COMING UP: Host Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Lady Yote Classic – Eastern Oregon vs. Westminster, Friday, 6 p.m.; C of I vs. Westminster, Saturday, 2 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Exhibition vs. Northwest Nazarene (L 65-62), at Twin Rivers Physcial Therapy Classic, Lewiston – vs. New Hope Christian (W 68-55), vs. Trevecca Nazarene (L 69-61).
LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO: Live Video and Live Stats will be available online both games of the Lady Yote A Live Video feed can be accessed online at
http://yoteathletics.com/sports/2012/8/14/live_video.aspx?&tab=2, with Live Stats available at
http://www.sidearmstats.com/cofidaho/wbball/scoreboard.aspx.
A LONG WEEK: The Lady Yotes will look forward to playing just one game this week – after playing three games in a five day stretch. After a physical three-point loss in the annual exhibition game with rival Northwest Nazarene, The C of I hit the road to Lewiston to play games on Friday and Saturday. The Friday win over New Hope Christian was the Yotes first win in the L-C Valley since the 1999-00 season.
CARTHEN CONSISTENT: Continuing her solid play to start the 2012-13 season, transfer
Chakala Carthen (Sparks, Nev. / Coll. of Southern Idaho) kept up her scoring prowess last week. The junior has scored in double-digits in all six games this year (plus adding 12 points in the exhibition game vs. NNU), hitting 52-percent of her field goal attempts, while getting to the foul line seven times per game. Carthen added four steals in each of the two games in Lewiston this weekend.
GEIS LOGS CAREER HIGHS: On back-to-back nights, post
Laura Geis (Frenchtown, Mont. / U. of Montana Western) recorded career-highs in Lewiston. Friday night, the senior scored a season-high 14 points but added a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory over New Hope Christian. One night later, Geis tied a career-high and the Coyote school record by posting eight blocked shots against Trevecca Nazarene. The 6-2 post leads the Lady Yotes with 63 rebounds and 18 blocked shots through six games.
THREE-POINTERS FALLING: A year after making a league-worst 3.6 three-pointers per game, the Lady Yotes have found their range this season from outside the arc. Through their first six games, The C of I is averaging 5.8 made three-point shots per game, hitting 34-percent of their long-range tries.
Dayna Drager (Hayden, Idaho / Coeur d’Alene HS) leads the way, having made 12-of-24 three-point attempts this season.
LADY YOTE CLASSIC RETURNS: It's gone by different names and taken three different respites, but it is back for the fifth-straight year – the 13th Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Lady Yote Classic. The tournament was sponsored by Ste. Chappelle in 1996 and 1997, was named the Albertson Holiday Classic in 2000, was sponsored by Best Inn in 2001 – and has been sponsored by Best Western for the last seven times – 2002, 2004-06, and 2008-12. This year, the tournament is a bit different, as the fourth team in the event, Walla Walla University, bowed out late in the summer – making it a three-team, two-game event.
TYPICALLY A CCC/NWC THING: Over the years, 16 different teams have played in the Lady Yote Classic – with Eastern Oregon playing in 10 of the previous 12 tournaments (did not compete in 1997 and 2010). Most of the time, it has been a CCC-Northwest Conference event, as eight of the nine teams from the Division III league in the Northwest (George Fox, Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitman, Willamette, and Whitworth) have traveled to Caldwell. This marks the second-straight year without a NWC squad in the field.
PREVIOUS WINNERS: 2011 – C of I/Eastern Oregon (co-champs), 2010 – Whitworth, 2009 – Puget Sound, 2008 – C of I/Eastern Oregon (co-champs), 2006 – Eastern Oregon, 2005 – C of I/Eastern Oregon (co-champs), 2004 – C of I, 2002 – George Fox, 2001 – C of I/Eastern Oregon (co-champs), 2000 – C of I, 1997 – C of I, 1996 – Montana Western.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER: It will mark the second time this season that the Lady Yotes meet
Westminster, ranked No. 5 in the preseason NAIA Division I Top-25 poll. The Griffins (4-1) lost their opener to The Master’s, but have won four-straight – including wins over Biola and Xavier, both ranked in the NAIA Division I Top-25, along with an overtime win over the Yotes. Westminster is allowing just 56 points per game, which has helped an offense looking to get on track – having averaged just 59 points and 38-percent shooting from the floor. Cydney Tibbitts (15.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg) leads the Salt Lake City school in scoring and rebounds, with Nicole Yazzie (15.2 ppg, 5.0 apg) and Kelsi Wells (10.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) dangerous scorers. It is the 19th meeting between the teams, with the all-time series deadlocked at 9-9.
ABOUT EASTERN OREGON: Meeting Westminster on Friday is C of I’s CCC rvial,
Eastern Oregon. The Mountaineers (6-2) opened the season ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Division II preseason poll – thanks to their first-ever trip to the national quarterfinals. EOU heads to Caldwell after a pair of victories in Florida against Webber International and Warner, as the Mounties are outscoring their opponents’ by 20 points a night. Leading the Eastern charge are guards Brooke Randall (12.6 ppg, 3.1 apg) and Nicole Redd (11.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg), along with post Korrie Bourn (9.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg).
