Feb. 27, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game No. 30 - SAN DIEGO
Saturday, February 28 - 2 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
Gametracker: www.GoZags.com; Radio: 1510 KGA; TV: SWX
--SENIOR DAY--
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (23-6, 11-2 West Coast)
F - 12 Vivian Frieson, 6-0, Jr., Seattle, WA
(10.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.1 spg; WCC: 12.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.2 apg)
F - 30 Heather Bowman, 6-2, Jr., Spokane, WA
(19.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 spg; WCC: 18.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.9 apg)
F - 32 Jami Schaefer, 5-11, Sr., Spokane, WA
(4.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 spg; WCC: 2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 spg)
G - 11 Janelle Bekkering, 6-0, So., Taber, Alberta, Canada
(8.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 apg; WCC: 10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
G - 21 Courtney Vandersloot, 5-8, So., Kent, WA
(16.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.4 apg; WCC: 17.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 7.8 apg)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 168-108 (9th year); CAREER RECORD: 234-134 (12th year)
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO (16-11, 7-6 West Coast)
F - 3 Morgan Henderson, 6-1, Jr., Leawood, KS
(7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg; WCC: 5.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F - 32 Kiva Herman, 6-0, Sr., Vancouver, WA
(17.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.9 apg; WCC: 17.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.6 bpg)
C - 21 Amber Sprague, 6-5, RS-Sr., San Diego, CA
(15.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.7 bpg; WCC: 15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg)
G - 2 Dominique Conners, 5-10, Fr., Oceanside, CA
(9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.1 apg; WCC: 11.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.2 apg)
G - 24 Sam Child, 6-0, So., Portland, OR
(8.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.1 apg; WCC: 9.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg)
HEAD COACH: Cindy Fisher (Arizona State University, 1988)
USD RECORD: 65-52 (4th year); CAREER RECORD: 124-133 (9th year)
NEXT UP: Gonzaga University women's basketball closes out the regular season when it welcomes the University of San Diego to the McCarthey Athletic Center Saturday. Game time is set for 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 TOREROS: The University of San Diego brings a 16-11 overall mark and a 7-6 record into its contest against Gonzaga University. The Toreros, who are tied for fourth in the West Coast Conference standings, have won four out of their last six games, including a huge 71-64 victory at the University of Portland in their last contest. Kiva Herman and Amber Sprague are averaging 17.7 and 15.6 points per game, respectively.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAN DIEGO: This will be the 46th meeting between Gonzaga University and the University of San Diego. The Bulldogs hold a slight 25-20 lead in the all-time series. Gonzaga had won 12-straight over San Diego, dating back to the 2002-03 season, until the Toreros defeated the Zags 70-66 to claim the West Coast Conference Tournament championship a season ago. In their first meeting this season, the Bulldogs pulled out a 109-73 victory at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
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 168-108 record. He has been named the WCC Coach of the Year at Gonzaga four times (2003 & 2005 & 2007 & 2008) and boasts a 234-134 career record including 113-54 in WCC action.
TWO WEST COAST CONFERENCE LOSSES: Gonzaga University women's basketball team has lost two West Coast Conference games this season; a 70-67 setback against the University of Portland and a 72-62 loss at Pepperdine University. It is the first time in three seasons the Zags have lost two WCC games.
BOWMAN BREAKS FREE THROW RECORD: Gonzaga University junior Heather Bowman became the Bulldog career leader in free throws made after going 9-of-11 this past weekend. Bowman has hit 392 free throws to date and broke Ashley Burke's record of 386.
TWENTY WIN SEASON: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team secured its fifth 20-plus win season in school history with its victory over Saint Mary's College on Feb. 12. The Zags, who are 23-6 overall, have won 20 or more games for three-straight seasons and four times under head coach Kelly Graves.
FIRST CAREER THREE-POINTER: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Heather Bowman has scored 1,557 career points to date, but only three have come from behind the three-point arc. Bowman had entered into the Zags game at Loyola Marymount University (Feb. 19) only attempting four career three-pointers and just one this season. With the Bulldogs trailing 45-29 late in the first half, Bowman received a pass on the top of the key and drained her first career three-pointer with 45 seconds left before halftime. Despite being down 15 at half, Gonzaga squeaked out a three-point victory over the Lions.
ÂFIFTH STRAIGHT TITLE: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team captured its fifth-straight West Coast Conference regular-season championship when it defeated Santa Clara University 92-63 Thursday. The Bulldogs, who are 11-2 in WCC action, also secured the top seed in the WCC Tournament. The Zags earn a bye into the semifinals of the tournament and will play on Sunday, March 8 at Noon in Las Vegas at the Orleans Areana.
SCHAEFER RETURNS: Gonzaga University women's basketball senior Jami Schaefer, formerly Bjorklund, returned to the floor Feb. 8, playing 19 minutes against the University of Portland. Schaefer had been out six week rehabbing a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, suffered Dec. 22 against the University of Wyoming. Schaefer scored two points, grabbed four rebounds, made two steals and dished out one assist in her return.
VANDERSLOOT A NANCY LIEBERMAN FINALIST: Gonzaga University women's basketball sophomore point guard Courtney Vandersloot is one of 13 finalists for the 10th Annual Nancy Lieberman Award. The award is a national project for the Rotary Club of Detroit honoring the nation's top collegiate point guard in women's Division I basketball. The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer, Nancy Lieberman during her career. The finalists include six seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. Sportswriters from across the country have determined the final nominee list. They will now select three finalists from the list and one winner at the beginning of April 2009. The announcement of the three finalists and one winner will be made during the Final Four Weekend (April 5-7, 2009) and the winner will be invited to attend the April 22 award luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club.
SOLD OUT: The Gonzaga University women's basketball contest against the University of Tennessee Dec. 30 at the McCarthey Athletic Center was the first Bulldog women's basketball game to be played in front of a sold out crowd. Six thousand fans braved winter weather to watch GU do battle with the two-time defending national champions. The largest crowd for a Zags contest at the McCarthey Athletic Center prior to the Lady Vols contest was Feb. 26, 2005 when 5,825 fans showed up for a the Bulldogs game against University of Portland.
BREAKING THE 100-POINT BARRIER: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team has scored 100 points on two different occasions this season. The Bulldogs opened the year with a 101-44 victory against Eastern Oregon University and broke 100 in their last game, a 109-73 victory at the University of San Diego. The 109 points was the highest point total scored by the Zags since the 1985 season when they defeated Seattle Pacific University 111-84 and ranks ninth in the country for total points in a game. The 109 points is also the most points scored in a West Coast Conference game. US International previously held the record scoring a 108 points against Loyola Marymount University on Feb. 21, 1986.
FIRST COLLEGIATE DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Freshman Kelly Bowen, a starting forward on the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, collected her first collegiate double-double in the Bulldogs 91-63 victory at Saint Mary's College, Jan. 29. The Aussie finished with 17 points, tying her career-high, and brought down a game-high 10 boards. Bowen is averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in West Coast Conference action.
OFF THE BENCH: Sophomore Claire Raap has played a vital role off the bench for Gonzaga University this season. Raap is averaging 14.1 minutes per contest for the Zags and is shooting a team-best 54.1 percent (60-of-111) from the field. Her shooting percentage in West Coast Conference games is even better. The forward has hit a smoking 55.9 percent (33-of-59) of her shots. In the Bulldogs 84-56 victory over Saint Mary's College Feb. 12, Raap came off the bench to score a career-high 15 points in a 23 minutes of action. Raap's previous career-high was 13 tallied in the Zags 109-73 win at the University of San Diego, Jan. 31.
