Dec. 23, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Upcoming Schedule

Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament

Sunday, December 28
LMU (8-3) vs. San Jose State (1-9) 3:00 p.m.
Delaware (6-3) vs. Stony Brook (1-9) 5:00 p.m.

Monday, December 29
Consolation Game 4:00 p.m.
Championship Game 6:00 p.m.

Live audio and video for all LMU games is available with Angie Kiel and Will Callanen through Stretch Internet on Lions All-Access at LMULions.com. Gametracker will be available for all four tournament games at LMULions.com

Briefly
The 2008 calendar year comes to a close December 28-29 when LMU hosts the Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament. This year's four-team tournament features two west coast teams in LMU and San Jose State, who meet in the opener at 3 p.m. on December 29, and two east coast competitors in Delaware and Stony Brook. Fans are guaranteed an east vs. west championship matchup on Monday, with the consolation game scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by the championship game.

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 Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Holiday Tournament
This is the second straight year and third time overall that LMU will be hosting a post-Christmas tournament. Last year, Kansas State claimed the championship with a 70-47 victory over hosts LMU. Lisa Helmers and Jenna Sybesma earned All-Tournament honors for the Lions. The Lions have never won their home Holiday Tournament, having lost to Duke in the final of the inaugural tournament in 2003-04.

About the San Jose State Spartans (1-9)
San Jose State has lost five in a row following its 75-46 loss at Pepperdine on December 21. Chasity Shavers came off the bench for a team- and season-high 15 points.
Natalie White is the only Spartan scoring in double figures at a 12.1 ppg average. Shaunna Ridge grabs a team-leading 6.7 rpg to go along with 7.4 ppg. Shavers is second on the team in scoring at 8.8 ppg.
Pam DeCosta is in her second season as head coach of San Jose State. She has a 49-103 career coaching record. Last year, the Spartans wen 3-28 overall and 1-15 in the Western Athletic Conference. They return two starters and three letterwinners.
When LMU and SJSU take the court on December 28, it will be one day shy of the 15th anniversary of their only-ever meeting, a 73-68 Spartan victory on December 29, 1993 at LMU.

About the Delaware Blue Hens (6-3)
Delaware emerged victorious in its final tune-up before heading west, holding off Villanova 52-49 on December 22 for its fourth straight win. Ariene Jenkins had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Blue Hens.
Tesia Harris leads UD in scoring at 12.4 ppg while adding 5.9 rpg. Vanessa Kabongo contributes 10.0 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Jenkins leads the team in rebounding at 8.3 per game.
This is Tina Martin's 14th year at Delaware, where she has a record of 228-137. The Blue Hens went 7-24 overall in 2007-08, placing ninth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 6-12 conference mark. They return two starters and seven letterwinners.
Should LMU and Delaware meet on Monday, it will be the first time the two schools have every played against each other.

About the Stony Brook Seawolves (1-9)
Stony Brook has been idle since December 15, when it dropped its second straight game, 70-60 to Manhattan. The Seawolves had opened the season with seven straight losses before registering its only victory to date, 73-68 over Yale on December 8. Misha Horsey leads SBU in scoring at 9.1 ppg. Kairsten Nunn (7.9) and Kirsten Jeter (7.6) are close behind.
Head Coach Michele Cherry is in her second season at Stony Brook, where she is 9-32. Last year, the Seawolves were 2-14 in the America East Conference. They bring back three starters and nine letterwinners.
Stony Brook has visited Gersten Pavilion once before, participating in the 2000 LMU Furama Thanksgiving Classic. The Lions beat the Seawolves 69-54 in the opening round. The next year, Stony Brook returned the favor, upending LMU 67-61 in the championship game of the Holiday Inn Express Invitational at Stony Brook.

