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Utes Battle Rams Tuesday
11/23/1999 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 1999
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah travels to Fort Collins, Colo. to take on the Rams of Colorado state in a non-conference match-up, Tues., Nov. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Probable starters in the Utes' game against Colorado State are: Lori Red (Jr., F), Kristina Andersen (Jr., F), Lauren Beckman (So., F/C), Tiana Fuertes (Sr., G) and Amy Ewert (Jr., G/F).
Probable starters for Colorado State are: Heather Haanen (Jr., F), Farah McDill (Jr., F), Roxanne Manning (Sr., G), Jacque Johnson (Sr., G), Angie Gorton (So., G).
Scouting Colorado State:
The Colorado State women's basketball team lost their home opener to Michigan, 69-65, on Fri., Nov. 19 in Moby Arena. The loss broke a 21-game home win streak, previously ranked second nationally. Junior Heather Hannen led the Rams with 18 points, while freshman Ashley Auspurger added 14 points and eight rebounds. The Rams were out rebounded by Michigan, 52-32. Despite the loss, freshmen Ashley Auspurger and Shannon Strecker combined for 22 points and 11 rebounds (about 33 percent of the team's scoring and 34 percent of the team's rebounds).
The rams return three starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 33-3 overall, 14-0 (1st Mountain Division) in the WAC. In 1998, the Rams made it as far as the Sweet 16, losing 77-68, to UCLA. Heather Haanen is back to lead the Rams in another successful season. Last year, Haanen posted 10.2 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and shot .403 from the field. Junior Farah McDill totaled 6.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg and shot 50 percent from the field in 1998-99. Senior Roxanne Manning returns for her last stint with the Rams. Last season, Manning played and started in all 36 games and added 5.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg and shot .360 from the field. CSU brings in seven newcomers, a class ranked the sixth best in the Women's Basketball Journal. Head coach Tom Collen begins his third year with the Rams, posting a 57-9 career record.
Washington State Game Recap:
The University of Utah women's basketball team defeated the Washington State Cougars, 65-49 in their season opener at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Sat, Nov. 20.
Sophomore Lindsay Herbert came off the bench to lead the Utes with 18 points. Herbert hit six of 10 from the field and an almost perfect four of five from behind the arc. She was perfect from the free-throw line, making two of two. Sophomore Lauren Beckman recorded her first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points leading the team with 11 boards. Teammate Erin Gibbons scored 9 points. The Utes shot 37 percent from the field in the first half, and stepped it up in the second half, making 13 of 28 for 47 percent and shot 41 percent on the night. For the game, the Utes shot 47 percent from behind the three-point line and 81 percent from the free-throw line. Utah is currently 1-0 overall, 0-0 in the MWC. Washington State dropped to 0-1 overall, 0-0 in conference play
For Washington State, Yvonne Volkman had a team high 14 points and 5 rebounds. Romie DeAnda scored 11 points and led the team in rebounds with six. Tricia Lamb and Alke Dietel each added 7 points. The Cougars shot 41 percent from the field (12 of 22) in the first half, 31 percent (9 of 29) in the second half and 41 percent in the game.
"I think for the most part this game was certainly an example of how we have depth in our wings," says Elliott. "Lindsay Herbert and Erin Gibbons came in and combined for 9 of 13 from the field and 7 of 8 from the three point line. Beckman had a gutsy night, she sprained her ankle on Wednesday in practice and played at maybe 70 percent. I thought she really played tough. We didn't give up a lot of second shots , they only had six offense boards, so it was a good win for us."
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH:
Utah returns four starters and 11 of the 12 letterwinners from last year's team that went 21-7 overall, tied for first place in the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division with a 12-2 record and earned a bid to the WNIT. What's amazing is that, after the loss of five seniors from the 1997-98 team, last season was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year. Instead, the Utes merely continued their winning ways under head coach Elaine Elliott. It was the fifth consecutive year in which the U. won 20 games, claimed a conference championship of some form and earned a postseason bid. Elliott embarks on her 17th season as Utah's head coach with a 323-140 career record. Utah will be one of the preseason favorites to win the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship.
