Overall 13-4: Home 5-0, Road 5-2, Neutral 3-2 / NWC 7-1: Home 3-0, Road 4-1
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Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule / Statistics / Results
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Recent Games: Bruins Win Two Road Games to Remain Tied for NWC Lead
* Coming Up: Homecoming Games to Include First-Place Battle with Whitworth
* On the Air! Most Bruin Games Now on KFOX Radio/Internet
* Behary Honorable Mention for NWC "Player of the Week"
* George Fox Attracts Attention in Latest WBCA Poll
* Career Lists: Clark One Assist Away from All-Time Top Ten
* NWC Stats: Leith, Clark Atop Leader Board in Threes, 3-Pt Pct.
* NCAA Stats: Bruins Back Up to 3rd Nationally in Threes
* Halftime Programs for Bruin Basketball Games
RECENT GAMES: 2-0 (Click score for link to story):
Jan. 25 - George Fox 74, at Pacific 55
Jan. 28 - George Fox 60, at Lewis & Clark 47
COMING UP:
* Fri., Feb. 4, 6:00 pm - vs. Whitman College (9-8, NWC 4-4), Newberg, Ore.
Radio/internet broadcast on KFOX ... The Whitman Missionaries from Walla Walla, Wash., NWC co-champions in '04, were picked to finish a close 2nd to Puget Sound in the NWC pre-season coaches' poll ... Series record: GFU leads 15-6 since 1982 (7-3 home, 8-3 road) ... The Bruins defeated the Missionaries 62-55 in overtime in Walla Walla on Jan. 7, snapping a 4-game losing streak in the series and giving coach Scott Rueck his 150th career win ... The Missionaries average 65.4 ppg (4th in the NWC) and allow 59.5 ppg (5th) ... The Missionaries have three players in double figures in scoring: Lizzy Washburn (12.9, 9th in the NWC), Kate Patneaude (10.3, 17th), and Laura Vertatschitch (10.1, 19th) ... Washburn is the top rebounder (6.6, 7th) and is 2nd in the league in fied goal pct. (.561) ... Megan Higgins is 2nd in assists (5.12, 25th nationally) ... 4th-year coach Michelle Ferenz was the 2003-04 NWC Coach of the Year ...
* Sat., Feb. 5, 6:00 pm - vs. Whitworth College (16-1, NWC 7-1), Newberg, Ore.
Radio/internet broadcast on KFOX ... The Whitworth Pirates from Spokane, Wash., off to their best start ever, were picked to finish 3rd in the NWC pre-season coaches' poll ... Whitworth is ranked 10th in both the WBCA and D3hoops.com national polls ... The Pirates are at Linfield Friday before playing the Bruins ... Series record: The series is even at 11-11 (GFU is 6-3 home, 4-7 road, 1-1 neutral) ... The Pirates have won the last 4 meetings, including a 60-53 win in Spokane on Jan. 8, the Bruins' only conference loss ... The Bruins' last win was 67-66 on Jan. 4, 2003, in Spokane ... The Pirates average 68.1 ppg (2nd in the NWC) and allow 56.1 ppg (3rd) ... The Pirates have three players in double figures in scoring: Tiffany Speer (18.8, 3rd in the NWC, 25th nationally), Sarah Shogren (18.8, also 3rd, 25th nationally), and Dani Bielec (10.5, 16th) ... Shogren is the top rebounder (9.9, 2nd) ... Speer, a two-time NWC Player of the Year, was a pre-season First Team All-America pick, and Shogren was Third Team ... Wenchi Liu leads the NWC in assists (5.24, 17th nationally) ... First Coach Helen Higgs is 168-104 in her 11th year at Whitworth ...
ON THE AIR!
George Fox sports can now be heard locally via the airwaves and across the country via the internet through campus station KFOX. To listen to Bruin athletic contests, go to www.kfoxradio.net.
Current schedule of broadcasts for basketball:
Fri., Feb. 4 - vs. Whitman (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Sat., Feb. 5 - vs. Whitworth (Homecoming - Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Feb. 11 - vs. Willamette (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Sat., Feb. 12 - at Linfield (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Tue., Feb. 22 - vs. Pacific (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Feb. 25 - vs. Lewis & Clark (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE:
A showdown for first place in the conference looms Saturday between the Bruins and Whitworth, no matter the outcome of Friday's games; the only question will be whether it is for sole possession of the league lead or a share of the top spot. Both teams are 7-1 in league play entering the weekend but have tough assignments Friday, the Bruins facing defending co-champ Whitman and the Pirates going to rapidly-improving Linfield. This is Homecoming weekend at George Fox, with the Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies on Friday and Homecoming events on Saturday. For the latest NWC standings, visit the conference website at www.nwcsports.com.
