|
|
Aggie Women's Basketball Hosts Nevada And Fresno State This Weekend
Feb. 19, 2008
LOGAN, Utah - Complete Release in PDF Format
GAME #24 - Nevada (18-7, 9-3) at Utah State (7-16, 3-8 WAC)
GAME #25 - Fresno State (15-9, 9-1 WAC) at Utah State (7-16, 3-8 WAC) QUICKLY - Utah State women's basketball (7-16, 3-8 WAC) will host Nevada (18-7, 9-3 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 21 on "Think Pink Night," part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association "Cancer Awareness Weekend." All fans attending the game are encouraged to wear pink as a show of support for the brave individuals battling cancer. The $5 for admission charge for adult, $1 for children will be waived for anyone wearing pink to the game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270). In addition to "Think Pink Night" fans are encouraged to participate in "Quilts For The Cure." Fans are encouraged to make and bring quilts to donate. The donated quilts will be given away to those affected by breast cancer. The recipients of the quilts will be announced in the second half. The Aggies will also host Fresno State (15-9, 9-1 WAC) on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU senior guard Taylor Richards scored her 1,000th career point on Jan. 12 at New Mexico State and became the fifth player in USU history to reach the 1,000 point milestone. She currently holds the No. 3 spot on USU's Career Points list with 1,090 points. She needs 102 points to tie Brenda House (1978-81, 1,192 points) at No. 3. Richards also set a new USU career three-pointers record on Jan. 26, surpassing the previous record of 83 held by former teammate Brittany Hagen (2003-07). Richards has currently made 88 career three-pointers and now holds two records for USU, including the career assists record with 354 helpers. Aggie junior guard Danyelle Snelgro surpassed 100 career steals on Jan. 5 against San Jose State. She is now fourth on USU's career steals list with 130 and needs 15 steals to tie Carol Garrison (1980-81, 145) for third-place. SEASON 20 - The 2007-08 season marks the 20th year of women's basketball at USU, and just the fifth since the program was restarted prior to the 2003-04 season. The women's hoops program at USU had been disbanded following the 1987 season due to budget cuts. USU is playing in its third season in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) after playing its first two seasons in the Big West Conference. ADMISSION - Admission to all home Utah State's women's basketball games is $5 for adults, $1 for youth. Contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office at (435)797-0305 or at 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) for more information or visit the Utah State athletic web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com and click on Tickets in the left hand column. AGGIES ON THE RADIO/WEB - All Utah State women's basketball games can be heard on KLGN (1390 AM) in Logan with Evan Nyman calling the play-by-play and former USU women's basketball player Ashley Rutledge will be providing color commentary for home games. They can also be heard on the web through Yahoo! Sports, by going to the Utah State Athletics home page at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the Yahoo! Sports link in the right hand column. GAMETRACKER - Fans can follow all the Aggie home games through the USU web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com via GameTracker, a free service, which updates play-by-play and statistics throughout the game. ON THE INTERNET - All Utah State's home games are available to watch live through UtahState.tv via the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. USU fans can also listen to every game both home and away, via USU's web site. RETURNING - Head coach Raegan Pebley and the Aggies have three starters among nine letterwinners returning from last season's squad that posted an 11-18 overall record and 7-9 in the WAC... Senior forward Jenny Gross, senior guard Taylor Richards and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro return, as well as senior forward Jamelah Brown. ABOUT UTAH STATE - The Aggies snapped an eight-game losing streak and are now 7-16 overall and 3-8 in WAC action after winning at San Jose State, 61-60, on Thursday. In the WAC statistics, Utah State is second in the conference in free throw percentage (.701), as well as ranking seventh in scoring offense (60.3 ppg) and fifth in scoring defense (65.7 ppg), to rank seventh in scoring margin (-5.4). Utah State is also third in steals (9.26 spg), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.310), eighth in assists (11.26 apg) and ninth in rebounding margin (-5.9). Preseason all-WAC second-team selection Taylor Richards (SR, G, 5-4, West Valley City, Utah) leads Utah State with 10.4 ppg and 4.0 rpg, to go along with 2.52 apg and 1.91 spg. Richards was one of three players to score double-figures at San Jose State as she tallied 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. She is 10th in the league stats in steals, 12th in assists and 14th in scoring. Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro (5-5, Altadena, Calif.) averages 9.7 ppg, 2.91 apg and 2.48 spg. In the conference stats, Snelgro ranks third in steals, eighth in assists and 17th in scoring. She tallied five points, five assists and four rebounds on Thursday at SJSU. Senior center Jenny Gross (6-2, Caldwell, Idaho) averages 8.9 ppg and leads the team with 5.3 rpg. Gross recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Boise State on Jan. 17. She tallied a career-high 19 points against New Mexico State on Jan. 24. Gross was one of three players to score in double-figures on Thursday at San Jose State, as she posted 16 points and six rebounds. In the league stats, Gross ranks 12th in free throw percentage (.701, 54-of-77), 11th in field goal percentage (.460, 75-of-163), 14th in rebounding and 21st in scoring. Senior guard Jamelah Brown (5-10, Phoenix, Ariz.) posts 8.5 ppg and is second on the team with 5.1 rpg. Brown scored a season-high 24 points at Boise State on Jan. 17. She was the third of three players to score in double-figures at San Jose State on Thursday, as she tallied 16 points and snared a team-high nine rebounds. Brown is third in the league stats in three-point FG pct. (.393), 17th in rebounding and 23rd in scoring. Lindsey Shipley (JR, F, 6-0, Provo, Utah) nets 5.8 ppg and grabs 2.7 rpg. She is shooting 38.4 percent from field goal range (48-of-125) and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe (25-of-30). LAST TIME OUT - SAN JOSE, Calif. - Behind its three seniors combining for 47 points, Utah State women's basketball edged San Jose State, 61-60, Thursday night at the SJSU Event Center. The Aggies swept the two-game season series with the Spartans, closing the gap to 4-3 in the all-time ledger. Senior forwards Jenny Gross and Jamelah Brown netted 16 points apiece while senior guard Taylor Richards tallied 15 points. Brown snared a game-high and tied a career-high nine rebounds while Richards had seven boards for the Aggies, who were out-rebounded by the Spartans, 37-33. The senior trio was a combined 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) shooting from the floor. Gross gave USU a 57-51 lead with 4:22 left but the Aggies had to withstand a frenzied Spartan charge, as they tied the score at 57-all with 1:47 left. A three-point play by Brown at the 1:35 mark put the Aggies back on top before SJSU's Myosha Barnes made one free throw with 27 ticks remaining. Richards hit one-of-two free throws with 17 seconds left for the three point cushion and SJSU rebounded then called time out. The Spartans ran a play for Christine Martin's three-point attempt, but it was off the mark and Barnes corralled the rebound and made a layup at the buzzer for the final points. SJSU was led by Emily Nichols' 15 points, while Aumornai Edinburgh scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds. Brittany Powell also tallied seven points and six rebound for SJSU. With the score tied at 4-4, USU went on a 5-2 run to go up 11-6 with 14:56 left in the half. The lead was changed 11 times and tied three times in the first half overall as San Jose State took a 31-30 advantage heading into the break. The score stayed tight through the second half, while USU led through the majority of it, taking its largest lead at 39-34 with 15:41 left to play and maintaining a lead until the drama of the final minutes. Utah State finished the game shooting 48.8 percent from the field (21-of-43) including 3-of-5 (60.0 percent) from three-point range and shot 72.7 percent (16-of-22) at the free throw line. San Jose State shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) field goal shooting including 9-of-20 (45.0 percent) behind the three-point arc and just 43.8 percent (7-of-16) at the charity stripe.
SCOUTING NEVADA - The Wolf Pack are 18-7 overall and 9-3 in WAC action after falling to Boise State, 80-69, on Thursday and defeating Idaho, 68-48, on Saturday. Nevada leads the conference in steals (13.16 spg) and ranks second in scoring margin (+6.2). The Wolf Pack are also second in scoring defense (64.1 ppg), fourth in free throw percentage (.703) and fifth in three-point FG percentage (.326). Dellena Criner, a 5-7 junior point guard, leads Nevada with 16.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg while dishing out 3.16 apg and 2.28 spg. She is also hitting 45.0 percent from field goal range (118-of-262) and is shooting 38.7 percent from behind the three-point arc (36-of-93). Criner is second in the WAC in scoring, third in free throw percentage (.780), fourth in steals, fourth in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in assists. She tallied three points and five assists against Boise State on Thursday, while scoring 15 points against Idaho on Saturday. Mikail Price, a 5-7 senior guard, posts 10.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and is shooting 36.9 percent from field goal range (75-of-203). In the league stats, Price is fourth in free throw shooting (.771), sixth in steals (2.16 spg) and 15th in scoring. She scored 11 points against Boise State on Thursday and tallied 10 points and six assists on Saturday against Idaho. Brandi Fitzgerald, a 5-10 junior guard, nets 8.3 ppg and is second on the team with 4.5 rpg. She is shooting 41.5 percent from field goal range (83-of-200). Fitzgerald is 26th in the league stats in scoring. She scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds against Boise State on Thursday, and tallied five assists and five rebounds against Idaho on Saturday. Nevada head coach Kim Gervasoni (Fresno State, 1989) has a 59-87 record at Nevada in her fifth season at the leash of the Wolf Pack. THE SERIES VS. NEVADA - Thursday is the eighth meeting between the