2021-22 Women's Basketball Notebook (Week 13)

COMING UP: at No. 22 Lewis-Clark State, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (PT); at Walla Walla, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PT)

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
TICKET / FAN PROTOCOLS: Fans will be required to wear masks if traveling to weekend games at Lewis-Clark State and Walla Walla, but neither venue has fan limitations. Ticket prices at LCSC range from $6.00 to $11.00, while general admission tickets at WWU are set at $7.00.

LIVE LINKS: Live Video and Live Stats will be available for both road weekend games. Friday at Lewis-Clark State, Live Video will be available through LCSC's SIDEARM Video Player with Live Stats via the LCSC SIDEARM Portal. The game will be carried live in the LC Valley on 950 KOZE-AM with Brian Danner calling the action. Saturday's game at Walla Walla will have Live Video (PPV) and Live Stats through WWU's Presto Sports Portal.
 
NOTE GAME TIME: Saturday's game at Walla Walla is set for a 7 p.m. (PT) tip-off – four hours later than the typical weekend start time due to WWU's observance of the Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath.
 
LONG WEEK OVER: For the final time this season, C of I completed a 3-game week – dropping a Tuesday match-up at Eastern Oregon, before splitting home games with Corban and Bushnell. The Yotes will play Friday-Saturday match-ups for the final three weekends of the season.
 
70 THE MAGIC NUMBER: With their win over Corban on Friday, the Yotes improved to 7-1 on the season when scoring 70-or-more points. C of I is a combined 22-4 over their last 26 games when scoring 70-or-more points in a game.
 
LOCKING DOWN FROM DISTANCE: The Yotes continued their season-long defensive dominance outside the 3-point arc, combining to hold the three opponents last week to 8-of-44 shooting from long range (18-percent). On the season, C of I ranks No. 1 in the NAIA and No. 26 in the NAIA in defensive 3-point percentage (.265) – holding each of the last five opponents and 10-of-11 foes under 30-percent shooting from outside the arc. In addition, the Coyotes have held each of their last five opponents under their season scoring average.
 
FEWEST TURNOVERS IN 22 YEARS: Friday night was a near record-setting performance for the Coyotes, as C of I committed just six turnovers in the 72-55 win over Corban. It was the second-fewest turnovers by the Purple and Gold since women's basketball returned to the court in 1995 – with a four-turnover effort in a February 2000 road win at Cascade holding the mark. It was the first single-digit turnover game by C of I since committing nine miscues vs. Corban in 2019-20.
 
GETTING TO THE STRIPE: For the second-straight weekend, the Coyotes made an effort to drive to the basket – earning 33 free throw attempts in the loss to Bushnell. It was the third time in five games that C of I has attempted 25-or-more free throws and the fifth time this season the squad has attempted 29-or-more free throws in a game.
 
RIGGLE CONTINUES TORRID RUN: It was another monster week for the Yotes top scorer, as forward Sienna Riggle averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game in the three contests. The senior ran her string of double-digit scoring games to 7-in-a-row and has scored 10-or-more points in 18-of-21 games this season. Riggle opened the week with an 18-point, 7-rebound performance at Eastern Oregon, scored 22 points with nine rebounds vs. Bushnell and led C of I with 18 points and seven boards vs. Bushnell – making 22-of-41 field goals along the way. She posted 10 total blocks in the three games, including a career-high five swats against Corban.
 
MITCHELL A REBOUND MACHINE: The Yotes top rebounder on the season continued to control the glass, as Lexi Mitchell combined for 33 rebounds in the three games. Mitchell recorded a pair of 12-rebound games, pushing her season total of double-digit rebound contests to 11, with her 12-point, 12-rebound game vs. Corban her seventh double-double. She also tied a season-high with five assists in the Friday win.
 
SENIOR LEADER: Guard Kaylee Krusemark had a big weekend, recording her eighth and ninth double-digit scoring games of the season. The senior 12 points in the Friday win over Corban, while adding six of her 13 points in the fourth quarter comeback on Saturday vs. Bushnell. Krusemark made a pair of 3-point field goals and is eight 3-point makes away from becoming the ninth Coyote to convert 100 3-pointers in a career.
 