COACH SCOTT RUECK:
Scott Rueck (Oregon State '91) is 156-65 (.706) to date in his 9th season as a college head coach, all at George Fox. He notched his 150th win when the Bruins defeated Whitman 62-55 in overtime in Walla Walla, Wash., on Jan. 7. He was NWC Coach of the Year in 1999-2000 and Co-Coach of the Year in 2000-01. Click here for the complete bio on Coach Rueck.
Rueck vs. upcoming opponents:
Whitman - 13-4 (home 6-2, road 7-2)
Whitworth - 8-10 (home 5-3, road 3-7)
BRUIN BITS:
* Behary Honorable Mention for NWC "Player of the Week"
Point guard Tiffany Behary was the Bruins' most consistent player in leading the team to a pair of road wins and a tie atop the NWC standings last week, earning honorable mention for Northwest Conference "Player of the Week" for Jan. 24-30. In a 74-55 win at Pacific on Tuesday, she scored 14 points, 11 in the first half, on 5-7 from the field (4-6 on 3's), with 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. In a 60-47 win at Lewis & Clark on Friday, she had 11 points on 4-9 from the field (3-6 on 3's), with 2 assists and 2 steals. For the week, in 2 games, she scored 25 points (12.5), hitting 9-16 (.563) from the field, including 7-12 (.571) on 3's, with 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
* 2004-05 Honors:
Liz Clark - Sodexho Tipoff Classic All-Tournament Team; NWC Player of the Week (Jan. 17-23)
Kim Leith - Grand Canyon Classic All-Tournament Team; NWC Player of the Week (Dec. 20-Jan. 2)
Kellie Thomas - Grand Canyon Classic All-Tournament Team
* George Fox Attracts Attention in Latest WBCA Poll
With a six-game winning streak, the George Fox Bruins have attracted the attention of a couple of voters in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches of America national poll. The Bruins received their first two votes of the season in the poll of Feb. 1 to be included in the list of "others receiving votes". Puget Sound was also in the list with 6 votes. Whitworth was 10th in both the WBCA poll and the D3hoops.com poll, and UPS got 9 votes in the D3hoops poll.
Complete polls: USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Poll / D3hoops.com Poll
* 2004-05 Records:
Most Points, Player, Half - 30 (1st half) by Kim Leith vs. Neumann, 12/31/04 at Phoenix, Ariz.
Most 3-Pt Field Goal Attempts, Team, Game - 33 at Whitworth, 1/8/05
* Double-Doubles:
Liz Clark: career 11, season 4 - 13 pts/12 reb at Seattle Pacific, 11-20, 12 pts/12 reb vs. Denison, 12-21 at Las Vegas, Nev.; 16 pts/19 reb at Whitman, 1-7; 12 pts/10 reb vs. Pacific Lutheran, 1-22
* Career Lists: Clark One Assist Away from All-Time Top Ten
Liz Clark had 9 rebounds in the Bruins' two games last week, giving her 643 for her four-year career, 6th on the all-time list. Ahead is Susie Davis (753, 1983-87) ... With 4 steals during the week and 150 for her career, she is 9th on the all-time list. Ahead is Jennifer Childress (153, 1989-91) ... With 4 assists during the week and 183 for her career, she needs 2 to pass Jennifer Bearse (184, 1985-89) for 10th ...
Kellie Thomas hit 10-10 free throws in two games last week and switched places with Kim Leith, moving from 3rd to 2nd, in career free throw pct. (.795, 178-224) ... She hit 3-9 3-point field goals and ranks 5th in career 3-pt field goal pct. (.363, 105-289) ... With 833 points in her three-year career, she needs 157 in the last 8 games to tie for 10th all-time, and 167 to become the 9th Bruin to reach 1,000 career points ... With 5 assists during the week and 159 in her career, she needs 25 to tie Jennifer Bearse (184, 1985-89) for 10th ...
Kim Leith hit 2-4 free throws in three games last week and switched places with Kellie Thomas, slipping from 2nd to 3rd, in career free throw pct. (.792, 122-154) ... With 2 assists during the week and 157 in her career, she needs 27 to tie Jennifer Bearse (184, 1985-89) for 10th ...
* NWC Stats: Leith, Clark Atop Leader Board in Threes, 3-Pt Pct.