Aggies and the Wolf Pack, with Nevada leading, 4-3. Nevada defeated Utah State earlier this season, 75-55, on Feb. 2 at Reno. USU won the first meeting last season, 59-44, Feb. 15, 2007 and then fell at Nevada, 61-49, on March 1, 2007. USU won the first two meetings, on Jan. 8, 1980 and Nov. 30, 1984, before Nevada won both meetings during the 2005-06 season. LAST MEETING VS. NEVADA - Senior center Jenny Gross scored a game-high 13 points as Utah State women's basketball fell at Nevada, 75-55, on Feb. 2 at UNR's Lawlor Events Center. Senior guard Taylor Richards scored 12 points for the Aggies while Gross added a team-high six rebounds as USU was out-rebounded, 34-24. Utah State suffered its sixth loss in a row in falling to 6-14 on the season and is now 2-6 in WAC action, while Nevada improves to 15-6 overall and 6-2 in conference games. Nevada's Dellena Criner scored a team-high 25 points, while Cherlanda Franklin tallied 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. USU finished the game by shooting 41.2 percent from the field (21-of-51) including 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from three-point range and shot 70.6 percent (12-of-17) at the free throw line. UNR shot 57.1 percent (28-of-49) including 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) behind the three-point arc and 58.6 percent (17-of-29) at the charity stripe. SCOUTING FRESNO STATE - The Bulldogs are 15-9 overall and 10-1 in conference action. Fresno State opened the season with six straight losses before winning at Long Beach State on Dec. 7, 2007. The Bulldogs' lone conference loss was at Boise State on Jan. 28, which snapped a nine-game winning streak. FS is currently on a four-game winning streak after defeating Idaho, 68-38, on Thursday. Fresno State leads the league in field goal percentage (.417), three-point field goal percentage (.419) and assists (15.75 apg), while the Bulldogs are second in scoring offense (71.5 ppg) and fourth in steals (9.25 spg). Preseason all-WAC first-team selection Tierre Wilson, a 5-8 senior guard, leads Fresno State with 15.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg, and she is also hitting a team-high 45.9 percent from field goal range (145-of-316) as well as shooting 82.1 percent from the free throw line (46-of-56). Wilson is fourth in the WAC in assists (3.17 apg), fifth in scoring and 12th in field goal percentage. She posted five points and eight rebounds against Idaho on Thursday. Jalessa Ross, a 5-8 freshman guard is averaging 11.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg, and she is also shooting 45.5 percent from behind the three-point arc (65-of-143). Ross netted 16 points and snared three rebounds on Thursday at Idaho. Ross leads the league in three-point percentage and is 11th in scoring. Fresno State head coach Adrian Wiggins (Cameron, Okla., 1995) is in his third full season at the helm of the Bulldogs, coaching the final eight games of the 2004-05 season. Wiggins has a 64-34 overall record, including 40-11 in WAC games. THE SERIES VS. FRESNO STATE - Sunday is just the sixth meeting between Utah State and Fresno State, as the Bulldogs lead 4-1, including a 69-52 win earlier this season on Feb. 10 at Fresno. FS won both of 2005-06 match-ups before the Aggies won last year's first meeting on Jan. 6, 2007, 81-75, in OT at Logan, while the Bulldogs won the second game last season, 71-60, on March 3, 2007 at Fresno. Fresno State edged Utah State, 60-58, at Logan on Jan. 7, 2006, and the Bulldogs beat the Aggies, 70-52, at Fresno on March 2, 2006. LAST MEETING VS. FRESNO STATE - Senior guard Taylor Richards scored a team-high 17 points as Utah State women's basketball fell to Fresno State, 69-52, on Feb. 10 at the Bulldogs' Save Mart Center in Western Athletic Conference action. Senior center Jenny Gross added 16 points for the Aggies as the only other player to score in double-figures for USU and also snared six rebounds. Senior forward Jamelah Brown was held scoreless for just the second time this season, but she tallied a team-high eight rebounds and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro pulled down five rebounds as the Aggies were out-rebounded by the Bulldogs, 41-39. Jaleesa Ross posted game-highs of 24 points and nine rebounds for Fresno State, while Tierre Wilson netted 12 points and Hayley Munro tallied 11 points. Wilson and Munro each added six rebounds. The Bulldogs opened the game on a 19-9 run, draining five three-pointers while Gross scored the first nine points for the Aggies in the opening eight minutes of action. The Bulldogs surged ahead during a three minute USU scoring drought put Fresno State up 23-11 with 8:43 left in the half. FS finished out the half on a 14-11 run and took a 37-22 lead into the break. The Aggies went on an 8-5 run to open up the second half to cut the margin to 42-30 with 16:48 on the clock. Fresno State responded with a 13-8 run to go up 55-38 with 8:30 remaining and USU trailed by 13 or more the rest of the game. Utah State finished the game shooting 41.4 percent from the field (24-of-58) including 2-of-16 (12.5 percent) from three-point range and shot a season-low 22.2 percent (2-of-9) at the free throw line. Fresno State shot 42.9 percent (27-of-63) including 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) from behind the three-point arc and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) at the charity stripe.
