Bulldogs Back In Action Saturday; Host Colgate
11/29/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| GAME 5 - COLGATE AT NO. 24/24 GONZAGA | ||
DATE: Saturday, November 30, 2013 | ||
| THE LAST MEETING: January 2, 2001 | ||
Gonzaga 67, Colgate 56 |
GONZAGA BULLDOGS | COLGATE RAIDERS | |
No. 24/24 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (3-1) COLGATE UNIVERSITY RAIDERS (1-4) AFTER ENDS 10 DAY BREAK HOSTING COLGATE SATURDAY: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team returns to action Saturday, Nov. 30 when it hosts Colgate University at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The first game in 10 days for the Bulldogs will begin at 2 p.m. ABOUT THE GONZAGA BULLDOGS: Gonzaga University women's basketball is coming off another successful campaign where it earned its fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, won its ninth-straight West Coast Conference regular season title and fourth WCC Tournament Championship in five years. The Bulldogs returned 12 letterwinners from its 27-6, 15-1 WCC squad in 2012-13, including four starters. The Zags are currently 3-1 on the year, with their only loss coming at then-No. 11 University of Oklahoma, Nov. 14. WHAT WE RETURN: Gonzaga University's women's basketball team returns 12 letterwinners, including four starters from last year's squad and lost only two players to graduation. Overall, the Zags return 80.2 percent of its scoring from the 2012-13 season and 88.5 percent of its rebounding. The Bulldogs top returning scorer is senior Haiden Palmer who led the team in scoring as a junior at 12.5 points per game and was third on the squad in 2011-12 averaging 12.4. Senior Jazmine Redmon and junior Sunny Greinacher are the only other two Zags who averaged more than 20 minutes a game last season. Redmon played and started all 33 games as a junior, averaging 26.2 minutes, 6.1 points, 1.9 steals and a team-best 3.8 assists per game. Greinacher averaged 23.7 minutes, 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, while shooting a team-best 51.6 percent from the floor. ABOUT THE COLGATE RAIDERS: Colgate University enters into the game with Gonzaga University with a 1-4 record. The Raiders, members of the Patriot League, are on a two-game losing skid, having dropped a 91-76 decision to Harvard University and a 63-58 decision at the University of New Hampshire. Their lone victory thus far was a 97-79 victory at Saint Francis University. Colgate has three players averaging double-figure points; Lauryn Kobiela (12.6), Mariah Jones (12.2) and Carole Harris (11.2). Colgate is located in Hamilton, N.Y. GONZAGA VS. COLGATE: PALMER NAMED PRESEASON WNIT ALL-TOURNAMENT: Gonzaga University senior guard Haiden Palmer led Gonzaga to a 2-1 record in the Preseason WNIT by averaging 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 1.3 assists per game. For her efforts, Palmer was named to the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team. Palmer scored 18 points, including 10 in final 13 minutes, to help the Zags defeat the University of Idaho 64-56 in the opening round game of the Preseason WNIT. She also had seven rebounds, seven steals and two blocks. In GU's second round Preseason WNIT game, Palmer again scored 18 points - on 7-of-10 shooting, including hitting 2-of-3 3-pointers - to lead the squad to a 91-54 victory over UT Martin. In the Bulldogs four-point loss at then-No. 11 University of Oklahoma, Palmer led the squad with 19 points and nine boards. TWO DOUBLE-DIGIT REBOUNDERS: Gonzaga University women's basketball had two players break double-figures in rebounds against the University of Idaho, Nov. 8. Sophomore Kiara Kudron and junior Lindsay Sherbert both grabbed 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds was a career-high for Kudron, while University of Cal transfer's career high is 14 grabbed at New Mexico on Nov. 20, 2010 while a member of the Bears squad. The last time two players had double-digit rebounds in the same game was Feb. 18, 2012 when Kelly Bowen and Taelor Karr had 16 and 12 rebounds, respectively, in the Zags 66-40 win over Pepperdine University. THIRD GAME AS A ZAG GIVES SHERBERT SECOND CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Lindsay Sherbert registered her first-career double-double as a Zag in her third game in uniform. Sherbert scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in the Bulldogs tough four-point loss at then-No. 11 University of Oklahoma. Sherbert, a transfer from the University of California, had registered one double-double in 62 games as a Bear. As a freshman in 2010-11, Sherbert scored 17 points and had 10 boards against the University of Oregon. FIRST START FOR ALBANEZ: Gonzaga University junior Keani Albanez didn't disappoint in her first career start. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native earned the starting nod in the Bulldogs opening game against the University of Idaho and she finished with 13 points - one of only two players to reach double-figures - one block and one steal in 26 minutes of play. The guard followed that up with a career-day in the Zags second round Preseason WNIT victory over UT Martin. She hit a career-high four 3-pointers and ended the day with 14 points, while also grabbing a career-high eight boards. Albanez has registered double-figure points in three of the Zags four games thus far this season. TWELVE PLAYERS PLAY, 12 SCORE AGAINST OKLAHOMA: In Gonzaga's 82-78 loss at then-No. 11 University of Oklahoma, Nov. 14, 12 Bulldogs saw action and each one scored at least two points. All but two also grabbed a rebound. TEN OF THE 14 BULLDOG PLAYERS AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURE MINUTES: Ten of the 14 Gonzaga University women's basketball players are averaging double-digit minutes. Four of the 14 players are averaging above 20 minutes per contest; including senior Haiden Palmer leading the charge at 31.8. Junior Lindsay Sherbert is coming off the bench to average 24.8 - fourth highest on the squad. PALMER WORKING ON MASTER'S DEGREE: Gonzaga University women's basketball senior Haiden Palmer graduated in May of 2013 with an undergraduate degree in sport management. She is currently working on her master's degree in organizational leadership. LOTS OF FOULS EQUALS LOTS OF FREE THROWS: In the Gonzaga University versus University of Oklahoma game Nov. 14 - an 82-78 setback for the Bulldogs - 54 total fouls were called, 32 on GU and 22 on OU. Because of the fouls, the Sooners went to the line 49 times and sunk 34 free throws. The Zags headed to the line 26 times, hitting 18 from the charity stripe. Gonzaga is averaging 21.5 fouls per game and is heading to the charity stripe 16.6 times per contest. ZAGS REBOUND FROM POOR SHOOTING NIGHT: Gonzaga University women's basketball opened the new season shooting a sub-par 32.8 percent (21-of-64) in its opening win over the University of Idaho, Nov. 8. The Bulldogs rebounded to shoot an impressive 52.2 percent (36-of-69) from the field in their 37-point victory over UT Martin, Nov. 10. In turn the Zags held both their opening two opponents below 30.0 percent as the Vandals finished at 26.6 (17-of-64) and the Skyhawks closed out the game at 26.7 percent (20-of-75). The Bulldogs have shot above 50.0 in two of their four contests this season. GU shot above 50 percent five times in 2012-13, including twice in non-conference and held three opponents below 30.0 percent, one in non-conference play. PRESEASON ALL-WCC: Gonzaga University women's basketball seniors Haiden Palmer and Jazmine Redmon and junior Sunny Greinacher were each named to the 2013 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team. WHO ARE THE NEWCOMERS: Gonzaga University women's basketball welcomes two new faces in 2013-14; one of which has been with the program for season already. University of California transfer Lindsay Sherbert is eligible after sitting out the 2012-13 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules. Sherbert, now a junior, averaged 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game over her two years at California. She also drained 80 3-pointers. The lone freshman on the squad is Emma Wolfram from Kamloops, British Columbia. The 6-5 center was coached by Ken Olynyk, the father of former men's basketball player Kelly Olynyk. Wolfram will redshirt this season. ZAGS STARTED SEASON RANKED FOR FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY: For the first time in program history, the Gonzaga University women's basketball team started the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 25 as the Associated Press released the preseason rankings. The Bulldogs continue to be ranked; jumping to the No. 24 spot this week with 105 votes. GONZAGA MOVES UP ONE SPOT IN USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team moved up one spot in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll, checking in at No. 24. The Bulldogs garnered 28 more votes than a week ago for a total of 73. West Coast Conference members BYU and Saint Mary's College continue to also receive votes. BYU