Last Week Recap: Win Streak Turns to Losing Streak
After winning seven in a row, LMU went out on the road last week looking to make history. Instead, the Lions came home with a streak of another sort: a two-game losing skid thanks to losses at Fresno State and San Diego State. At FSU on Thursday, LMU shot just 30.6% (22-for-72), their lowest output of the season, in an 85-59 defeat. The offense was led by freshman Alex Cowling, who had 12 points and seven rebounds (five offensive). Sophomore Renahy Young added 10 points and sophomore Aleyse Evans had seven points and eight rebounds. FSU broke out on an 18-2 run to turn a 20-18 deficit into a 36-22 lead with 7:31 left in the first half. After starting the game 7-for-14 from the floor, LMU scored only two buckets over the next five minutes, going 2-for-11. LMU started the second half 1-for-13 from the floor while the Bulldogs used the three-ball to push the lead above 20, 57-35 at 14:12. The lead grew to as many as 27, 67-40, as the Bulldogs continued to knock down three-pointers, finishing with 10 for the game.
Sunday's game at San Diego State was a story of two halves. The Lions shot nearly 60% in the first half to lead by five but SDSU connected on a scorching 62% in the second half for an 85-70 victory. The Lions were victimized by 30 turnovers that led to 43 Aztec points. Cowling led the way for the fourth straight game with 20 points and senior Cassady Moore added 19.

LMU in the NCAA
LMU's 8-3 start has them listed at 86th 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. 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.

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
Six weeks into the season, it is clear that the Lions are a tough team to beat. A look inside the numbers might help to explain why. LMU has held a lead at halftime in nine of the 11 and is 7-2 when ahead at the break. LMU is 6-1 when winning the battle of the boards and 7-0 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 7-1 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 7-1 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 11 games this year after using 11 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 and to this year's Preseason All-Conference squad, Young has earned Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament honors and the MVP trophy at the Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament. She has reached double figures in nine of LMU's 11 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, then had 20 and 19 points, respectively, in LMU's home Thanksgiving tourney.
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-five 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 8.7 free throw attempts a game and is making 7.0, keeping her on pace to shatter the single-season record of 144, set in 1990-91 by current associate head coach Lynn Flanagan.
After 11 games, Young is averaging 16.1 ppg, seventh in the WCC and 82nd in the nation. She is among the WCC leaders in scoring (7th), assists (9th), free throw percentage (6th), 3-point field goal percentage (10th), and 3-pointers made per game (14th).

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 137 career steals, Moore is on pace to finish among the LMU top-10, needing just 10 to enter the ranks. 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 eight of the first 11 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 11.6 ppg and leading the Lions in assists and steals at 3.6 and 2.4 per game, respectively. She is among the WCC leaders in points (14th), assists (3rd), steals (3rd), assist/turnover ratio (5th), and defensive rebounds (14th).

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 10.6 ppg while her 93 career three-pointers are sixth all-time at LMU. She is second in the league in 3-pointers made per game, 16th in scoring, 11th in 3-point field goal percentage, and 15th in 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 9.1 per game overall, third in the WCC, while contributing 7.7 ppg and shooting 48% from the floor. She is second in the league in defensive rebounds per game, fourth in offensive rebounds, fourth in blocks, and 10th 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 four games, averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the 12th month. 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.
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.
Eleven games into her freshman campaign, Cowling is averaging 13.1 ppg and 5.6 rpg while shooting a WCC-best 62.6% from the floor. She ranks seventh in the nation in field goal percentage.

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 second on the team with 16 three-pointers made.

Posts Play Big
Two players who give the Lions depth in the post are sophomores Melanie Ysaguirre and Maggie Burkett. Ysaguirre has started all 11 games this season and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.3 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 (9th), blocks (tied for 12th), and offensive rebounds (12th).
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 To Make 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 is set to make 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 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 will immediately contribute athleticism to the Lion backcourt.

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.

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 each of the last three outings. As a team, LMU is third in the WCC in offensive rebounds per game at 15.55 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 is playing in three non-conference tournaments this year and so far, so good. The Lions are 4-1 in such competitions, having gone 2-1 at the season-opening Bank of Hawai'i Invitational and a perfect 2-0 to claim the title at the Ayres Hotels Thanksgiving Tournament. The Lions' lone blemish 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.

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.