RICHARDS IS USU CAREER ASSISTS RECORD HOLDER/TOP 10 STEALS AND POINTS LIST - Senior guard Taylor Richards now has 354 assists for her career as she holds the No. 1 spot on USU's Career Assists list. Richards also has 157 career steals to hold sole possession of No. 2 on the USU Career Steals list. She needs 18 steals to tie for first with Margaret Johns (1980-83, 175). The senior guard is also No. 3 on the USU Career Points list with 1,090 points, surpassing Margaret Johns (1980-83, 1,081) after scoring 15 points on Thursday at San Jose State. She needs 102 more to tie Brenda House (1978-81, 1,192) who holds the No. 2 spot. SNELGRO MOVING UP CAREER ASSISTS LIST/CAREER STEALS LIST - Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro currently holds the No. 6 spot with 193 helpers, surpassing Dorinda Carey (191 assists, 1978-81) after posting five assists on Thursday at San Jose State. She needs nine assists to become tied for fifth with Corrina Poto (202 assists, 1982-83). Snelgro also has 130 career steals and is currently in the No. 4 spot on the Career Steals list. She needs 15 steals to become tied for third with Carol Garrison (1980-81, 145). THREE-POINTERS MADE LIST - Five players hold a spot on the USU Career Three-Pointers Made list. Senior guard Taylor Richards broke the career record against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 26 with her first trey of the game, surpassing former teammate Brittany Hagen (2003-07) and has currently made 88 career three-pointers. Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro is sixth with 51, while junior forward Lindsey Shipley is seventh with 36. Also on the list are senior guard Jamelah Brown and junior guard Ana Pares who are eighth and 10th with 31 and 20 three-pointers made, respectively. CAREER FREE THROW PERCENTAGE LIST - Senior guard Taylor Richards, senior center Jenny Gross and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro are all shooting above 65.0 percent from the free throw line in their careers and hold a spot in the top 10 on the Career Free Throw percentage list. Snelgro is sixth (106-of-155, .683), while Richards ranks seventh (208-of-305, .682) and Gross is ninth (146-of-222, .658). GAMES PLAYED - Senior guard Taylor Richards is fourth on the USU Career Games Played list with 107 games and needs two games to tie former teammate Camille Brox (2003-07, 109) for third. Senior center Jenny Gross is ninth with 98 games and needs four games to tie Dorrinda Carey (1978-81, 102) for eighth. TIME SHARES - Nine Aggies are averaging at least 10 minutes a game with junior guard Danyelle Snelgro leading the way at 31.6 minutes per game. SCORING SPREAD - Six Aggies have led or shared the lead in scoring this season with senior guard Taylor Richards and senior forward Jamelah Brown paving the way, leading in seven games each, as Richards tied a season-high 18 points against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 26 and scored 17 points at Fresno State on Feb. 10, while Brown tallied a career-high 24 at Boise State on Jan. 17 and tallied 16 points at San Jose State on Thursday... Eight different players have led in rebounding, with senior center Jenny Gross leading the way with 10 games, as she grabbed a season-high 11 boards at Portland State on Nov. 16 and pulled down 10 rebounds at Boise State on Jan. 17 as part of a double-double effort, while she tallied nine boards at Idaho on Jan. 19 and seven at Hawai'i on Feb. 11.
PEBLEY'S BITS - With 40 careers wins, Pebley is second on USU's coaching wins list... Fern Gardner is the current leader with 55 career wins from 1972-1976. - Four players earned academic all-conference honors in 2007 which include Jenny Gross, Brittany Hagen, Brittany (Tressler) Phillips and Taylor Richards. - With a total of seven newcomers (four freshmen, three transfers), this is the largest group of newcomer's since Pebley's first season in 2003-04. UP NEXT - Utah State plays its final regular-season road game at Louisiana Tech (12-13, 6-6 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. (MT) in La Tech's Thomas Assembly Center (8,000). |
| ||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||
