Jan. 2, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, January 3
LMU (9-4) at Cal State Bakersfield (8-6) 2:00 p.m.

Live audio for all LMU games is available with Angie Kiel through Stretch Internet on Lions All-Access at LMULions.com.

Briefly
Having lost three of its last four, LMU looks to right the ship as it opens the 2009 calendar year with the final non-conference tune-up before West Coast Conference play begins. The Lions go for their 10th win of the season on Saturday with a visit to Cal State Bakersfield at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last year's double-overtime thriller.

Follow The Lions Live On The Web
Loyola Marymount University, in conjunction with Stretch Internet, is proud to present FREE live audio broadcasts over the World Wide Web on www.LMULions.com. Join Angie Kiel all season long for every Lion game, home and away, in 2008-09. Angie will be joined on select home broadcasts by Patrick Duggan and Will Callanen. Just click on the "Listen" or "Archive" link next to the game of your choice. All broadcasts will be archived within 72 hours of their original airing and will include both the pre-game and post-game shows.
All home games and select away games will be available live on Gametracker through the LMU website. Check www.LMULions.com for all Gametracker live stats information.

Coming to a Game?
If you are planning to attend a game at LMU this season, then be sure to reserve your tickets today by ordering online at www.LMULions.com or calling the LMU Ticket Office at (310) 338-LION. The Loyola Marymount University campus is located in Westchester at 1 LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. Visitors must use the main entrance off of Lincoln Blvd. on LMU Drive. Parking for Gersten Pavilion will be in General Parking Lot A.

Got a Question? Talk to the Lions
This year, the media relations office has introduced a new feature for radio broadcasts: Talk to the Lions. Fans who are listening to the LMU broadcast through the Stretch Audio Network can now e-mail any question they have and it will be read and answered live on-air by Angie Kiel. To submit your question, go to the women's basketball home page and click on "E-mail the Radio Team".

Media Guide
The 2008-09 LMU women's basketball media guide is available to download at www.LMULions.com. Copies are also available through the LMU Media Relations Office for $10 per guide.

About the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (8-6)
Cal State Bakersfield has won three of its last four after downing UC Irvine 67-43 on December 30. Phynique Allen led three Roadrunners in double figures with 13 points. Katie Williams added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Tiffany Belt came off the bench for 10 points as CSUB held UCI under 30% shooting. Bakersfield is undefeated this year in three games against West Coast Conference schools, beating Santa Clara, Saint Mary's, and Pepperdine. They have won four in a row at home.
Christine Kepenekian leads the Roadrunners in scoring and rebounding at 18.4 and 8.3 per game, respectively. CSUB will be without second-leading scorer Kelley Tarver (14.6 ppg), who is out for the season with an injury. Allen contributes 11.3 ppg for the Roadrunners, who average 72.7 ppg as a team but give up 70.8.
Tim La Kose is in his eighth season as head coach of Cal State Bakersfield, where he is 162-56. He has a career coaching record of 298-123. In their first full season of Division I play last year, the Roadrunners went 12-17. They return three starters and seven letterwinners.
LMU and Cal State Bakersfield met for the first time ever last season but made it a game to remember, as the Lions pulled out a 95-90 double-overtime victory at the Hilton LAX Holiday Tournament.

Last Week Recap: Lions Host Holiday Tournament
Looking for its first title in its third home holiday tournament, LMU came up short on Monday, falling 66-60 to Delaware in the championship game of the 2008 Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament. The Lions had started the tournament in fine fashion, disposing of San Jose State 81-66 on Sunday behind a solid team effort. LMU shot 50% from the floor and put five players in double-figures, led by freshman Alex Cowling's 16 points. Sophomore Renahy Young added 15 points, senior Cassady Moore had 13 points, and junior Lisa Helmers and sophomore Aleyse Evans each contributed 11 points. Unfortunately, LMU's shooting touch disappeared against Delaware, as the Lions shot just 18% in the first half and found themselves trailing the Blue Hens by as many as 17 in the second half before rallying back to within four late. The deficit was too much to overcome, however, and the Lions suffered their first home loss of the season. Cowling and Young earned All-Tournament honors.

