Jan. 12, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game No. 17 - SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE GAELS
Thursday, January 14 - 6 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
Radio: AM 1050 The Key; Gametracker & Video Streaming: GoZags.com
TV: SWX (Play-by-play Greg Heister, Color Analyst Stephanie Hawk)
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (12-4, 1-0 West Coast)
F - 12 Vivian Frieson, 6-0, Sr., Seattle, WA
(12.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg - WCC: 14.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 spg)
F - 30 Heather Bowman, 6-2, Sr., Spokane, WA
(15.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg - WCC: 23.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.0 spg)
G - 11 Janelle Bekkering, 6-0, Jr., Taber, Alberta, Canada
(4.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 spg - WCC: 2.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 spg)
G - 21 Courtney Vandersloot, 5-8, Jr., Kent, WA
(11.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 9.3 apg, 3.9 spg - WCC: 18.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 9.0 apg, 6.9 spg)
G - 34 Tiffanie Shives, 5-10, Sr., Lansing, MI
(7.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg - WCC: 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 184-113 (10th year); CAREER RECORD: 250-139 (13th year)
SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE GAELS (11-6, 2-0 West Coast)
F - 2 Louella Tomlinson, 6-4, Jr., Melbourne, Australia
(17.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 6.9 bpg - WCC: 26.5 ppg, 12.0 rbg, 6.5 bpg)
F - 33 Ashlee Smith, 6-1, So., Vancouver, WA
(11.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.4 apg - WCC: 8.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
G - 10 Kate Gaze, 5-8, Fr., Sydney, Australia
(5.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.2 apg - WCC: 13.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G - 22 Jontelle Smith, 5-5, Sr., Pinole, CA
(12.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 apg - WCC: 9.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)
G - 32 Jasmine Smith, 5-8, So., Pinole, CA
(10.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.4 apg - WCC: 7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg)
HEAD COACH: Paul Thomas (Wayne State, 1986)
SMC RECORD: 51-56 (4th year); CAREER RECORD: 289-214 (18th year)
Game No. 18 - UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO TOREROS
Saturday, January 16 - 2 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, WA
Radio: AM 1050 The Key; Gametracker & Video Streaming: GoZags.com
TV: SWX (Play-by-play Sam Adams, Color Analyst Lindsay Joy)
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO TOREROS (10-6, 2-0 West Coast)
F - 22 Morgan Woodrow, 6-0, So., Fremont, CA
(6.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.0 apg - WCC: 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rbg)
F - 35 Emily Hatch, 6-1, Jr., Portland, OR
(9.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.1 spg - WCC: 4.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 0.5 spg)
C - 50 Morgan Henderson, 6-1, Sr., Leawood, KS
(9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.9 apg - WCC: 2.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G - 2 Dominique Conners, 5-10, So., Oceanside, CA
(14.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 spg - WCC: 15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 spg)
G - 24 Sam Child, 6-0, Jr., Portland, OR
(13.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 spg - WCC: 13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
HEAD COACH: Cindy Fisher (Arizona State University, 1988)
USD RECORD: 78-60 (4th year); CAREER RECORD: 135-141 (10th year)
ON TAP: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team continues West Coast Conference play by hosting both Saint Mary's College and the University of San Diego at the McCarthey Athletic Center this week. The Bulldogs welcome the Gaels, currently 11-6 overall and 2-0 in conference, on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Zags then host the Toreros, 10-6 overall and also 2-0 in the WCC, on Saturday at 2 p.m.
A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU: Thursday is not only the day Gonzaga University women's basketball will host Saint Mary's College in a West Coast Conference matchup, it is also head coach Kelly Graves' birthday!!!!! Graves will turn...well, you will just have to ask him how old he is on Thursday!
ON THE RADIO: Gonzaga University will have all regular-season games broadcasted on the radio this season as Steve Myklebust returns for his sixth year of calling the action. Each game will be broadcast on either KGA 1050 The Key AM in Spokane with a pre-game show 30-minutes prior to tip and a 30-minute post-game show. Games will also be available on the internet at GoZags.com.
