11 minutes against Portland State.
NEXT UP: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team hosts the University of Tennessee, the two-time defending national champions, on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. Angie Bjorklund, younger sister of Bulldog senior Jami Schaefer, returns to Spokane as a sophomore on the Lady Vols squad. UT enters into the game against GU ranked as high as 8th in the latest Top-25 polls.
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 LADY VOLS: No. 8 University of Tennessee holds a 9-2 overall record on the year and is coming off a 79-69 overtime victory over No. 3/4 Stanford University. The Lady Vols two losses on the season are a 73-59 setback at the University of Texas and a 83-82 loss to the University of Virginia. Gonzaga University defeated Virginia 69-62 to claim the WBCA Classic over the Thanksgiving holiday. UT is led by Glory Johnson and Angie Bjorklund who are averaging 14.3 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. Bjorklund, the younger sister of Bulldog senior Jami Schaefer, also leads the team in three-pointers with 14.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST TENNESSEE: This will be only the third meeting between Gonzaga University and the University of Tennessee. In their first meeting, the Lady Vols defeated the Bulldogs 79-65 on the second day of the Paradise Jam (Nov. 25, 2005). Last season, Gonzaga traveled to Knoxville and dropped a 96-73 decision to Tennessee. Bulldog Jami Schaefer, then Bjorklund, scored 19 points for GU, while little sister Angie, scored a game-high 23 points for the Lady Vols.
BJORKLUND-BJORKLUND SHOWDOWN OFF: Gonzaga University senior Jami Schaefer, formerly Bjorklund, had Dec. 30 etched into her memory for nearly a year. The Bulldog guard was looking forward to hosting the University of Tennessee and matching up with her little sister, Angie Bjorklund, a sophomore on the Lady Vols team on Dec. 30. Unfortunately, Schaefer tore the PCL in her right knee against the University of Wyoming Dec. 22 and will be out for at least six weeks.
THIS SEASON SCHAEFER, LAST SEASON BOWMAN: Gonzaga University senior Jami Schaefer tore the PCL in her right knee on Dec. 22 against the University of Wyoming. Schaefer, the reigning West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will be out at least six weeks and will miss the University of Tennessee contest Dec. 30. Last season, just days before the Bulldogs played at Tennessee, star forward Heather Bowman, now a junior, suffered a spiral fracture in her hand and had to miss the Lady Vols game.
SOLD OUT: The Gonzaga University women's basketball contest against the University of Tennessee set for Dec. 30 at the McCarthey Athletic Center will be the first Bulldog women's basketball game to be played in front of a sold out crowd. The Zags-Lady Vols showdown sold out on Oct. 27. The largest crowd for a Zags contest at the McCarthey Athletic Center is 5,825 set when the University of Portland made the trip on Feb. 26, 2005.
BOWMAN MAKES ANOTHER LIST: Gonzaga University women's basketball player Heather Bowman was named to the Naismith Trophy Early Watch List presented by AT&T as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Bowman, a junior forward averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Bulldogs this season, became the inaugural Zag to be named to this list. The Naismith Trophy watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The watch list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February, 2009. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis, MO.
SCHAEFER A TOP SENIOR: Senior Jami Schaefer was named a candidate for the 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Thirty senior male and female NCAA college basketball players were announced to the 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to an NCAA Division I student-athlete in nine sports. Based on criteria focusing on the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition, the award winners will be selected by national balloting of head basketball coaches, national media and college basketball fans.
HEAD COACH Kelly Graves: Kelly Graves is in his ninth season as the head coach at Gonzaga University having built the Bulldogs into an annual West Coast Conference contender. After winning just five games his first season, Graves has guided the Bulldogs to four-straight West Coast Conference regular-season titles. In 2006-07, Graves added a WCC Tournament championship and the Zags inaugural berth in the NCAA Tournament to his GU highlights. Gonzaga finished the 2006-07 season with a 24-10 overall record and a 13-1 record in the WCC; which helped Graves garner WCC Co-Coach of the Year honors. He once again led the Zags in 2007-08, as GU finished with a 25-9 overall record, 13-1 mark in the WCC and a WNIT invitation. Graves is currently the school's career wins leader with a 156-105 record. He has been named the WCC Coach of the Year at Gonzaga four times (2003 & 2005 & 2007 & 2008) and boasts a 222-131 career record including 102-52 in WCC action.
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 ESPN/USA TODAY POLL: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team continues to receive votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 poll. The Bulldogs received two votes in the latest poll, released Tuesday. The Zags stayed steady, after also receiving two votes the week prior.
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.
NEARING 1,000 POINTS: Senior guard Jami Schaefer is closing in on 1,000 career points. Schaefer has scored 924 total points at Gonzaga University and only needs 76 more to become the 14th Bulldog all-time to score 1,000 or more points.
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 22nd in scoring at 19.3 per game and Vandersloot is 64th in scoring at 16.8 per game. Vandersloot is also seventh in assists per game at 6.8, while Frieson is 61st in steals per game at 2.6.
NATIONAL STATISTICS - TEAM: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is ranked in the Top 40 of the NCAA Division I statistics in four categories. The Bulldogs are 21st in turnover margin (5.62), 29th in both steals per game (11.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98) and 31st in scoring offense (74.7).
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 31 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. Vandersloot is averaging a team-best 7.0 assists per contest.
BREAKING INTO BULLDOG CAREER RECORD BOOK: Sophomore point guard Courtney Vandersloot is eighth in the Gonzaga University women's basketball career record book for total assists. Vandersloot, who finished her freshman campaign with 191 assists, has dished out 275 in just a year and a half.
VANDERSLOOT WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gonzaga University women's basketball sophomore Courtney Vandersloot was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week as announced by the conference office Monday, Dec. 22. Vandersloot, the Zags point guard, scored a game-high 22 points to help GU break the University of Montana's 21-game home winning streak and 25-game non-conference home winning streak with a 69-63 victory. She was 6-for-14 from the field, along with 9-of-13 from the charity stripe, and added eight assists and five rebounds. This is Vandersloot's second WCC Player of the Week accolade of the season.
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, Dec. 7. 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.
SUFFOCATING DEFENSE: Gonzaga University women's basketball has stepped up its defensive game, forcing its opponents to turn the ball over 22.0 times per game, while only turning the ball over 15.8 times per contest. The Bulldogs have forced two schools to turn the ball over 30-plus times, five schools to turn it over 20-plus times and five others to have 10-plus miscues.
INJURY REPORT: Junior sharpshooter Tiffanie Shives had microfracture surgery on her right knee on Monday, Dec. 15 and will be out for the rest of the season. Shives was averaging 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists before her injury. She was also the Bulldogs leading three-point shooter, sinking 19-of-48.
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.