earned 17 votes, while Saint Mary's garnered 13. BULLDOGS PICKED FIRST IN WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Gonzaga University was chosen as the favorite to claim the West Coast Conference women's basketball title for in the 2013-14 preseason coaches' poll. The Bulldogs, who received the maximum nine first place votes for a total of 81 points, have won the WCC regular season title for an unprecedented nine-straight years. The University of San Diego captured one first place vote and was selected to finish second in the preseason poll, collecting 69 points. Saint Mary's College was selected to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll with 63 votes, followed by BYU in fourth with 62 votes. West Coast Conference newcomer University of the Pacific was tabbed fifth with 46 votes, followed by Loyola Marymount University in sixth with 38 votes. The University of Portland, University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University all tied for seventh with 27 votes apiece. Pepperdine University rounded out the field in 10th with 10 points. SIXTH LONGEST CONFERENCE TITLE STREAK: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team captured its unprecedented ninth-straight West Coast Conference regular-season title in 2012-13, finishing league with a 15-1 record. In the Bulldogs nearly decade-long reign, they piled up an astonishing 120-10 record against conference foes. That includes three undefeated seasons. Their record has them tied for the sixth longest streak in the nation. T1) Louisiana Tech, Sun Belt and WAC, 15 (1993-2007) ZAGS RANKED 13TH IN ATTENDANCE IN 2012-13: Gonzaga University women's basketball ended the 2012-13 season ranked a school-high 13th in NCAA Division I home attendance averaging 5,678 fans for its 17 home games. The Bulldogs also had a school record seven sellouts. In 2011-12, the Bulldogs averaged 5,442 fans for their 17 home games which stood 14th in the NCAA for women's basketball attendance. In their first three home games of the 2013-14 campaign, the Zags are averaging 5,277. McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER: Since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, the Gonzaga University women's basketball team has gone 115-16 overall. The Bulldogs went undefeated at 14-0 in the McCarthey Athletic Center during the 2004-05 campaign, the first season it was open, and went 15-0 during the 2009-10 season. Five of the 15 losses have been to Pacific-12 Conference members - Stanford (twice), Arizona State, USC and Washington State - and three to West Coast Conference schools. BASKETBALL IN HER GENES: Gonzaga University women's basketball sophomore Elle Tinkle comes from a basketball family. Her father Wayne Tinkle played for the University of Montana, played professionally in Europe for 10 years and is currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Montana. Her mother Lisa Tinkle also played for Montana and was inducted into Montana's Hall of Fame. Her sister Joslyn Tinkle graduated from Stanford University in the spring of 2013 after a stellar 4-year basketball career. Joslyn Tinkle and former Gonzaga star Courtney Vandersloot are currently playing together overseas in Hungary with Uni Gyor. COACH GRAVES AND USA BASKETBALL: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves has added USA Basketball to his resume. Graves was an assistant coach with the U18 women's basketball squad that won goal at the 2012 FIBA Americas and was once again on the sidelines as an assistant coach when the U19 team won gold at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship of Women held in Klaipeda, Lithuania this past summer. NEW FACE ON THE SIDELINES: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves announced the hiring of current WNBA player and former Stanford University standout Nicole Powell as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs in 2013-14. Powell replaced Julie Shaw who is now the head women's coach at the University of La Verne. Powell closed out her 10th year in the WNBA and first with the Tulsa Shock this summer. She was the third overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft; selected by the Charlotte Sting. Powell ended her career at Stanford as one of only two 3-time Kodak All-American's in its women's basketball history and was a finalist for the James Naismith Player of the Year for 3-consecutive years (2002-04). Follow Gonzaga Athletics on Facebook Follow Kelly Graves on Twitter Follow Gonzaga Women's Basketball on Instagram | ||
