Women's Basketball Hosts Fairfield Monday
12/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| GAME 6 - FAIRFIELD AT NO. 24/24 GONZAGA | ||
DATE: Monday, December 2, 2013 | ||
| THE LAST MEETING: First-Ever Meeting | ||
GONZAGA BULLDOGS | FAIRFIELD STAGS | |
No. 24/24 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (4-1) FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY STAGS (3-2) BULLDOGS HOST FAIRFIELD MONDAY: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team continues its five-games-in-11-days stretch Monday when it hosts Fairfield University. The Bulldogs battle the Stags at 6 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 4-1 on the year, with their only loss coming at then-No. 11 University of Oklahoma, Nov. 14. WHAT WE RETURNED: Gonzaga University's women's basketball team returned 12 letterwinners, including four starters from last year's squad and lost only two players to graduation. Overall, the Zags returned 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 FAIRFIELD STAGS: Fairfield University women's basketball enters into the game with Gonzaga University with a 3-2 record. The Stags, members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), are coming off a 64-59 victory over LaSalle. Fairfield has three players averaging double-figure points; Katie Cizynski (14.0), Alexys Vazquez (11.2) and Brittany Obi-Tabot (10.0). Fairfield is located in Fairfield, Conn. GONZAGA VS. FAIRFIELD: GONZAGA VS. THE MAAC: Gonzaga University women's basketball has faced one Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) member in school history. The Bulldogs hosted Monmouth University in 2012-13. The Zags defeated the Hawks 77-51. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: When Gonzaga University women's basketball defeated Colgate University 81-31 Nov. 30 it was the fewest points allowed by the Zags in school history. The previous low by an opponent was 35 points, four different times and most recently Feb. 27, 2010 when the Zags held the University of San Francisco to 35 in an 83-35 victory. The 50-point win was also the fifth largest margin of victory in school history. 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. 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. 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 Zag players have seen action in all 5 games this season. ELEVEN OF THE 14 BULLDOG PLAYERS AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURE MINUTES: Eleven 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 30.0. Junior Lindsay Sherbert is coming off the bench to average 23.8 - third 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 19.8 fouls per game, which has allowed its opponents to head to the charity stripe 22.6 times per game. The Zags themselves are heading to the free throw line 19.4 times per contest. CAREER HIGH IN POINTS FOR SHERBERT: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Lindsay Sherbert scored a career-high 22 points in the Bulldogs 50-point win over Colgate University, Nov. 30. She drained 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. Her previous high was 20 points, scored twice as a member of the University of California women's basketball team. Sherbert, averaging 13.4 points this season, has reached double-figures in the last three contests. PALMER COLLECTS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Gonzaga University women's basketball senior Haiden Palmer collected her first double-double of the season against Colgate University, Nov. 30. Palmer scored 11 points and grabbed 10 boards - one rebound shy of tying her career-high. The double-double was the second in a Zag uniform and fourth overall for the guard who transferred to GU from Oregon State University after her freshman campaign. Her first double-double as a Bulldog came during her sophomore season. PALMER SIXTH IN CAREER STEALS: Gonzaga University senior Haiden Palmer is currently sixth in the Zag career record book for total steals, having accumulated 202 during her 2-plus years in a GU uniform. She is three steals behind fifth place Tammy Tibbles (205; 1984-88) and 34 from bumping into second place, currently held by Amy Simpson (235; 1982-86). Courtney Vandersloot holds the top spot with 366 steals from 2007-11. ZAGS SHOOTING THE BALL WELL: 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 three of their five contests this season and held three of their five opponents under 30 percent shooting. 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 four home games of the 2013-14 campaign, the Zags are averaging 5,262. McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER: Since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, the Gonzaga University women's basketball team has gone 116-16 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 16 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 | ||