Returning for the Utes is two-year letterwinner Lori Red. Red, a 5-11 junior from Provo, Utah, was named to the first-team all-WAC Pacific Division in 1998-99. She started in all 28 games, second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. Red was third on the team, averaging 4.6 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. She scored in double figures in 15 out of 28 games last season. Back at guard for Utah is three-year letterwinner, Tiana Fuertes. Fuertes started in 27 games last season, averaging 5.9 points per game. Fuertes ranked 3rd in the final WAC standings in assists, averaging 4.9 assists per game. Kristina Andersen, a 6-1 forward is back for her third season with Utah. Andersen started in 27 games last season, where she was fourth in scoring, averaging 7.1 points per game. She was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Amy Ewert, a two-year letterwinner is back, spending time between the forward and guard positions. Ewert started in 10 games last season, seeing action in 27. She posted 2.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game last season.
Erin Gibbons is back for her second season with the Utes. Gibbons, a 5-9 sophomore guard from Salmon Arm, B.C, was named the WAC Pacific Division Freshman of the Year, as well as earning second team all-conference honors and a spot on the all-newcomer team. Gibbons ranked 15th in the WAC in scoring (11.7 ppg), third in three-pointers per game (2.3) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.374), starting 17 games. Gibbons scored in double figures in 17 games and led the Utes in scoring 11 times. Lauren Beckman, a 6-2 sophomore center/forward from Elko, Nev., joined Gibbons on the Pacific Division's all-newcomer team. She played in all 28 games off the bench, averaging 21.7 minutes. Beckman ranked 29th in the nation and led the WAC in blocked shots (1.8 bpg). She also ranked 17th in the league in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and was third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). Beckman led the Utes three times in scoring and 11 times in rebounding. Katherine McColl, a 6-0 sophomore was seventh on the team in scoring last season, averaging 5.4 points per game. McColl was fourth in rebounding, averaging 4.0 rebounds per game. She played in 27 games, starting in one. Junior Lindsay Sodja returns at the forward position. Sodja played in 27 games, starting in one and averaged 4.9 points per game for the Utes. Sodja grabbed 1.9 rebounds a game last season. Lindsay Herbert, a 5-11 sophomore saw action in 27 games, starting in two. Herbert averaged 1.5 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game. Erin Hansen, a 6-3 forward is back for her second season with Utah. Hansen saw time in 14 games last season. Janna Whitman, a three-year letterwinner played in 14 games last season.
Utah will have three newcomers on this year's team. The Utes inked Carley Marshall, a 6-2 forward/center from Eugene, Ore., Whitney Sutak, a 6-0 guard from Mill Valley, Calif., and Sarah Wobbe, a 5-9 point guard from Elmira, Ore.
Marshall earned honorable mention All-America honors from USA Today last season. In 1997-98, she averaged 16.5 points and 12.7 rebounds for Willamette High School (Eugene, Ore.). She was a Blue Chip Illustrated All-American in 1997-98, as well as a second-team all-conference and an academic all-conference selection. Sutak, who can play the one through three positions, was a first-team all-conference selection in 1997-98 at Branson High School (Mill Valley,Calif.). She averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Wobbe comes to the U. from Marist High School (Elmira, Ore.), the same program that produced Ute junior forward Kristina Andersen. Wobbe was a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith heading into the 1998-99 season. She earned third-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors in 1997-98, averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 5.2 steals per game.
Series history:
Utah leads the series with Colorado State 40-8. Utah's last meeting with CSU ended in a 70-69 loss on Dec. 3, 1998 in Salt Lake City. The Utes are 22-3 against the Rams at home, 17-4 at away games, and 1-1 at a neutral site.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS:
Head Coach Elaine Elliott and Utah players will be available for interviews outside the Utah lockerroom following a 10 minute cooling off period. A member of the Utah sports information staff will gather interview requests immediately following the game. Box scores will be provided and faxed upon request.
AFTER THIS:
On Sun., Nov. 28, Utah will face Montana at 3:00 p.m. in Missoula, Mont. The Utes are back in action at home on Thurs., Dec. 2 vs. Iowa at 7:00 p.m. Utah is on the road on Sat., Dec. 4 vs. Idaho State at 6:00 p.m. Back at home on Thurs., Dec. 9, the Utes take on in-state rival Weber State at 7:00 p.m. On Fri., Dec. 10, the Utes take on Whitworth College in the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7:00 p.m. Utah will compete in the Boise State Tournament Dec. 18-19, in Boise, Idaho. The Utes are at home on Dec. 22, when they take on the Lady Dons of San Francisco in the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7:00 p.m.