TWITTER: Yes, the Gonzaga University Bulldogs are on twitter! You can find us at www.twitter.com/GonzagaBulldogs. We provide inside scoop on all Bulldog athletics as well as in-game updates for all home and away women's basketball contests. CHECK US OUT! Do you want insight on Gonzaga University women's basketball straight from head coach Kelly Graves too? Now you can, check out Graves' twitter site at www.twitter.com/kgzag for everything Bulldog basketball and much, much more!
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BLOG: Check out the Gonzaga University women's basketball blog at: http://www.gozags.com/sports/w-baskbl/wbb-blog-0910.html. You can read up on what happens on the road with the Bulldogs, what a gameday is like for the players and coaches and what stories are out there on the Zags.
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.
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.
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS FOR SAINT MARY'S (Thurs., Jan. 14 - 6 p.m.):
TEAM NIGHT: Do you play on or coach a basketball team? Make sure you don't miss out on Team Night! All local teams, including AAU, clubs, high-schools and youth programs are invited to Team Night and encouraged to wear their jerseys and show their team and Gonzaga spirit! You can purchase group tickets for your team at a reduced rate! Group tickets are $40 for 20 tickets, and can be purchased from the McCarthey Athletic Center Ticket Office, by calling (509) 313-6000 or by clicking on the "Tickets" menu button at the top of this page.
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS FOR SAN DIEGO (Sat., Jan. 16 - 2 p.m.):
PAGE AHEAD BOOK DRIVE AND KIDS DAY: Calling all kids! Members of Gonzaga's Junior Zags Club and 2009 women's basketball summer campers are invited to be a part of the exciting atmosphere of Gonzaga women's basketball. Free Gonzaga Autograph Books will be given out to the first 100 kids through the gate, and everyone can meet the Zags for autographs after the game!
Gonzaga's Student Athletes will also conduct their annual Book Drive, collecting new and gently used books for donation to local children in need. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partners with Page Ahead, a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve literacy for at-risk children. For more information on Page Ahead, please visit the link: http://www.pageahead.org/about_about-page-ahead.php
LAST OUTING: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team opened West Coast Conference play with a statement, defeating visiting University of Portland, who came into the game with the exact record as the Bulldogs at 11-4, by 36 points, 90-54, on Saturday afternoon at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Four different players scored in double-figure points for the Zags as they improved their overall record to 12-4 on the year and 1-0 in conference. The Pilots fell to 11-5 overall and 0-1 in conference.
It was a 10-0 spurt midway through the first half that broke the game open for the Bulldogs. With Portland leading 11-10 on a Laiken Dollente 3-pointer, junior Courtney Vandersloot got into the action. Vandersloot responded to Dollente's trey with one of her own. The point guard then found sophomore Kelly Bowen in the corner, who drained her own 3-pointer. Vandersloot followed that play with a fast break that found sophomore Katelan Redmon cutting to the basket for an easy layup. The run was capped off with another assist by Vandersloot, this time she found sophomore Kayla Standish on an inbounds play. Standish sank the jumper to put the Zags lead at 20-11 with 11:37 left.
Gonzaga finished the game shooting 46.7 percent (35-75) from the field, including 26.7 percent (4-15) on 3-pointers and was 72.7 percent (16-22) at the charity stripe. The Zags held the 44-35 edge in rebounds, including the 17-7 advantage on the offensive glass. GU scored 52 points in the paint, 35 points off of the Pilots season-high 29 turnovers, had 18 second chance points, 18 fast break points and 28 points scored by the bench.
SCOUTING THE GAELS: Saint Mary's College closed out the 2008-09 season 11-19 overall and tied for fourth in the West Coast Conference regular season standings at 7-7.The Gaels ended the year falling in the first round of the WCC Tournament to Santa Clara University. Saint Mary's is currently 11-6 overall and started West Coast Conference 2-0; defeating the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Junior Louella Tomlinson, the reigning West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, leads the league in points (17.8), rebounds (9.9) and blocks per game at 6.9. She was named WCC Player of the Month for November and December and was named this week's Player of the Week.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAINT MARY'S: Gonzaga University defeated Saint Mary's College both times last season, earning a 91-63 victory on the road in Moraga, Calif., and taking an 87-56 decision at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 25-22 and have won 12 straight.