LMU in the NCAA
LMU's recent 1-3 slide has seen it drop to 91st in the NCAA RPI, according to CollegeRPI.com. As a conference, the WCC is rated 15th out of 31. In addition, the Lions as a team and several individuals rank among the top-100 nationally in various statistical categories. A complete list of those categories and LMU's rankings are on page three of this release.

Quick Out of the Gate
LMU tied the program record for best 10-game start after going 8-2 to open the season. The Lions also went 8-2 in 2003-04 on their way to a 24-6 season. At 9-4, LMU has tied the 1992-93, 2000-01 and 2003-04 squads for the second-most non-conference wins in school history. The 1987-88 team had 10 wins before WCC play began. In addition, LMU's seven-game winning streak from November 16-December 14 was its longest since winning eight straight from December 21, 2005-January 19, 2006. LMU also won eight in a row in 2003-04, the same year they set the school record with a 15-game streak.
November's 5-1 start marked the program's best November since 2001-02 and the most victories in one month since winning five in February, 2007. LMU has secured its third consecutive season of a winning record prior to entering WCC play. By going 5-1 in November and 4-3 in December, the Lions have now posted 14 consecutive months with a .500 record or above in which they have played three or more games.

Britton Elected to LMU Athletics Hall of Fame
The Loyola Marymount University athletic department announced that six individuals will be inducted as the Class of 2009 into the LMU Athletics' Hall of Fame in a ceremony to be held on Friday, February 6, 2009 in the Edward Roski Dining Room located in University Hall. The inductees will also be introduced during halftime at the LMU vs. Pepperdine men's basketball game on Saturday, February 7, 2009. This year's class includes Bryn Britton (Women's Basketball, 2002), Bill Crone (Football, 1970), Ryan Eisberg (Men's Water Polo, 1998), Sarah Noriega (Women's Volleyball, 1998), Reid Priddy (Men's Volleyball, 2000) and Bernie Sandalow (LMU Public Address Announcer, 1978). The six individuals bring the number of members in the Hall of Fame, which was started in 1986, to 104.
Britton becomes the third women's basketball player selected to the Hall of Fame, joining current assistant coach Lynn Flanagan, who was elected in 2001, and Sherri Brown, who was elected in 2003. LMU's all-time leading scorer with 1,662 points, Britton is the only Lion to be named First Team All-West Coast Conference three times in her career. She led the Lions in scoring in each of her four seasons, setting records in each year for most points by a member of her class. Along with being the school's all-time leading scorer, she is first in field goals, second in scoring average, and third in assists and three-point baskets. She holds three of the top-10 individual point totals and scoring averages for a season.

Trendspotting
Numbers only tell half the story of a team but a look inside the numbers might help to explain why LMU has been a tough team to beat. The Lions have held a lead at halftime in 10 of the 13 games and is 8-2 when ahead at the break. LMU is 7-1 when winning the battle of the boards and 8-0 when attempting more free throws than its opponent. All eyes have been on the offense but the Lions have also gotten after it defensively, holding five of their foes under 36% shooting and going 8-2 when keeping the other team under 45%. Finally, sharing the wealth has been a good thing, with seven different players having at least one 10+ point game. LMU is 8-2 when three or more players reach double figures and have been led in scoring by four different players. Finally, consistency is the key. The Lions have started the same lineup in each of the 13 games this year after using 13 different assortments a year ago.