UTES FAVORED TO WIN INAUGURAL MWC CHAMPIONSHIP:
Utah was selected by both the league coaches and the media as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown. Utah received 60 votes in the coaches' poll and 195 votes (11 first place votes) in the media poll. The results of both polls were very similar with only two positions being reversed.
Expected to finish second is Colorado State University, third belongs to the University of New Mexico, fourth to Brigham Young, and fifth to UNLV. The coaches gave the edge to the University of Wyoming for sixth, while the media listed San Diego State University in the No. 6 position. These two schools were reversed in the No. 7 slot in the opposite poll. Air Force Academy placed eighth in both polls.
Utah's Lori Red is one of just two first team all-conference selections (the other being Froehlich, UNLV) back for the 1999-2000 season. Red averaged 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season and was selected as the conference player of the week twice in 1998-99. She was chosen to the preseason team by both the coaches and the media.
The preseason all-conference teams also have a similar look with four players appearing on both teams. Named as both the coaches and media's choice as the Top Returning Player is UNLV's Linda Froehlich. Also named to both squads were Utah's Lori Red, Colorado State's Heather Haanen and BYU's Cady Williams. Rounding out the coaches' five-member team is New Mexico's Mirando Sanchez. The media chose BYU's Jill Adams.
FLASHBACK TO '98-'99
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE:
Utah was one of the top defensive teams in the nation last season, ranking first in the NCAA in scoring defense (55.1 ppg). The U. outscored its opponents by an average of 10.8 points a game, ranking 30th in the nation in scoring margin. The Utes also ranked 25th in the NCAA in rebound margin in 1998-99 with an advantage of 5.5 boards per game and was fifth in the final NCAA rankings in field goal percentage defense (.361). Utah led the 16-team Western Athletic Conference in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and rebound margin.
UTES LIGHT IT UP FROM DOWNTOWN:
Utah's offense got a boost from its outside shooting last season. The Utes ranked 23rd in the final NCAA rankings in three-point field goals per game (6.1) and 37th in three-point field goal percentage (.352). Utah was third in the Western Athletic Conference in three-point field goal percentage and fourth in three-point field goals per game. A solid inside game also helped the Utes lead the WAC in field goal percentage last season (.443).
A BALANCED ATTACK:
As the old saying goes, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and Ute head coach Elaine Elliott had lots of quality parts to work with last season. Ten players appeared in at least 27 of the 28 games, averaging at least 9.6 minutes per contest. While Erin Gibbons was the only Ute to average in double-figures in scoring (11.7 ppg), seven players averaged 5.4 points per game or better. Nine different players led Utah in scoring in 1998-99.
THEY DIDN'T PLAY LIKE FRESHMEN:
Utah's quick rebuilding project last season was due at least in part to the solid production Elaine Elliott got from her freshman class. Of the five newcomers, four averaged at least 9.6 minutes per game and three averaged 17.0 minutes per contest or better. Erin Gibbons, Lauren Beckman and Katherine McColl were among the top seven on the team in scoring, with Gibbons ranking first (11.7 ppg), Beckman third (9.6 ppg) and McColl seventh (5.4 ppg). Beckman led the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and McColl was fifth (4.0 rpg).
OH, CANADA:
Utah has raided the pool of talent to the north, featuring three Canadians on its roster this season. Junior 6-0 forward/guard Amy Ewert, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, became the first-ever Canadian to play for the Utes in 1997-98. Ewert was joined by two others last season. Erin Gibbons, a 5-9 guard from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and Katherine McColl, a 6-0 forward from Hamilton, Ontario, also made the trek south. All three have averaged at least 14.4 minutes per game and ranked among the Utes' top nine scorers and top eight rebounders last season.
Gibbons started 17 games last season, while Ewert started the last nine games and 10 overall. Ewert, Gibbons and McColl each played in 27 of the 28 games.
ELLIOTT'S MARK:
During her illustrious career, Elliott has led Utah to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, four regular-season conference titles, three divisional crowns and four league tournament championships. Elliott posted her 300th career victory with a 67-53 win over Colorado State on Feb. 14, 1998 at the Huntsman Center.
Elliott, who was named the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division Coach of the Year for 1998-99, has been regarded for years as one of the top women's collegiate coaches in the country. Elliott has amassed a 324-140 record (.698) during her career at Utah. She has the longest tenure of any coach in the MWC.
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