SCOUTING THE TOREROS: The University of San Diego ended the 2008-09 season at 19-13 overall, 7-7 in West Coast Conference play. The Toreros, who tied for fourth in the WCC regular season, were seeded sixth in the WCC Tournament and won three-straight games to gain a spot in the tournament championship against Gonzaga University. The Bulldogs, who lost to San Diego in the 2008 WCC tournament final, prevailed against the Toreros, earning a 66-55 victory. The Toreros are 10-6 on the season, a perfect 2-0 in WCC action and have won five-straight. USD is led by Dominique Conners who is averaging a team-best 14.1 points per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAN DIEGO: Gonzaga University won its two regular-season match-ups against the University of San Diego last year, taking a 109-73 win in California and a 77-67 victory at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Zags then went on to defeat the Toreros 66-55 in the WCC Tournament Championship. The Bulldogs hold a 27-20 lead in the all-time series and have won 15 of the last 16 meetings.
LOOKING FOR NUMBER SIX: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team is looking to capture its sixth-straight West Coast Conference regular-season championship and third WCC Tournament title in four years. The Bulldogs, who are 63-7 over the past five WCC seasons, are coming off a 12-2 WCC campaign in 2008-09.
WHO WE LOST: Gonzaga University had arguably its best season in 2008-09 finishing with a 27-7 overall record and making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Don't fret, the Bulldogs only lost two seniors from that squad, and returns 12 letterwinners, including four starters. The only players lost to graduation were Jami (Bjorklund) Schaefer and Amanda Brown - and if you look down the bench Brown is still there - this year as a Director of Basketball Operations.
WHAT WE RETURN: We return a lot. As a team, Gonzaga University returns 98 percent of its scoring from West Coast Conference action a year ago (1,053 of 1,071 points) and field goals made (401 of 409 field goals made) and 96 percent of its rebounding (544 of 566 rebounding).
WHO IS BACK: Nearly everybody is back from Gonzaga University's team that went 27-7 a season ago. Leading the group is senior Heather Bowman and junior Courtney Vandersloot. Bowman finished 20th in the nation in scoring as a junior at 19.1 points per game, while Vandersloot, the reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Year, was third in the nation in assists per game at 7.5. The Zags also welcome back senior Vivian Frieson, an All-WCC performer in 2008-09, junior Janelle Bekkering, who played for the Canadian National Team this summer and garnered WCC All-Tournament honors as a sophomore, and sophomore Kelly Bowen, a member of the 2008-09 All-WCC freshman squad.
BOWMAN NEARS SCORING RECORD: Senior Heather Bowman, of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, is 34 points away from becoming the West Coast Conference all-time leading scorer. Martha Sheldon, of the University of Portland, is currently the WCC all-time leading scorer at 1,953 - scored during her four years with the Pilots from 1987-92. Bowman, who has scored 1,920 total points, is also 92 points away from becoming the GU all-time leading scorer. Tammy Tibbles currently holds the Zag scoring record with 2,011 points (1984-88).
INCHING CLOSER TO ANOTHER LANDMARK: Gonzaga University junior guard Courtney Vandersloot, ranked first in the nation in assists per game at 9.3, is 22 assists away from becoming the all-time assist leader in Bulldog school history. Vandersloot dished out 191 as a freshman, 239 as a sophomore and has handed out 149 so far this season for a total of 579. The current record holder is Shannon Mathews, who played for the Zags from 2002-05, with 600.
ANOTHER RECORD ON THE HORIZON: Gonzaga University guard Courtney Vandersloot is close to breaking the 14-year old Bulldog career steal record. Vandersloot has 194 total steals in her two and a half years with the Zags and needs just 42 more to become the all-time leader and break Amy Simpson's record of 235 accumulated from 1982-86.
HITTING A MILESTONE: Gonzaga University junior guard Courtney Vandersloot became the 14th player in Bulldog school history to score 1,000-plus points in her career. The point guard went into the Zags contest at Portland State University needing three points to hit the 1,000 point plateau. She scored her 1,000th point on a free throw at the 10:58 mark of the first half. Vandersloot now has 1,073 career points. The last Zag to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier was senior Heather Bowman. Bowman, who has amassed 1,897 total points so far in her career, broke 1,000 her sophomore season.
