Overall 20-5: Home 9-1, Road 8-2, Neutral 3-2 / NWC 14-2: Home 7-1, Road 7-1
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HIGHLIGHTS:
* Recent Games: Bruins Clinch NWC Title and NCAA Tournament Berth
* Coming Up: George Fox to Host Chapman in Second-Round Game on March 5
* Quick Facts about George Fox in NCAA Tournament Play
* On the Air! KFOX to Broadcast Tournament Game vs. Chapman
* Leith Honorable Mention for Final NWC Player of the Week
* George Fox Climbs to 24th in WBCA Poll, Still 2nd in West Region
* Leith, Rueck Garner NWC's Top Honors, Clark First Team All-NWC
* Bruins Set Defensive Records in Routing Boxers
* Career Lists: Leith Nears Top Ten in Scoring and 1,000 Career Points
* NWC Stats: Bruins Top League in 6 Team, 2 Individual Statistics
* NCAA Stats: Bruins 4th Nationally in Threes, 13th in Defense
RECENT GAMES: 2-0 (Click score for link to story):
Feb. 22 - at George Fox 62, Pacific 23
Feb. 25 - at George Fox 70, Lewis & Clark 40
COMING UP:
* Sat., Mar. 5, 7:00 pm - vs. Chapman University (21-5), Newberg, Ore. (NCAA Tournament, 2nd round)
Game information: Radio/internet broadcast on KFOX ... The Wheeler Sports Center ticket windows will open at 6:00 p.m., one hour before tipoff, with no tickets sold in advance ... Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for students and senior citizens 55 and up, and free for children 6 and below ... All spectators must have a ticket for admission; student and staff ID cards and other passes are not permissible for NCAA Tournament games ...
About the opponents:The Chapman University Panthers from Orange, Calif., are an independent and received a bid to the NCAA Tournament as one of the top teams out of "Pool B", the independents and conferences without automatic bids ... The Panthers rallied in the final three minutes at home to eliminate California Lutheran University 72-65 Wednesday night behind forward Kelli Vaughan's 20 points in an NCAA Tournament first-round game ... It was the 4th straight year in which the Panthers have won a first-round playoff game ... Chapman is making its 5th straight appearance and 6th in the last 7 years in the NCAA Tournament ... The Panthers are a well-balanced club, with no player scoring in double figures but 8 players between 5 and 10 points a game ... Series record: First meeeting ... Vs. common opponents in 2004-05: Puget Sound (Chapman lost 68-78, George Fox won 50-42 and 67-45), Willamette (Chapman won 71-63, George Fox won 69-36 and 70-46) ... Coach Carol Jue is 42-10 in her 2nd season at Chapman ...
Probable Chapman starters:
G #23 Gayle Sonoda (5-4 Sr, 3.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G #31 Brenda Gallardo (5-5 Jr, 9.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F #33 Kelly Crampton (5-7 Sr, 7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F #12 Kelli Vaughan (5-8 Fr, 7.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.3 apg)
C #3 Kristen Chidley (5-10 Jr, 8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.5 apg)
* Quick Facts about George Fox in NCAA Tournament Play
--- George Fox is making its 3rd appearance in the NCAA Division III National Tournament, having also made it in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
--- In 1999-2000, the Bruins were co-champions of the Northwest Conference and were one of four teams from the NWC to play in the tournament. It was the NWC's first year as eligible members of the NCAA and the league had no automatic bid until the following year. The Bruins were joined by Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, and Whitworth as four of the seven Pool B teams selected.
--- In the '00 tournament, the Bruins defeated Linfield 63-51 in the first round and California Lutheran 71-63 in the second, both in Newberg, before being eliminated by St. Thomas (Minn.) 76-64 in the "Sweet 16" in a sectional at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, Texas.
--- In the '01 tournament, the 4th-ranked Bruins received a first-round bye and then hosted 10th-ranked St. Thomas (Minn.), who again knocked the Bruins out of the tournament with a 64-52 win in Newberg. George Fox, which had spent two weeks as the #1-ranked team in the country, finished with a final #11 ranking.
--- Coach Scott Rueck is 2-2 in NCAA Tournament play (2-1 home, 0-1 neutral), the Bruins' only post-season appearances in team history. George Fox never made to the NAIA Tournament while a member of that organization for 14 years.