CCC/NAIA PRESEASON POLLS: The Lady Yotes were picked to finish third in the Preseason CCC Coaches’ Poll, released earlier this month. The C of I received 83 votes in the poll, behind Eastern Oregon and Corban, but ahead of Warner Pacific and Oregon Tech. In the Preseason NAIA Top-25 Coaches’ Poll, released Monday, the Lady Yotes checked in at No. 25. The C of I received 46 rater points from the 13 conference and unaffiliated voters – after finishing the 2011-12 ranked No. 22. Concordia (Neb.) holds the top spot in the poll, followed by Northwestern (Iowa), College of the Ozarks (Mo.), Indiana Wesleyan, and Morningside (Iowa). Two other CCC teams are in the Top-25 - as EOU is No. 10 and Corban is No. 14, with Warner Pacific receiving votes. Two other preseason opponents' - No. 5 Westminster and No. 15 Lewis-Clark State, are ranked in the NAIA Division I Preseason Poll. The first regular-season poll will be released Nov. 27.
CONFERENCE STATISTICS: As a team, the Lady Yotes rank second in the CCC in blocked shots per game (4.8), ranking third in steals per game (10.7) and turnover margin (+3.7). The Yotes are No. 4 in scoring defense (56.7), free throw percentage (.693), and three-point percentage (.337), No. 5 in three-pointers made per game (5.8), No. 6 in scoring margin (+9.3) and rebound margin (+2.0), No. 7 in scoring average (66.0) and field goal percentage (.387), and No. 8 in defensive field goal percentage (.386), rebounds per game (39.5), and assists per game (13.0). Individually,
Katelin Shannon (Cladwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) leads the league in steals per game (3.3) and is No. 5 in free throw percentage (.818), while Laura Geis is No. 2 in the CCC in blocked shots per game (3.0) and No. 3 in rebounds per game (10.5). Dayna Drager is No. 4 in three-pointers made per game (2.0) and three-point percentage (.500), with Chakala Carthen No. 3 in steals per game (2.7), and No. 8 in both field goal percentage (.519) and scoring average (14.8).
LEAGUE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Danielle Swain (ESC) 20.0, Melissa Sweat (SOU) 18.5, Karissa Dixon (OIT) 18.0, Malori Dixon (CU) 18.0, Chelsey Christensen (WP) 17.0; Rebound Average – Swain 12.0, Kassi Conditt (OIT) 11.2, Laura Geis (C of I) 10.5, Lindsey Shearer (NCU) 9.3, Kelly Huey (CU) 8.5; Nichole Jackson (WP) 10.0, Morgan Wolff (WP) 6.5, Huey 5.5, Aly Bruns (NCU) 4.7, Ashley Claussen (SOU) 4.5.
RECORD BOOK: Three Lady Yotes currently rank among the Top-10 in C of I career stats. Katelin Shannon ranks third all-time in steals (218), No. 6 in free throws made (274), No. 8 in free throw attempts (358), and No. 9 in assists (219), while Laura Geis is No. 5 in blocked shots (88). Dayna Drager rounds out the list, ranking No. 7 in three-pointers made (73) and No. 11 in three-point attempts (203).
GAME RECAP – NORTHWEST NAZARENE 65, C OF I 62 (EXHIBITION): Kylie Schierman canned a three-pointer with six minutes to play, part of a 10-2 Northwest Nazarene run, as the Crusaders withstood a pair of last-second three-point attempts to defeat The C of I, 65-62, last Tuesday inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. The victory for the Crusaders was their sixth-straight in the rivalry - dating back to 2007, including the past five games that have been deemed exhibitions by the Coyotes. NNU used a 12-0 run to close the first half, including back-to-back three's from Chelsie Luke, to lead 40-29 at the break. A Megan Hingston jumper with 18:34 to play in the second half gave the Division II Crusaders a 44-33 lead, but the Lady Yotes would clamp down defensively in a big way. While NNU went 1-for-20 over the next eight minutes, The C of I picked up the attack, as Laura Geis drained a trey and a jumper,
Felicity Jones (Tremonton, Utah / Coll. of Southern Idaho) canned a baseline runner and Katelin Shannon added back-to-back lay-ups to tie the score. A Dayna Drager trey gave the Yotes the lead, a margin that would extend to 53-46 on a pair of Drager free throws - but the hosts would go 0-for-11 from the field with five turnovers in the final eight minutes. Trailing 65-60 in the final 30 seconds, Chakala Carthen hit 2-of-3 three free throws for the Yotes to make it a one-possession game and Shannon stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Drager missed a head-of-the-key three with five seconds left, but C of I got the rebound, but a rushed three by Kylie Hardison missed off the left side of the rim at the buzzer. Luke led all scorers with 17 points, Hingston had 13, with Schierman scoring 11 in the win, as NNU held a 48-39 rebound edge, including 18 offensive boards. Carthen scored 12 for the Lady Yotes, with Jones scoring 10. Geis had seven points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in the loss.