A DIFFERENT LEADER: Gonzaga University women's basketball has played 16 games this season and has had a different leading scorer in nine of the 16 games, including the first six.
Breakdown of scoring leaders: 11/13 vs. South Dakota: Courtney Vandersloot, 20 pts; 11/16 at Idaho: Heather Bowman, 20 pts; 11/19 vs. USC: Vivian Frieson, 22 pts; 11/22 vs. Washington: Katelan Redmon & Courtney Vandersloot, 18 pts; 11/25 vs. North Dakota: Kayla Standish, 25 pts; 11/29 at No. 2 Stanford: Janelle Bekkering, 16 pts; 12/1 vs. Eastern Washington: Heather Bowman, 22 pts; 12/4 at Montana State: Heather Bowman, 24 pts; 12/6 vs. Cal State Northridge: Kelly Bowen & Heather Bowman, 13 pts; 12/11 vs. Montana: Heather Bowman, 24 pts; 12/13 at Portland State: Vivian Frieson, 22 pts; 12/19 vs. No. 5/6 Baylor: Katelan Redmon, 13 pts; 12/20 vs. No. 11/13 Texas A&M: Courtney Vandersloot, 16; 12/27 vs. UC Irvine: Vivian Frieson, 25 pts; 12/30 vs. UC Santa Barbara: Tiffanie Shives & Courtney Vandersloot, 17 pts; 1/9 vs. Portland: Heather Bowman, 23 pts.
JUST A MATTER OF TIME: Junior point guard Courtney Vandersloot seems destined to break Robin Allen's single-game assist record. Allen dished out 17 against California Lutheran on Jan. 7, 1987. No player has come close until Vandersloot, who has registered double-figure assists 14 times during her two-plus seasons with GU and five times this season, was one assist away of tying Allen's mark as the speedy point guard finished with 16 assists in the Zags 85-46 victory over the University of North Dakota. The 16 dimes are a career-high for Vandersloot, breaking her previous mark of 13 set against Montana State University on Nov. 21, 2008.
THE LEADER OF THE PACK: Junior point guard Courtney Vandersloot is currently leading the nation in assists per game at 9.3. Vandersloot, who finished her sophomore season ranked third in assists, is also fourth in steals per game at 3.9.
A STANDOUT PERFORMANCE: Gonzaga University senior Vivian Frieson had arguably one of her best performances of her career in GU's 96-57 victory over the UC Irvine Dec. 27. Frieson finished with a season-high 25 points, one off tying her career high. She scored 17 points in the opening frame and finished the contest sinking 10-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Frieson also 11 rebounds to register her second double-double of the season. She also dished out four assists, blocked two shots and had two steals in 28 minutes of action.
ONE ASSIST SHY OF A TRIPLE DOUBLE: Courtney Vandersloot began her junior season off with a bang, nearly collecting a triple double. Vandersloot led the Gonzaga University women's basketball team in its tough 75-71 overtime loss to South Dakota State University by scoring 20 points, making 11 steals and passing out nine assists. A pretty strong performance any way you look at it. The 11 steals was a career-high for the point guard, as her previous best was five, made on two different occasions.
FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Kayla Standish registered her first career double-double in Gonzaga University's 96-57 victory over UC Irvine Dec. 27. Standish scored 10 points and grabbed 11 boards, five offensive, all in 15 minutes of action. The 11 boards was also a career-high and the first time she has tallied double-figure rebounds.
DOUBLE-DIGIT STEALS: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior point guard Courtney Vandersloot broke the Bulldog career steals record when she collected 11 in their 75-71 overtime loss at South Dakota State Nov. 13. Vandersloot, who had four steals in the first half, five in the second and two in overtime, broke teammate Vivian Frieson's record of 10 set at the University of Washington on Nov. 16, 2008. Vandersloot leads the team with 57 takeaways this season.
STRONG OFF THE BENCH: Sophomore Katelan Redmon is a huge weapon off the bench for the Gonzaga University women's basketball team. Redmon is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12.5 points per game. The transfer from the University of Washington has registered double-figure points in 14 of the Zags 16 contests this season, including a season-high 18 against her former team - the Huskies.