In the latest Northwest Conference stats (Jan. 29), George Fox is 1st in defense (52.6), scoring margin (+15.1), field goal pct. defense (.342), steals (15.29), turnover margin (+9.18), 3-pt field goals per game (9.18); 2nd in blocked shots (2.82, tie); 3rd in scoring (67.7), 3-pt pct. (.351); 4th in assists (13.65); 5th in free throw pct. (.708), rebounding (36.9); 9th in field goal pct. (.389), rebound margin (-4.8) ...
Liz Clark is 1st in steals (3.12), 3-pt pct. (.474), 6th in rebounding (8.0), 11th in free throw pct. (.759), 13th in 3-pt field goals (1.12, tie), 12th in assists (2.56), 18th in scoring (10.1) ...
Kellie Thomas is 6th in 3-pt field goals (1.65), 7th in free throw pct. (.833), 8th in 3-pt pct. (.389), 13th in scoring (11.8) ...
Kim Leith is 1st in 3-pt field goals (2.56), 2nd in 3-pt pct. (.441), 5th in scoring (16.3), 6th in free throw pct. (.837), 8th in blocked shots (0.56, tie), 11th in steals (1.81), 13th in field goal pct. (444) ...
Tiffany Behary is 3rd in steals (2.35, tie), 8th in 3-pt field goals (1.47, tie), 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.08), 14th in assists (2.41), 28th in scoring (7.4) ...
Robin Taylor is 8th in free throw pct. (.786), field goal pct. (.487), 13th in steals (1.65, tie), 23rd in scoring (8.9, tie) ...
Melissa Marek-Farris is 5th in blocked shots (0.81) ...
Katy Campbell is 13th in blocked shots (0.47, tie), 3-pt pct. (.347), 15th in 3-pt field goals (1.00, tie) ...
* NCAA Stats: Bruins Back Up to 3rd Nationally in Threes
In the latest NCAA Division III national stats (games thru Jan. 30), the George Fox Bruins ranked 3rd in 3-pt field goals per game (9.2) behind Grinnell (11.1) and Muhlenberg (10.2). Proving that a little defense is also necessary when shooting a lot of threes, however, the Bruins are the only one of the three with a winning record (13-4 as opposed to Grinnell's 3-13 and Muhlenberg's 8-9) ... The Bruins are 34th in defense (52.6 ppg) and 35th in scoring margin (+15.1) ...
Kim Leith ranked 11th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.441, 41-93) and 20th in 3-pt field goals per game (2.6) ...
* Halftime Programs for Bruin Basketball Games
A number of special promotions are scheduled for the halftimes of George Fox men's and women's basketball games throughout the 2004-05 season, including:
"Halftime Hoop Shoot" - Co-sponsored by the Coffee Cottage in Newberg and Country Insurance & Financial Services, this promotion takes place at the halftime of every home game. Tickets for $1 are sold in the gym lobby until just before halftime, and one lucky ticketholder is selected to shoot. A made free throw earns a $5 coupon at the Coffee Cottage, a made three-pointer earns a $10 coupon. A made half-court shot earns the shooter the Country Financial "pot" for the evening, which increases by $50 each time no shot is made (the pot currently stands at $200 for the men's games and $200 for the women's games). All proceeds from the ticket sales go to the GFU basketball programs as a donation.
"GFU Cheer Team", Feb. 4-5 - The George Fox Cheer Team will perform a special dance routine at halftime of the women's games vs. Whitman and Whitworth.
"GFU Sports Hall of Fame", Feb. 4 - The George Fox Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2005 will be inducted in special ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, in the Klages Dining Hall on campus, then the entire class will be introduced to the crowd at halftime of the men's game vs. Whitman that evening at 8:00 p.m.
"Homecoming", Feb. 5 - The Homecoming Court for 2005 will be presented in ceremonies during halftime of the men's game vs. Whitworth on Saturday, Feb. 5.
"Border Collies Night", Feb. 11 - The always-popular Border Collies show from Dallas, Ore., will perform during halftime of both Bruin games vs. Willamette. This entertaining group of trained dogs has performed at many college and professional games, including the Portland Trailblazers and Portland Beavers.
"GFU Cheer Clinic Night", Feb. 22 - Participants in the GFU Cheer Team's Youth Clinic on Feb. 19 will perform some of the stunts and routines they will have learned at haltime of the women's game only.
"Chehalem Valley Dance Academy Night", Feb. 25 - The CVDA Performing Company from Newberg will present some of their competition dance routines during halftime of both Bruin games vs. Lewis & Clark.