2019-20 Women's Basketball Notebook - Week 13

LIVE COVERAGE: Wednesday's game at Eastern Oregon will have both Live Stats and Live Video available for fans unable to make the trip to La Grande. Live Stats will be available through EOU's SIDEARM Stats Portal and Live Video will be on the EOU Stretch Internet Portal.

COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES
 
KEEPING IT CLOSE: C of I has played in 15 games decided by 10 points or less through 24 contests, including eight in a row. The Yotes hold a record of 9-6 in such games. In games decided by five points or fewer, the team has gone 5-4. Every countable game has been decided by 12 points or less since an 81-47 win over Multnomah back on Dec. 7.
 
JACKSON GOES OFF: Junior Sophia Jackson had the best game of career in the purple and white against Warner Pacific on Saturday, finishing with a career-high 22 points thanks to an impressive 6-of-8 performance from beyond the arc. Jackson is averaging 11.7 points per game over the last four contests to raise her season average to 5.3 points per game. She is shooting 27-of-72 (38 percent) on 3-pointers this season. The native of Bend, Ore. has started 12 consecutive games.
 
REBOUNDING THE KEY STAT: When C of I has outrebounded opponents over the last 10 games they have gone 6-0. In the four contests where the opponent has won the rebounding battle, the Yotes are 0-4.
 
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: The Yotes have led at the half in nine games this season. C of I holds a record of 6-3 in those games.
 
YOTE PACK SHOWING SUPPORT: Of the 11 women's basketball programs in the Cascade Conference, head coach Janis Beal's team has been the biggest draw so far this year, bringing in an average of 778 fans per game. Oregon Tech is in second with an average of 639 and Southern Oregon has averaged 497 fans. C of I is looking to win the CCC attendance crown for the second consecutive season and is ahead of 163 Division I schools, including USC, Washington State, Utah State, Georgetown and Weber State. The attendance inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center this winter has been higher than 283 of 312 Division II schools.
 
CONFERENCE STANDINGS TIGHT: The Yotes have put themselves in a good position to make the CCC Championships this season with four games left to play. Eight teams make the CCC Championships, with the top four seeds hosting a quarterfinal on Feb. 25. The Yotes went 2-3 the first time around against the five remaining opponents on the regular season schedule.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW - EASTERN OREGON: EOU has won seven consecutive games since dropping back-to-back home contests to Northwest Christian and Corban on Jan. 3-4, including a 63-61 win over the Yotes in Caldwell on Jan. 15 on a game-winner by Rachel Fielder. The Mountaineers are statistically the best defensive team in the conference, allowing opponents to score just 59.4 points per game and winning the rebounding battle by an average of 11.6 boards per contest. Leading scorer Beverly Slater (13.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) has not played since Jan. 4, with Fielder (11.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Jane Nelson (10.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and a host of others stepping up in her absence.

AGAINST EOU: The Mountaineers have won 12 straight games over C of I dating back to a 67-64 win in Caldwell on Feb. 7, 2014. EOU has won 11 straight matchups in La Grande since a 47-43 win by the Yotes on Jan. 8, 2010.

LEADING THE CONFERENCE: The Yotes have taken advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line to this point in the season, hitting on 74 percent of attempts (301-408), which ranks No. 23 in NAIA Division II. Oregon Tech (73 percent), Warner Pacific (73 percent) and Evergreen (70 percent) are the only other CCC teams that have knocked down their charity attempts at a 70 percent or higher clip. Nine different players are shooting 70 percent or better at the line for the Yotes, led by Hannah Maupin at 88 percent.

YOTES ENJOYING HOME COOKING: C of I is now 6-3 in the CCC at home and 7-6 in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center for the season. The Yotes have finished with a .500 or better record at home in 22 of the past 24 seasons, including a 6-5 mark last year.

BLOCK PARTY: Forward Kiersten Rasmussen has 17 blocks on the season and has moved into ninth on the C of I all-time career record book with 54 for her career.

CLIMBING THE CAREER LEADERBOARD: With 88 assists so far this season, Mackenzie Royce-Radford has moved into 12th on the C of I career assists leaderboard with 224. Royce-Radford is also currently tied for fourth in assists per game average (minimum of 25 games) with 4.1 assists per contest and 11th in minutes per game average (30.1). Her 69 percent free throw percentage is good for 23rd on the career list (minimum of 75 made) and her 39 percent mark on 3-pointers moves her into second (minimum of 50 made). Sophia Jackson is 20th on the all-time list for 3-pointers made with 65 for her career and Royce-Radford is 16th with 71 triples.

NEXT UP: C of I remains home for the final two regular season home games of the season against Evergreen and Northwest on Feb. 14-15, with the matchup against the Eagles on Saturday serving as senior night. 

CONFERENCE LEADERBOARD WATCH: Senior Mackenzie Royce-Radford is among the leaders in the conference in two different categories, including fourth in assists (3.7 apg) and third in 3-point percentage (42 percent).

SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM: Two weeks ago the CCC announced their All-Academic Team picks, with Mackenzie Collins, Emily Harwood, Sophia Jackson, Kaylee Krusemark, Hannah Maupin, Kiersten Rasmussen, Mackenzie Royce-Radford and Makenna Schritter all being selected for holding a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average at the College and being at least a sophomore in standing.

SIZZLING FROM OUTSIDE: C of I drained 10 or more 3-pointers in both games last week, including a 13-of-24 (54 percent) on Saturday at Warner Pacific. The Yotes rank fourth in the conference, shooting 32 percent from outside for the season.

MAUPIN MOJO CONTINUES: Senior Hannah Maupin has posted double-digit scoring outputs in three consecutive games, averaging 12.3 points per game over that stretch.