WOODEN AWARD WATCH LIST: Gonzaga University women's basketball teammates Heather Bowman and Courtney Vandersloot were named to the preseason Women's Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy announced by Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, Wooden Award Chairman and founder. Gonzaga is one of only four schools with two preseason candidates. The others are the University of Connecticut (Maya Moore, Tina Charles), Ohio State University (Jantel Lavender, Samantha Prahalis) and Stanford University (Jayne Appel, Jeanette Pohlen).
WADE WATCH LIST: Women's basketball junior Courtney Vandersloot has been named to the prestigious 2009-10 preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year. Vandersloot becomes the inaugural Bulldog to be named to this list.
SHIVES RETURNS: Gonzaga University women's basketball senior Tiffanie Shives returned to the lineup this season after an injury forced her junior season to end early. Shives had microfracture surgery on her right knee in mid-December of last season. Shives, the Zags 3-point sharpshooter, was averaging 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game before her injury. She was also the Bulldogs leading 3-point shooting, having sank 19-of-48. Shives has been instrumental in her return, averaging 7.0 points per contest and has already drained a team-leading 24 three-pointers.
BULLDOGS PICKED FIRST IN WCC: Gonzaga University was chosen as the favorite to claim the West Coast Conference women's basketball title for the second straight year in the 2009-10 preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs, who received the maximum seven first place votes for a total of 49 points, won their fifth-straight WCC regular-season title, the WCC Tournament and earned their second-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament a season ago. As a 12th seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga upset the No. 5 seeded Xavier University in the first round, 74-59, before nearly accomplishing the same feat against No. 4 seeded University of Pittsburgh, losing 65-60. Loyola Marymount received the remaining first place vote and totaled 39 points to come in second in the voting.
BOWMAN AND VANDERSLOOT AMONG TOP WCC RETURNEES: Heading the group of Gonzaga University returners are 2008 WCC Player of the Year Heather Bowman and 2009 WCC Player 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 league in scoring last year (19.4), while Vandersloot was the leader in assists (7.5).
A FUN SUMMER FOR BEKKERING: Janelle Bekkering was named to the 2009 Canadian Senior Women's National Team (SWNT); making her the first Bulldog to make the Canadian National squad. Canada's Senior Women played in the eight-team FIBA Americas Championships for Women in Brazil where it placed Third. As a top three finisher at this year's qualifying tournament, Canada clinched a spot in the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Czech Republic.
USA BASKETBALL: Courtney Vandersloot was one of 29 players to participate in the USA Women's World University Game Team Trials in the summer of 2009. Vandersloot became the first women's player in Zag history to earn an invite to a USA Team Trial. Heather Bowman also received an invitation but had to decline due to an injury she suffered weeks before the 2008-09 Bulldog season completed.
GONZAGA TO HOST 2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS: Gonzaga University was one of 16 institutions selected to host the first-and-second-rounds of the 2011 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs will host First-and-Second Round action at the McCarthey Athletic Center on either Saturday, March 19 and Monday, March 21, 2011 or Sunday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 22, 2011. It will be the first time in school history Gonzaga will host an NCAA Tournament event.
COACH GRAVES SIGNS THREE PLAYERS TO NLIs: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves has announced the signing of three players to national letters of intent. Joining the Bulldogs next fall are Stephanie Golden, a 6-3 center from Miramonte High School in Orinda, Calif., Jazmine Redmon, a 5-9 guard from Mead High School in Spokane, Wash., and Danielle Walters, a 6-0 combo guard from Pasco High School in Pasco, Wash.
BULLDOGS UP TO FOURTH IN LATEST MID-MAJOR LIST: ESPN.com has Gonzaga University ranked fourth in its fourth mid-major rankings of the season, up from eighth in its previous list. Graham Hays states "This is as close to an eight-way tie for fourth as you can get. The Bulldogs might not deserve the bump after a light holiday schedule -- they play just twice between Dec. 21 and Jan. 9 -- but they did handle what was in front of them in routs of UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. Neither a minus nor a big plus last season, 3-point shooting has been a letdown this season, although Courtney Vandersloot and Tiffanie Shives did go 8-for-12 from deep against UCSB." The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 13-0 on the season, is listed as the top mid-major school.
