GEORGE FOX WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
(Overall 3-1: Home 1-0, Road 1-1, Neutral 1-0 / NWC 0-0: Home 0-0, Road 0-0)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Bruins Go 3-0 with Two Wins in Lady 'Yote Classic
* Cave Honorable Mention for NWC Player of the Week
* Clark, Leith Earn All-Tourney Honors at Lady 'Yote Classic
* George Fox with Two Votes in D-III Pre-Season Poll
* Upcoming Previews: at Western Baptist
THIS WEEK (Previews below):
Sat., Dec. 7, 7:30 pm - at Western Baptist College (1-3), Salem, Ore.
LAST WEEK (3-0):
Nov. 26 - at George Fox 69, Western Baptist 55
Nov. 29 - George Fox 77, Eastern Oregon 56 (Lady 'Yote Classic, Caldwell, Idaho)
Nov. 30 - George Fox 71, at Albertson 58 (Lady 'Yote Classic, Caldwell, Idaho)
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE: George Fox (3-1) was picked to finish 3rd in the NWC this season, the same spot they tied for last year. Conference play this season does not begin until January. For the latest NWC standings, go to www.nwcsports.com.
COACH SCOTT RUECK (Oregon State '91) has a record of 118-40 (.747) in his 7th season as a head coach, all at George Fox. He notched his 100th career win last season when the Bruins defeated Northwest 78-68 on Dec. 1 in the PLU Parkland Chevrolet Classic in Tacoma, Wash. He was Northwest Conference "Coach of the Year" in 1999-2000 and "Co-Coach of the Year" in 2000-01. Against this week's opponent, he is 7-3 vs. Western Baptist (3-2 in Newberg, 1-1 in Salem, 3-0 at neutral sites).
BRUIN BITS:
* Cave Honorable Mention for NWC Player of the Week:
Darby Cave (Jr., P, Portland, Ore,) led the Bruins to a 3-0 week against three NAIA schools, including two wins in the Lady 'Yote Classic in Caldwell, Idaho, to earn Honorable Mention for Northwest Conference "Player of the Week" for Nov. 25-Dec. 1. In the Bruins' home opener vs. Western Baptist on Tuesday, a 69-55 win, she led the team with 18 points, hitting 8-10 from the field and 2-2 from the line, with 3 rebounds and a steal. In a 77-56 win over Eastern Oregon on Friday, she scored 11 points on 4-7 from the field and 3-5 from the line, with 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. In a 71-58 win over host Albertson, she had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 6-14 from the floor and 2-2 from the line, with 2 assists and 1 steal. For the week, in 3 games, she was 18-31 from the field (.581) and 7-9 from the line (.778) for 43 points (14.3 ppg), with 20 rebounds (6.7 rpg), 2 assists, 1 block, and 3 steals.
NWC "Player of the Week" went to Tiffany Speer of Whitworth, who led the Pirates to the Southwestern TX Invitational title with 35 points, 13, rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in two games to earn MVP honors.
* Clark, Leith Named All-Tournament at Lady 'Yote Classic:
Liz Clark (So., W, Elbe, Wash.) and Kim Leith (Fr., PG, Sherwood, Ore.) of George Fox were both named to the All-Tournament Team as the Bruins went 2-0 in the Lady 'Yote Classic at Albertson College in Caldwell, Idaho, Nov. 29-30. Clark sparkled in a 77-56 win over Eastern Oregon on Friday with a career-high 24 points while tying her career bests with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, then added 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in a 71-58 win over Albertson on Saturday. Leith, making her first two starts at point for the Bruins, had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists vs. Eastern Oregon, and 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists vs. Albertson.
Other All-Tournament members included Albertson guard Alyssa Latham, Eastern Oregon forward Cory Nelson, and Great Falls post Karen Sauvola.
* George Fox Receives Two Votes in Pre-Season National Poll:
With the loss of three All-Conference players off last year's 20-6 team, it is perhaps understandable that the George Fox Bruins would not be ranked in the top 25 of the d3hoops/NCAA Division III 2002-03 pre-season women's basketball poll. Nevertheless, the Bruins can acknowledge that their program has become recognized as one of the best in the country, year-in and year-out, by the two points they received in the poll of Nov. 1. That ties the Bruins for 55th with Chapman. The Bruins have been ranked most of the year for each of the last three seasons, and even spent two weeks as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in February of the 2000-01 season. Other NWC teams receiving votes were defending league champ Pacific Lutheran (31st, 65 points) and pre-season favorite Whitworth (37th, 26 points). Washington (Mo.) is the national favorite for the 3rd time in 4 years. The first regular-season poll will be released on Dec. 3.
For the complete poll, visit the D3hoops web site at www.d3hoops.com
* Bruins Aim for 4th Straight 20-Win Season:
With a final 20-6 record in 2001-02, the George Fox Bruins posted their 3rd straight season of 20 or more wins. No Bruin teams had ever posted back-to-back 20-win seasons; in fact, George Fox had only two 20-win seasons in women's basketball history prior to 1999, going back to the '81-82 season when complete records began to be kept.
THIS WEEK:
Sat., Dec. 7, 7:30 pm - at Western Baptist College (1-3), Salem, Ore.
Non-conference game ... The Warriors of Salem, Ore., are members of the NAIA and the Cascade Collegiate Conference ... George Fox leads the all-time series with Western Baptist 27-4, and has won the last five meetings, including a 69-55 win in Newberg on Nov. 26 as the Bruins opened their home season ... Darby Cave had 18 points in that win for the Bruins, while Toran Lundgren led the Warriors with 22 points ... Western Baptist hosts Pacific Tuesday and Willamette Friday before meeting the Bruins ... The Warriors' lone win thus far was a 69-61 win at Pacific ...