Women's Basketball Release - Dec. 26, 2005
Overall 9-0: Home 4-0, Road 2-0, Neutral 3-0 / NWC 2-0: Home 2-0, Road 0-0
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HIGHLIGHTS:
* Recent Games: Bruins Down Western Oregon for Second Time
* Coming Up: Biola's 6-6 Center to Test Bruins on Two-Game California Trip
* Schmidt HM for NWC Player of the Week for Dec. 12-23
* National Polls: Bruins Up to 2nd and 3rd in Two National Rankings
* Bruins Equal Second-Best Start Ever, Aim for Record
* Career Lists: Leith Tied for 9th in All-Time Assists
* NWC Stats: Bruins Lead in Four Team and Two Individual Stats
RECENT GAMES: 1-0 (Click score for link to story):
Dec. 17 - George Fox 47, at Western Oregon 34
COMING UP:
* Fri., Dec. 30, 7:00 pm - at Hope International University (7-2), Fullerton, Calif.
No radio broadcast/webcast ... The Royals from Fullerton, Calif., are members of the NAIA and the Golden State Athletic Conference â?¦ Series record: First meeting â?¦ The Royals have won their last three in a row, including a 68-55 win at Redlands in their last game on Dec. 10 â?¦ The Royals are out-scoring their opponents by a +23.1 margin (79.0-55.9) and out-rebounding them by +10.1 (37.2-27.1) â?¦ Three players score in double figures: wing Jasmine Nault (17.3), forward Carly Andrews (14.3), and guard Malerie Rodrigues (10.2) â?¦ Coach T.J. Hardeman is in his 2nd year at HIU and 2nd as a college coach â?¦ HIU plays an exhibition game at NCAA Division II Cal State-Dominguez Hills on Dec. 28 before meeting the Bruins â?¦ Next for HIU after George Fox is at California Baptist in a GSAC game on Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m â?¦
. * Mon., Jan. 2, 2:00 pm - at Biola University (2-4), La Mirada, Calif.
No radio broadcast/webcast ... Bruins' last non-conference game of the season (they are 7-0 outside the NWC) â?¦ The Eagles from La Mirada, Calif., are members of the NAIA and the Golden State Athletic Conference â?¦ Series record: First meeting â?¦The Eagles, whose early schedule has included three games (all losses) to NCAA Division II teams, won their last outing 84-76 over Georgetown (Ky.) in overtime on Dec. 19 â?¦ The Eagles are led by 6-6 senior center Linda Ogugua, a Nigerian averaging 17.5 ppg and 11.8 rpg â?¦ Also scoring in double figures are post Lindsay Richelli (11.3) and forward Megan Alberts (11.0) â?¦ Coach Ken Crawford is in his 1st season at Biola and 1st as a college coach â?¦ Biola hosts the College of the Ozarks on Dec. 29, Holy Names on Dec. 30, and Bethany on Dec. 31 before meeting the Bruins â?¦ Next for Biola after George Fox is vs. The Master's College in a GSAC game on Jna. 5 at 5:30 p.m. â?¦
COACH SCOTT RUECK:
Scott Rueck (Oregon State '91) is 174-67 (.722) to date in his 10th 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 to the NWC title and the "Elite 8" of the NCAA National Tournament. He was also 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:
Hope International - 0-0
Biola - 0-0
BRUIN BITS:
* Schmidt HM for NWC Player of the Week for Dec. 12-23
Junior post Tiffany Schmidt sparked the Bruins to a win in their only game last week and received honorable mention for Northwest Conference Player of the Week for Dec. 12-23 for her efforts. In a 47-34 win at Western Oregon on Dec. 17, she scored a team-high 11 points on 4-7 field goals and 3-4 free throws, with a game highs of 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. It was the first double-double of her Bruin career from the transfer from Eastern Washington University and graduate of Glencoe High in Hillsboro, Ore., the same school GFU coach Scott Rueck attended.
* 2005-06 Honors:
--- Kim Leith - D3hoops.com NCAA Division III Pre-Season Third Team All-America; D3 in Hawaii Hoops Classic All-Tournament Team
--- Robin Taylor - D3 in Hawaii Hoops Classic MVP; Northwest Conference Player of the Week (Nov. 21-27)
* Double-Doubles
Tiffany Schmidt: Season 1, career 1 - Dec. 17 (11 pts/10 reb)
* National Polls: Bruins Up to 2nd and 3rd in National Rankings
After defeating Division II Western Oregon University for the second time this season in their only game of the week on Dec. 17, the George Fox University Bruins have advanced to second and third in this week's two NCAA Division III national women's basketball polls.