Young Guns
Don't worry about the hype overwhelming sophomore guard Renahy Young. After being named to the WCC All-Freshman and Honorable Mention teams in 2007-08, she started the year by being named to the Preseason All-Conference squad. The awards have not stopped there as Young has earned All-Tournament honors at all three of the non-conference tournaments, including taking home the MVP trophy at the Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament.
LMU's leading scorer at 16.1 ppg, Young has reached double figures in 11 of LMU's 13 games this season and has thrice topped 20 points, including a career-high 31 points in the triple-overtime loss to Arizona. That performance made her the first LMU player to break the 30-point plateau since Bryn Britton in 2001. Young averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game at the BofH Invite to earn a place on the All-Tournament team. She then had 20 and 19 points, respectively, for MVP honors at LMU's home Thanksgiving tourney. At the Holiday Tournament, she average 15.5 ppg. After leading the nation in free throws attempted and made through the season's first nine games, Young has dropped back but is still in the top-four of each category. She has already gone to the line 10 or more times in a game four times this year, including against Toledo in which she made an LMU-record 15 foul shots (on 19 attempts). She then went 14-for-16 from the line in the win over Idaho State. Young is averaging 8.5 free throw attempts a game and is making 6.6, keeping her on pace to shatter the single-season record of 144, set in 1990-91 by current associate head coach Lynn Flanagan.
After 13 games, Young is averaging 16.1 ppg, fifth in the WCC and 82nd in the nation. She is among the WCC leaders in scoring (5th), assists (10th), free throw percentage (7th), 3-point field goal percentage (10th), and 3-pointers made per game (12th).

Defensive Stopper, Offensive Force
For the last three seasons, Cassady Moore has been one-half of a prolific defensive tandem, joining up with Amanda DeCoud to wreak havoc in the backcourt. Now that DeCoud has graduated as the school's #2 all-time thief, it is time for Moore to assume the spotlight in her senior season. With 145 career steals, Moore needs just two more thefts to enter the LMU top-10. Offensively, Moore started the season with a bang as the only Lion to score in double figures in each of the first four games. She was named to the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament Team, averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in the three games, and then earned Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving All-Tournament honors by averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in leading LMU to the title. She has reached double figures in nine of the first 13 games after having just three double-digit outings last year.
Against UNLV, Moore was on the verge of history, falling one assist and one rebound shy of LMU's first-ever triple-double. Still, it was enough to garner her the West Coast Conference Player of the Week award for the first time in her career. In two games, Moore averaged 16.0 ppg, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game while shooting 56.5% from the floor. Her 20 points against UNLV were two off her career-high while she set new personal bests in rebounds and assists. She is currently third on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg and leading the Lions in assists and steals at 3.7 and 2.6 per game, respectively. She is among the WCC leaders in points, assists, steals, assist/turnover ratio, and defensive rebounds.

Helmers Takes the Helm
On a team with 11 underclassmen, it is up to the juniors and seniors to take the lead. Junior Lisa Helmers has adopted that mantle and has been named a team captain for 2008-09. LMU's best long-range threat in 2007-08, Helmers hit 59 three-pointers, the fourth-most in a single season at LMU, and was also the only player to be named to the all-tournament teams at both of LMU's home tournaments. This year, she could not have had a better exhibition game, connecting on what would have been a school-record eight three-pointers for a game-high 24 points, which would have topped her career-high of 16 had the game counted. No matter, after going 5-for-26 and averaging 5.0 ppg in Hawai'i, she broke out of her shooting slump with a career-high 23 points in the home opener against Long Beach State and followed that with 18 points against Idaho State and 22 points at Cal Poly, in which she set a new career-high with six threes. She is currently fourth on the team in scoring at 9.8 ppg while her 95 career three-pointers are sixth all-time at LMU. She is third in the league in 3-pointers made per game, and also ranks among the leaders in scoring, 3-point field goal percentage, and defensive rebounds.

Toughness in the Post
With the graduation of Valerie Ogoke, all eyes are on sophomore Aleyse Evans as the Lions' newest defensive and rebounding force. A year older, healthier, and stronger, Evans has worked to improve her game on offense as well as defense. She showed that in the opener vs. Hawai'i, making her first four shots en route to a game-high and new career-high 15 points. She then recorded her first career double-double against Toledo, going 7-for-9 from the floor for 14 points and equaling her career-best with 15 boards. Evans has reached double figures in rebounds in four games and is averaging 8.5 per game overall, fifth in the WCC, while contributing 8.2 ppg and shooting 49.5% from the floor. She is sixth in the league in defensive rebounds per game, fifth in offensive rebounds, fourth in blocks, and eighth in field goal percentage.

