COMING UP: vs. Northwest, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Evergreen, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: at Oregon Tech (L 61-58), at Southern Oregon (W 95-82)
LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO: Live Video and Live Stats will be available for all Cascade Conference games this season, home and away. A Live Video feed can be accessed online via C of I’s athletic website 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.
MOST POINTS IN CCC PLAY?: Saturday’s win over Southern Oregon was the Lady Yotes biggest offensive outburst of the year – and one of their highest-scoring games in CCC history. It was the first time the Yotes broke the 90-point mark since a 96-27 win over Walla Walla in November of 2011 and the first time the squad scored 90-or-more points in a CCC counter since a 99-63 victory over Oregon Tech during the 2009-10 season. That 99-point output is tied for the most points the Lady Yotes have scored in a league counter, as the 1996-97 club defeated Concordia, 99-94.
OVER 90: The Lady Yotes are near perfect in program history when scoring 90-or-more points in a game, boasting a 31-1 all-time record. The lone loss when scoring 90-or-more came in a 93-91 road loss at Westminster during the 2009-10 season. The C of I has scored 100-or-more points five times – the last in a 102-89 win over Cal Baptist during the 2008-09 campaign.
68 POINTS EQUALS WINS: Through 12 games this season, one statistic has been constant throughout – as the Coyotes are a perfect 7-0 when scoring 68-or-more points in a game, but 0-5 when failing to score 68. In their seven wins, the team is averaging 76 points per game, while in the five losses, the Yotes are averaging just 53 points per game.
SHANNON HAS MONSTER WEEKEND: Known primarily for her defensive prowess, point-guard
Katelin Shannon (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) got into the scoring act this weekend, scoring in double-figures in both games, including a season-high 19 points in the win at Southern Oregon. The senior recorded her second career double-double at Oregon Tech, scoring 14 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds. Shannon is averaging 14 points per game over the last four games.
CONSISTENT CARTHEN: Chalk up another pair of double-digit scoring games for
Chakala Carthen (Sparks, Nev. / Coll. of Southern Idaho), as the transfer had 14 points and eight rebounds at OIT and added 10 points at Southern. Carthen, the Lady Yotes leading scorer on the season, has scored in double-figures in five straight games and 11-of-12 games this season.
JONES NETS CAREER HIGH: Coming at the heels of her lowest scoring performance of her career,
Felicity Jones (Tremonton, Utah / Coll. of Southern Idaho) rebounded in a big way on Saturday, scoring a career-high 25 points in the win over SOU. It was the fifth time in her career that the senior has scored over 20 in a game, eclipsing her career high of 24 two weeks ago against Warner Pacific.
LADY YOTES STICK AT NO. 22: The C of I remained at No. 22 in the third regular-season NAIA Division II Top-25 Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll of 2012-13, released last Tuesday by the NAIA sports information office. The Lady Yotes earned 94 voter points from the 12 conference and unaffiliated grouping raters and were one of seven teams to remain in the spot position in the poll. Concordia (Neb.) is the unanimous No. 1 team, followed by Indiana Wesleyan, Morningside (Iowa), College of the Ozarks (Mo.), and Davenport (Mich.), with Eastern Oregon ranked No. 9, and both Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech receiving votes. Two other C of I opponents’ were ranked in the NAIA Division I poll – No. 5 Westminster and No. 26 Carroll. In the CCC weekly Top-6 poll, EOU held the top spot, followed by the Yotes, Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, Concordia, and Northwest Christian. The next conference poll is set for Jan. 7, with the next NAIA Top-25 released Jan. 8.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Key match-ups this weekend have Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon heading north to meet a struggling Concordia squad and an up-and-down Warner Pacific, while an improved Evergreen team and a Northwest squad that won their first CCC game heads to C of I and Eastern Oregon. Northwest Christian will look for their third-straight win Saturday at home against 0-4 Corban.
HOME WIN STREAK IN CCC PLAY: The Lady Yotes will look to extend an 11-game win streak in CCC play and a 14-game win streak against CCC opponents at home this weekend. The C of I is 3-2 at home this season, with the two losses to nationally-ranked NAIA Division I teams – but has a 163-55 all-time record inside the Activities Center.
ABOUT NORTHWEST: The weekend opens up with a match-up against
Northwest, a squad that has won 2-of-3 after losing their first seven games of the season. The Eagles (2-8, 1-2 CCC) have struggled offensively – averaging just 60 points, while recording a minus-six rebound margin and a minus-five turnover margin. Returning point-guard Domi Mendezona (12.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is the leading scorer, with Sanda Milovic (10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Corinne Burke (6.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) top scoring options. It is the 36th all-time meeting between the schools, with the Yotes holding a 27-8 all-time series edge.
ABOUT EVERGREEN: Saturday night,
Evergreen heads to Caldwell as the Geoducks (2-4, 2-1) are off to their best CCC start in years. The Greeners played a tough preseason schedule – including four exhibition games against Division II opponents, though TESC has been offensively challenged, averaging just 51 points per game, while making just .195 percent of their three-point tries and .523 percent of their free throws. All-CCC forward Danielle Swain (12.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg) is the top scoring option, with both Sammi Clark (9.3 ppg, 5.2 apg) and Jessica Denmon (8.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) off to good starts this season. It is the 32nd meeting between the teams, with the Lady Yotes holding a 27-4 series edge.