In the USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll, the Bruins (9-0) climbed one spot to second, garnering 165 points to 173 for top-ranked Washington University of Missouri (10-0). Washington received five votes for first in advancing from second, while last week's leader, the University of Southern Maine (8-1), fell two spots to third, with two votes for first, after losing at Salem State College. George Fox was second despite no votes for first.
In the D3hoops.com poll, the Bruins leaped three spots into third place with 553 points and four votes for the top. Southern Maine, despite its setback, remained in first with 562 points, but its first-place votes fell from 24 to six. Brandeis University (6-0) was ranked second with 558 votes and six firsts. Washington was fourth with 544 points and seven firsts, and Bowdoin College (7-1) was fifth with 542, the 20-point difference between the first and fifth-place teams making it the closest top-five vote in the seven-year history of the D3hoops poll.
The last time the Bruins were ranked second was Jan. 23 and 30, 2001, when they trailed Washington for two weeks in a row in the D3hoops.com poll. In the next poll on Feb. 6, the Bruins climbed into first when Washington lost to New York University while the Bruins were defeating Lewis & Clark College and Pacific Lutheran University and improving to 20-1. The Bruins remained on top for two weeks before ending the regular season ranked fourth, and were ranked 10th in the final poll with a 23-3 record after post-season play.
Last year's George Fox team, which went 22-6 and reached the "Elite 8" of the NCAA Division III National Tournament, was ranked 12th in the final D3hoops.com poll and 10th in the WBCA poll. The Bruins began the 2005-06 pre-season 10th in the D3hoops poll and eight in the WBCA poll, and have climbed steadily ever since.
Complete polls: USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Poll / D3hoops.com Poll / NCAA Division III Regional Rankings
* Bruins Equal Second-Best Start Ever, Aim for Record
The Bruins' 9-0 start this year equals the second-best season-opening mark in team history, also achieved by the 2000-01 team. The 2001-02 team holds the record with an 11-0 start, and this year's team could tie that if they play well in their next two games, non-conference contests on Dec. 30 at Hope International University in Fullerton, Calif., and on Jan. 2 at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif.
* Career Lists: Leith Tied for 9th in All-Time Assists
Kim Leith scored 7 points in the Bruins' last game, giving her 1,128 for her career, 8th in all-time scoring at George Fox. In 7th is Nicole Prazeau (1,133, 1998-2002) ... She was 1-6 on 3-pointers and ranks 6th in career 3-point pct. (.357, 175-490) ... She had no free throws and remains 2nd in career free throw pct. (.800, 164-205) ... She had 3 assists and now has 202, tied for 9th all-time with Jennifer Childress (202, 1989-91). Ahead are Liz Clark (218, 2001-05) and Melinda Day (220), 1981-85) ...
* NWC Stats: Bruins Lead in Four Team and Two Individual Stats
Where the Bruins ranks in the latest Northwest Conference stats (thru Dec. 21):
Scoring Offense - 3rd (71.4)
Scoring Defense - 1st (51.6)
Scoring Margin - 2nd (+19.9)
Field Goal Pct. - 6th (.409)
3-Pt Field Goals - 2nd (7.56)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. - 5th (.308)
Free Throw Pct. - 4th (.672)
Field Goal Pct. Defense - 1st (.333)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. Defense - 5th (.306)
Rebounding Offense - 2nd (40.7)
Rebounding Defense - 6th (37.4)
Rebounding Margin - 4th (+3.2)
Assists - 1st (16.89)
Blocked Shots - 1st (4.44)
Steals - 3rd (12.78)
Turnover Margin - 3rd (+6.11)
Assist/Turnover Ratio - 2nd (1.06/1)
--- Kim Leith is 2nd in 3-pt field goals (2.56), 6th in scoring (13.8), 6th in steals (2.11), 12th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.338), 14th in assists (2.22, T), 20th in rebounding (4.6, T)...
--- Erin Powers is 3rd in blocked shots (0.89), 6th in rebounding (6.2), 8th in free throw pct. (.800), 12th in assists (2.33) ...
--- Robin Taylor is 1st in assist/turnover ratio (2.31/1), 3rd in field goal pct. (.544), 5th in free throw pct. (.826), 8th in scoring (13.3), 6th in 3-pt field goals (1.67), 5th in assists (3.33), 4th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.385, T), 8th in steals (2.00, T)...
--- Katy Campbell is 4th in field goal pct. (.542), 8th in rebounding (5.7), 26th in scoring (9.2) ...
--- Tiffany Behary is 13th in steals (1.78), 14th in assists (2.22, T) â?¦
--- Tiffany Schmidt is 1st in blocked shots (1.78), 15th in rebounding (5.2) ...
--- Melissa Marek-Farris is 6th in blocked shots (0.67) â?¦