ON THE AIR! KFOX to Broadcast Tournament Game vs. Chapman
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:
Sat., Mar. 5 - vs. Chapman (NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, 2nd round)
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE: Bruins Win Third NWC Title in Six Years
Winning their final two home games by a combined total of 69 points, the George Fox Bruins nailed down their 3rd Northwest Conference crown in the last 6 seasons with emphasis. The Bruins won NWC titles in 1999-2000, sharing 1st place with Pacific Lutheran with a 14-2 league record, and won an outright title in 2000-01 with a 15-1 mark. Whitworth finished one game behind the Bruins at 13-3, while the defending co-champions, Puget Sound and Whitman, tied for 4th at 9-7. George Fox clinched the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament that goes with the conference championship as well. For the latest NWC standings, visit the conference website at www.nwcsports.com.
COACH SCOTT RUECK:
Scott Rueck (Oregon State '91) is 163-66 (.712) to date in his 9th season as a college head coach, all at George Fox. He was named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in 2004-05 after leading the Bruins, who were picked to finish 5th in the pre-season coaches poll, to the NWC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. He was also NWC Coach of the Year in 1999-2000 and Co-Coach of the Year in 2000-01. He notched his 150th win this season when the Bruins defeated Whitman 62-55 in overtime in Walla Walla, Wash., on Jan. 7. Click here for the complete bio on Coach Rueck.
Rueck vs. 2004-05 NCAA Tournament opponents:
California Lutheran - 1-0 (home 1-0)
Denison - 1-0 (neutral 1-0)
DePauw - 1-0 (neutral 1-0)
BRUIN BITS:
* Leith Honorable Mention for Final NWC "Player of the Week"
Wing Kim Leith led the Bruins to two victories during the week that enabled the team to wrap up the Northwest Conference title and an NCAA Tournament automatic berth. In a 62-23 win over Pacific on Tuesday, she scored a game-high 11 points on 4-9 from the field (3-7 on 3's), with 4 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 steals. In a 70-40 win over Lewis & Clark on Friday, she had 12 points on 4-9 from the field (2-6 on 3's) and 2-2 from the line, with 3 rebounds, a game-high 7 assists, and 3 steals. For the week, in 2 games, she scored 23 points (11.5), hitting 8-18 (.444) from the field, 5-13 (.385 on 3's), and 2-2 (1.000) from the line, with 7 rebounds (3.5), 7 assists (3.5), 1 block, and 5 steals (2.5). She was NWC Player of the Week three times this season (Dec. 20-Jan. 2, Jan. 31-Feb. 6, Feb. 7-13).
* 2004-05 Honors:
Liz Clark - Sodexho Tipoff Classic All-Tournament Team; NWC Player of the Week (Jan. 17-23); All-NWC First Team
Kim Leith - Grand Canyon Classic All-Tournament Team; NWC Player of the Week (Dec. 20-Jan. 2, Jan. 31-Feb. 6, Feb. 7-13); NWC Player of the Year
Kellie Thomas - Grand Canyon Classic All-Tournament Team
Scott Rueck - NWC Coach of the Year
* George Fox Climbs to 24th in WBCA Poll, Still 2nd in West Region
George Fox made its first appearance of the season in the top 25 this week, moving into a tie for 24th with Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the Women's Basketball Coach of America poll of March 1. In the D3hoops.com poll of Feb. 28, the Bruins received 67 points, which would place them 28th. In the latest West Region rankings by the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee ratings (Feb. 23), the Bruins remained 2nd behind Buena Vista of Iowa.
Complete polls: USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Poll / D3hoops.com Poll / NCAA Division III Regional Rankings
* Leith, Rueck Garner NWC's Top Honors, Clark First Team All-NWC
George Fox ran away with all the top honors in Northwest Conference women's basketball for the 2004-05 season in voting by the league's nine head coaches. Sharp-shooting wing Kim Leith, the conference leader in three-point field goals and 5th-leading scorer, was the top choice on six of the ballots to earn NWC Player of the Year honors, while forward Liz Clark, the Bruins' top rebounder and league leader in steals, garnered two votes for POY and was named First Team All-Conference. Coach Scott Rueck, in taking his team from a predicted 5th-place finish to the conference crown and an NCAA Tournament berth, won his third NWC Coach of the Year award (he also won in 1999-2000 and was Co-COY in 2000-01). Click here for the complete story on the All-Conference Bruins.
* Bruins Set Defensive Records in Routing Boxers
The Bruins have prided themselves on their aggressive pressure defense all season long, but even they surprised themselves with their achievements on Feb. 22 against the Pacific Boxers in Newberg. Leading only 22-17 at the half, the Bruins turned up the defensive heat in the second half and held the visitors to only 6 points in the period, setting a new team record for fewest points allowed in a half. The previous low was a 10-point first-half output by Whitman on Feb. 19, 2000, in Walla Walla, Wash. The 23 points total by the Boxers was the lowest score ever by a Bruin opponent, five points under the previous low of 28 by Columbia Christian on Jan. 30, 1993, and at Whitman on Feb. 19, 2000. Although the Boxers hit only .154 (2-13) in their 6-point half, it was not the lowest percentage for a half by a Bruin opponent, that "honor" belonging to St. Martin's, which hit only .097 (3-31) in the first half of a 60-52 loss to the Bruins on Dec. 12, 2003, George Fox's first-ever win over a Division II opponent.