Here Comes Alex
As the calendars turned over into December, freshman Alex Cowling stepped up her game to become one of the toughest Lions to guard. Cowling has led LMU in scoring in each of the last six games, and averaged 17.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in December.
Cowling went for then-career-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds (seven offensive) for her first career double-double vs. Long Beach State. She continued the onslaught against Idaho State, hitting six of her seven shots for 12 points and putting herself into the LMU record books against UNLV with an 11-for-12 performance from the floor on her way to a new career-high of 26 points and kick-starting her December to remember.
She became the second consecutive LMU player to win the West Coast Conference Player of the Week award, taking home the accolade for the week of December 8-14 after recording her second career double-double in LMU's victory over Boise State. The freshman came off the bench for 25 points, one shy of her career-high, and a career-best 15 rebounds to become the first Lion to top 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Ashlee Dunlap had 20 and 10 against San Diego State on January 6, 2006. Cowling had 17 of her points and 12 of her rebounds in the second half to help LMU overcome its first halftime deficit of the season. Eleven of her rebounds came on the offensive end.
A mere 13 games into her freshman campaign, Cowling is leading the WCC in shooting percentage at 60.8%, seventh-best in the nation. She is averaging 13.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg and has pulled down a team-high 40 offensive rebounds.

Sybesma Sidelined
LMU suffered a big blow to its frontcourt during preseason practice when senior Jenna Sybesma went down with a knee injury. Sybesma underwent surgery on November 11 and is working to get back to the court as soon as she can. The Lions will miss her offense down low, as Sybesma reached double figures in each of the final nine contests on 2007-08 to finish the year third on the team at 10.0 ppg while shooting 49% from the floor.

Goss Gets Rolling
Shooters are known to get on hot streaks and junior Kavita Goss certainly found her rhythm against Arizona. After connecting on three three-pointers in the win over Hawai'i, Goss went off against the Wildcats with six triples. Goss made the final seconds of the first overtime and all of the second her own, as her three-pointer with six seconds left forced the second overtime and she hit three more in the second extra frame to score all 10 of LMU's points. She finished with a career-high 21 points and averaged 11.3 ppg through the season's opening weekend. Goss got on another hot streak at Cal Poly, where she had 15 points. She is third on the team with 17 three-pointers made and tops among non-starters with 15 assists.

Posts Play Big
Two players who give the Lions depth in the post are sophomores Melanie Ysaguirre and Maggie Burkett. Ysaguirre has started all 13 games this season and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.0 per game. She had a game-high eight rebounds in the season opener and went for a solid six points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks, the latter two of which were new career highs, against Long Beach State. She went on to top her career-high with 10 rebounds against Idaho State. Ysaguirre is among the WCC leaders in total rebounding (10th), blocks (14th), and offensive rebounds (tied for 11th).
Burkett has become one of LMU's top players off the bench after seeing limited time last season. Burkett played a total of 51 minutes in 2007-08 but nearly topped that in one game, logging a team-high 43 minutes against Arizona. Due to foul trouble for Evans and Ysaguirre, Burkett was forced to be the dominant player in the post and she responded, pulling down a career-high nine boards.

Jess is Back
Although Evans' injury last year was a factor in LMU's limp towards the finish, it was the torn ACL suffered by Jessica Vargas on December 5 that had a larger impact on the direction of LMU's season. At the time of her injury, Vargas was averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8% from the floor. Vargas' injury could be a blessing in disguise for LMU as she was granted a medical redshirt and is still just a sophomore, although she adds another upperclassman presence and depth to the guard corps.

Nichols Makes Debut at Holiday Tournament
After transferring to LMU from Washington last January and sitting out the tail end of last season and the first half of this one, freshman Candice Nichols made her LMU debut against San Jose State at the Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament. Due to NCAA transfer rules, Nichols could not play for two full semesters once she enrolled at LMU. She had already sat out last spring and has now completed her fall term finals and had her grades cleared by the campus registrar.
The 5-10 Nichols made an immediate impact, dishing two assists in her first 90 seconds of play against San Jose State and making her first shot en route to four points. She followed that up with seven points against Delaware and averaged 5.5 points and 2.0 rebounds over the tournament's two games.