GAME RECAP – C OF I 68, NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN 55: Chakala Carthen led four C of I players in double-figures with 15 points, as the Lady Yotes opened up play at the Twin Rivers Physical Therapy Classic with a 68-55 victory over New Hope Christian College inside the LCSC Activity Center. The Lady Yotes used a big run to close the first half and opened the second half with a big surge to build an insurmountable lead against the NCCAA Deacons. NHCC got a Kyrsha Witherspoon lay-up with just under six minutes left in the first half to give the Deacons a 21-20 lead, but the Yotes closed the half on a 14-2 run - including a Dayna Drager put-back basket and a long three-pointer, to lead 34-23 at the break. Katelin Shannon had two baskets and a pair of free throws and Carthen added five points in a 18-6 run to open the second half, as the Yotes extended the lead to 52-29 with 14:22 remaining. NHCC made one final push, getting within 60-50 on a Chelsea Dyson free throw with six minutes to play. However, a Drager jumper and a three-pointer by Shannon helped reestablish a 16-point lead and the Yotes held on. Laura Geis scored 14 points and added a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory, with Shannon adding 11 points and five assists and Drager 10 points and six boards for the Yotes. The Deacons Deanna Tupai led all scorers with 23 points, on 10-of-14 shooting, with Lei Lolohea adding nine points and 13 rebounds.
GAME RECAP – TREVECCA NAZARENE 69, C OF I 61: A 23-0 run by Trevecca Nazarene over an 11-minute stretch of the first half helped the Trojans defeat The C of I, 69-61, in the title game of the Twin Rivers Therapy Classic in the LCSC Activity Center. Trailing 2-0 after the first minute, the Division II Trojans, from Nashville, Tenn., forced the Lady Yotes into 13-straight missed shots and 10 turnovers - taking a 23-2 lead with eight minutes left in the period. TNU's bench would outscore the Lady Yotes 21-0 in the half, leading 41-23 at the break. A Felicity Jones jumper capped an 8-0 run by the Coyotes to open the second half, getting within 41-31 - however, Christina Curtner canned a trey in a 7-0 run by the Trojans that extended the lead back to 17 - with TNU cruising to the win. Kayla Biles led the Trojans with 13 points, with Curtner adding 10 points and five rebounds in the victory. Chakala Carthen had 16 points and six rebounds in the loss for the Yotes, with Jones adding 11 points and 13 rebounds. Laura Geis blocked eight shots on the afternoon, tying the school record.
ABOUT THE COACH: Reagan Rossi is in her 12th season as head coach of The C of I women's basketball program and her first season as an Associate Athletic Director for the College. During her first 11 seasons at The C of I, the native of Mukwonago, Wis., has compiled a 210-134 overall record, 11 consecutive appearances in the CCC Tournament, two CCC regular-season titles, four-consecutive NAIA Division II National Tournament appearances, and the 2010 and 2012 CCC Tournament titles. In 2008-09, she led the Coyotes to a school record 29-5 season, sharing their first CCC title since 2001 - earning a berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The team set a new school record with 21 consecutive wins, highest scoring average, and defeated Weber State for their first-ever NCAA Division I victory. In 2009-10, her squad went 21-8, winning the CCC title outright, along with claiming their first-ever CCC Tournament championship, while last season, went on the road and defeated Corban, 80-68, in the CCC title game and earned a trip to the NAIA Tournament. The all-time record holder for women’s basketball wins at The C of I, she has coached a second-team All-American and two third-team All-Americans, while 16 of her recruits have earned NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors. Rossi was no stranger to The C of I when she was hired in 2000, as she was a member of Todd Corman's inaugural coaching staff for two seasons, and was on the bench when the Lady Yotes took to the floor for the first time on Nov. 4, 1995 against Carroll College, ending an 18-year hiatus of women's basketball at the school. Rossi has an extensive background in coaching - having been an assistant coach at Georgetown (Ky.), a fellow NAIA institution, along with Morehead State (Ky.), an NCAA Division I program. Before coming to The C of I in 1995, Rossi was an assistant coach with the Skagway High School boys' varsity team in Skagway, Alaska. A 1994 graduate of Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, Rossi played four years of basketball for the Queen Bees. Two of her teams qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, including the 1993-94 squad which advanced into the "Sweet Sixteen." She was the starting point-guard for two seasons, averaging ten points and six assists per game during her senior season. In 2006, she was inducted into the Mukwonago High School Hall of Fame. Rossi and her husband, Rudy, live in Caldwell with their twin daughters, Maggie and Darby.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on Coyote women’s basketball program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes -
http://www.yoteathletics.com/index.aspx?path=wbball&tab=0.