* 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
Fewest Points Allowed, Team, Game - 23 vs. Pacific, 2/22/05
Fewest Points Allowed, Team, Half - 6 vs. Pacific, 2/22/05 (2nd half)
* 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: Leith Nears Top Ten in Scoring and 1,000 Career Points
Liz Clark had 13 rebounds in the Bruins' two games last week, giving her 706 for her four-year career, 6th on the all-time list. Ahead is Susie Davis (753, 1983-87) ... With 5 steals during the week and 171 for her career, she ranks 8th all-time. Ahead are Heather Gurney (173, 1987-91) and Heidi Rueck (177, 1991-95) ... With 7 assists during the week and 213 for her career, she is 8th all-time. Ahead is Melinda Day (220, 1981-85) ...
Kellie Thomas was 0-2 free throws during the week and slipped to 6th in career free throw pct. (.781, 185-237) ... She hit 5-11 3-point field goals and ranks 5th in career 3-pt field goal pct. (.363, 115-317) ... With 4 assists during the week and 173 in her career, she needs 20 to tie Heather Gurney (193, 1987-91) for 10th ...
Kim Leith hit 2-2 free throws in two games last week and ranks 2nd in career free throw pct. (.801, 145-181) ... With 23 points last week and 950 in her three-year career, she needs 40 to tie Heidi Rueck (990, 1991-95) for 10th all-time, and 50 to become the 9th Bruin to reach 1,000 career points ... With 7 assists during the week and 182 in her career, she needs 11 to tie Heather Gurney (193, 1987-91) for 10th ...
* NWC Stats: Bruins 4th Nationally in Threes, 13th in Defense
In the latest Northwest Conference stats (Feb. 26), George Fox is 1st in defense (51.0), scoring margin (+15.8), field goal pct. defense (.332), steals (14.52), turnover margin (+8.32), 3-pt field goals per game (8.92); 2nd in blocked shots (2.88); 3rd in scoring (66.8), rebounding (37.4), 3-pt pct. (.336); 4th in assists (14.24); 6th in field goal pct. (.391); 7th in free throw pct. (.697); 9th in rebound margin (-3.3) ...
Liz Clark is 1st in steals (2.96), 2nd in 3-pt pct. (.410, tie), 5th in rebounding (8.0), 7th in assists (2.96), 9th in 3-pt field goals (1.33, tie), 10th in free throw pct. (.789), 12th in assist/turnover ratio (0.99), 16th in scoring (10.2) ...
Kim Leith is 1st in 3-pt field goals (2.75), 4th in free throw pct. (.843), 5th in scoring (18.0), 3-pt pct. (.398), 7th in steals (1.88), 10th in blocked shots (0.58), 12th in field goal pct. (.446) ...
Kellie Thomas is 5th in 3-pt field goals (1.52), 6th in 3-pt pct. (.380), 11th in free throw pct. (.781), 15th in scoring (10.4) ...
Tiffany Behary is 6th in steals (2.16), assist/turnover ratio (1.15), 11th in 3-pt field goals (1.20, tie), 12th in assists (2.44), 15th in 3-pt pct. (.280) ...
Robin Taylor is 8th in field goal pct. (.456), 26th in scoring (8.1) ...
Melissa Marek-Farris is 7th in blocked shots (0.74) ...
* NCAA Stats: Bruins Among National Leaders in Four Categories
In the latest NCAA Division III national stats (games thru Feb. 27), the George Fox Bruins ranked 4th in 3-pt field goals per game (8.9) behind Grinnell (11.3), Muhlenberg (9.2), and Waynesburg (9.1). Proving that a little defense is also necessary when shooting a lot of threes, however, the Bruins are the only one of the four with a winning record (20-5 as opposed to Grinnell's 6-17, Muhlenberg's 11-14, and Waynesburg's 10-14) ... The Bruins were 13th in defense (51.0), 27th in scoring margin(+15.8), and 28th in field goal pct. defense (.332) ...
Kim Leith was tied for 12th in 3-pt field goals per game (2.8), 27th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.398), 35th in scoring (18.0), and would rank 19th in free throw pct. (.843, 59-70) but is one free throw shy of qualifying ...