Three-Point Attack
With explosive shooters like juniors Lisa Helmers and Kavita Goss and sophomore Renahy Young on the court, LMU has been lighting up the scoreboard and taking aim at some of the school's three-point records. Already Helmers and Goss have been peppering the single-game record of seven made threes, with Helmers going for eight in the exhibition game and Goss knocking down six against Arizona. Helmers then equaled Goss with six at Cal Poly. As a team, the Lions hit 11 against the Wildcats, then went one better at Cal Poly, equaling the school-record of 12, set at UC Riverside on December 5, 2003. As a team, the Lions are second in the WCC in triples made per game at 6.2.

Hitting the O-Boards
Last season, LMU registered 20 or more offensive rebounds in a game three times. This year, they have already done it five times, including three games in a row in December. As a team, LMU is fourth in the WCC in offensive rebounds per game at 15.23 but it has three players (Aleyse Evans, Alex Cowling, and Melanie Ysaguirre) ranked in the conference's top-12.

Lions Near Perfect in Preseason Tourneys
LMU played in three non-conference tournaments this year, posting a 5-2 record in such competitions, having gone 2-1 at the season-opening Bank of Hawai'i Invitational, a perfect 2-0 to claim the title at the Ayres Hotels Thanksgiving Tournament, and 1-1 at the Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament. The Lions' lone blemish in the first two tournaments was a triple-overtime loss to Arizona in Hawai'i. Were it not for a quirky tie-breaker scenario, the Lions would have two trophies in their cabinet this year. With three teams tied for first place, the first tie-breaker used in the Hawai'i tournament was head-to-head result but LMU defeated Toledo, Toledo defeated Arizona, and Arizona defeated LMU, leaving all three teams still knotted. The second tiebreaker was fewest points allowed. That meant that the Lions, who gave up 214 points in the three games, were relegated to third. Toledo (205 points allowed) garnered the runners-up trophy while Arizona (202) walked away with the championship. In an ironic twist, Hawai'i, who went 0-3 on the weekend, allowed the fewest points of any team, giving up a mere 192 points in its three games.
Still, LMU was not about to let anyone take away its crown as the defending champions of the Ayres Hotels Thanksgiving Tournament. The Lions rolled over Idaho State in the semifinal, then avenged last year's 26-point loss to Georgetown for the program's fifth Ayres Hotels title in 12 years.
The Lions ran their tournament winning streak to four games at the Courtyard by Marriott. L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament with a win over San Jose State in the opener. However, their quest for their first Holiday Tournament title, and second non-conference tourney crown of the year, was denied with a loss to Delaware in the championship game.

Backcourt Duo Earn Hawai'ian Honors
Sophomore Renahy Young and senior Cassady Moore got the season off to an award-winning start as both were named to the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament Team. Young averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game and hit her career-high with 31 points in the loss to Arizona. Young and Moore were the only Lions to score in double figures in all three games as Moore went for 14, 11, and 12 points, respectively.

Young, Moore Do It Again
For the second time this season, sophomore Renahy Young and senior Cassady Moore walked away from a preseason tournament with individual hardware. In the season-opening Bank of Hawai'i Invitational, both were named to the all-tournament team. Moore repeated the honor at the Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament, averaging a steady line of 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals a game. Young, however, was the offensive force, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively, and spurring LMU's come-from-behind victory in the championship game.

Overtime Madness
In the last two years, LMU has taken the opinion that if you're going to play overtime, why settle with just one extra period? LMU played one overtime game in 2007-08 but that one, against Cal State Bakersfield, went into double overtime and finished with a 95-90 Lion win. This year, the Lions decided to top that, playing the first triple-overtime game in school history. Unfortunately, three was not the magic number for LMU against Arizona, as the Wildcats won 93-88.