CONFERENCE STATISTICS: As a team, the Lady Yotes lead the CCC in offensive rebounds per game (16.4), ranking second in blocked shots per game (4.1), steals per game (11.5), and turnover margin (+4.3), and third in three-point percentage (.325) and three-pointers made per game (5.7). The Yotes are No. 5 in scoring average (66.4), scoring defense (60.7), and scoring margin (+5.7), No. 6 in free throw percentage (.696), field goal percentage (.385), rebound margin (+2.2), and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.7), No. 7 in rebounds per game (39.6) and assists per game (13.2), and No. 9 in defensive field goal percentage (.409). Individually, Katelin Shannon leads the CCC in steals per game (3.3), ranking No. 5 in assist-to-tunover ratio (1.8), No. 8 in assists per game (3.5), and No. 9 in free throw percentage (.774). Felicity Jones leads the league in three-point percentage (.455), is No. 6 in assists per game (4.0), and No. 8 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), with Chakala Carthen No. 3 in steals per game (2.4), No. 8 in field goal percentage (.476), and No. 10 in scoring average (12.9).
Dayna Drager (Hayden, Idaho / Coeur d’Alene HS) is No. 2 in three-point percentage (.400) and No. 8 in three-pointers made per game (1.5), with
Laura Geis (Frenchtown, Mont. / U. of Western Montana) No. 3 in rebounds per game (9.1) and blocked shots per game (2.3).
LEAGUE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Malori Dixon (CU) 19.3, Melissa Sweat (SOU) 19.1, Chelsey Christensen (WPC) 18.4, Lindsey Shearer (NCU) 16.7, Alexi Smith (SOU) 14.4; Rebound Average – Kassi Conditt (OIT) 10.5, Danielle Swain (ESC) 9.5, Laura Geis (C of I) 9.1, Tara Vanweerdhuizen (CRB) 8.6, Shearer 8.6; Assist Average - Nichole Jackson (WP) 8.8, Sammi Clark (ESC) 5.3, Emily Tsugawa (CRB) 4.3, Shearer 4.2, Kelly Huey (CU) 4.2.
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 (238), No. 5 in free throws made (297), No. 7 in free throw attempts (389), and No. 9 in assists (223), while Laura Geis is No. 5 in blocked shots (97). Dayna Drager rounds out the list, ranking No. 7 in three-pointers made (79) and No. 8 in three-point attempts (224).
GAME RECAP – OREGON TECH 61, C OF I 58: Nicole Aboumbad canned a three-pointer with one minute to play, helping Oregon Tech knock off The C of I, 61-58, at Danny Miles Court. The Owls ended a 12-game losing streak to the Yotes with the victory - winning despite turning the ball over 28 times in the game. The Lady Yotes led 38-33 on a Katelin Shannon free throw early in the second half, but Kassi Conditt scored seven of her game-high 25 points in a 10-2 run to give OIT the lead. Leading just 54-53, Aboumbad canned her second triple of the game to push the lead to four. The C of I got within 57-56 on a
Kylie Hardison (Chubbuck, Idaho / Coll. of Southern Idaho) trey with 17 seconds remaining, and 59-58 on a Laura Geis basket with two seconds left, but Tech hit 4-of-4 free throws to seal the win. OIT came out firing, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the opening four minutes, but Shannon scored four buckets in a 13-0 run, as the Yotes built their biggest lead of the night at 21-14 and led 29-25 at halftime. Shannon led the Coyotes with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and five steals, with Chakala Carthen recording 14 points and Hardison tallying 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The C of I struggled from the floor, hitting just 32-percent of their field goal attempts, including a woeful 4-of-26 from outside the arc, and had a season-high 26 turnovers. The Yotes fell to 0-5 this season when failing to score 68 points in a game. Conditt added a game-high 13 rebounds in the win for OIT, with Karissa Dixon scoring 11. The hosts won despite making just 10-of-21 free throws being outrebounded 43-36.
GAME RECAP – C OF I 95, SOUTHERN OREGON 82: Felicity Jones scored 25 points and added nine rebounds as The C of I exploded for a season-high points total, ending a two-game losing streak with a 95-82 win at Southern Oregon, tonight in Bob Riehm Arena. The Lady Yotes made 46-percent of their field goal attempts and forced 24 SOU turnovers in the win, their tenth in a row over their rivals. Things started quickly for The C of I, forcing six Raiders turnovers in the first three minutes. Baskets by Katelin Shannon and Chakala Carthen, a lay-up and trey by Dayna Drager, and three short jumpers from Laura Geis helped the Yotes open the game on a 15-2 run. A Geis jumper with four minutes left in the half pushed the edge to 40-24, with the visitors claiming a 45-36 lead at the break. Southern would attempt to rally after halftime, as a pair of Melissa Sweat jumpers got the Raiders within 49-46 with 18 minutes to play, but minutes later, Jones scored six points in a 16-2 run that ballooned the lead to 71-53, with the hosts never getting the deficit under double-digits the rest of the way. Jones added six assists and five steals in the game for the Yotes. The four other starters also scored in double figures - Shannon scoring 19 points, six rebounds, and five steals, Drager scoring 15, Geis logging 14 points and seven rebounds, and Carthen adding 10. Alexi Smith scored 25 points in the loss for SOU and Sweat added 21 points - but the Raiders were held 12 points under their season average. Southern made just 1-of-12 shots from outside the arc.
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 213-137 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.