FROM THE POINT: Point-guard Taryn Riley was on the court for the bulk of the minutes last week, averaging 33 minutes of playing time per game. The freshman was efficient, recording 12 total assists and just two turnovers – improving her season assist-to-turnover ratio to 2.0 – No. 5 in the CCC. Riley recorded her second double-digit scoring game of the year, scoring 10 points at Eastern Oregon, posted a career-high seven assists and four steals vs. Corban and a career-best six rebounds vs. Bushnell.
 
ANDERSON KEY OFF THE BENCH: Forward Emma Anderson has benefited from extended playing time in the month of January – posting 5-or-more rebounds in four consecutive games. The sophomore logged her first career double-double in Friday's win over Corban, scoring 10 points and adding a career-high 11 rebounds. After averaging just 0.2 points and 0.7 rebounds over her first seven games, Anderson has bumped the total to 4.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game over the last eight contests.
 
PORTER HAS CAREER NIGHT: It was a big night against Corban for freshman guard Averee Porter, who posted a career-high nine points in the home win. Porter converted 2-for-3 3-pointers on the night, improving her season shooting percentage from outside the arc to 10-for-16.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE WITH THREE WEEKS REMAINING: Four teams have punched their ticket to the 8-team Cascade Conference Championships – as Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon, Lewis-Clark State and Bushnell have secured their spot in the tournament. C of I is one of three teams (along with Northwest and Warner Pacific) bunched up in sixth-place – three full games ahead of ninth-place Multnomah. The Yotes will be able to control their own destiny, as following Friday night, C of I will play five teams sitting below them in the CCC standings.
 
TWO STREAKS IN PLAY THIS WEEKEND: The Yotes will travel to Lewis-Clark State on Friday and Walla Walla on Saturday – with a longstanding streak will be on the line each night. Friday, C of I will look for their first-ever win in the P1FCU Activity Center, having posted a 0-10 record in Lewiston. On night later, the Coyotes will look to improve to 6-0 all time at Windemuth Court and move to 18-0 all-time against the Wolves.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – LEWIS-CLARK STATE: C of I will meet the hottest team in the CCC Friday, as Lewis-Clark State puts a 6-game win streak on the line. The Warriors (18-3, 12-3 CCC) have won 9-straight games on the court, sandwiched around a pair of forfeit losses (due to COVID) during their trip to Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon. LCSC is the top offensive team in the CCC, averaging 74 points per game, while connecting on 44-percent of their field goal attempts and converting eight 3-pointers per game. Callie Stevens (17.5 ppg, 2.9 apg) leads the Warriors in scoring, averaging 22 points a game over her last seven contests and making 42-percent of her 3-point attempts. Forwards Maddie Holm (13.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and Sara Muelhausen (10.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg) are a force on the inside for LC and part of a defense that allows just 58 points a game.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WALLA WALLA: Late Saturday night, the Yotes look for a season sweep of Walla Walla, are looking to snap a 16-game losing streak. The Wolves (1-21, 0-15) have kept it close in their last three league games, with the margin of loss just 12 points or less. WWU averages 52 points a game offensively, making 34-percent of their field goals, with opponents averaging 16 more rebounds per game than the 7-player Wolves team. Three players average in double figures – guards Carolina Montes (15.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Isabella Robles (11.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg), along with forward Jaliyah Casem (11.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: The top-spot in the CCC will be on the line this Saturday, as Eastern Oregon travels to Lewis-Clark State and Southern Oregon heads to Bushnell – with all four teams separated by one game. Along with C of I and EOU heading to LCSC and Walla Walla, SOU and Oregon Tech make the trip to Corban and Bushnell, with Warner Pacific and Multnomah traveling to Evergreen and Northwest.
 
NO FORFEITS: For the second-straight week since the start of the Cascade Conference season (Nov. 23 travel partner games), no COVID related forfeits occurred – as all 12 games were played. In all 14 league games have been lost to the virus during the 2021-22 season.
 
RECORD BOOK: Five Coyotes have cracked the Top-50 career record book – including Kaylee Krusemark, who ranks No. 10 in 3-point attempts (295), No. 11 in 3-pointers made (92), No. 24 in games played (88), No. 25 in free throws made (132), No. 27 in field goal attempts (581), No. 28 in points scored (636) and free throw attempts (194), ranking No. 32 in field goals made (206) and just outside the list in assists (73). Lexi Mitchell ranks No. 19 in rebounds (441), No. 22 in field goals attempts (615), No. 24 in blocked shots (23), No. 25 in free throws made (132), No. 27 in free throw attempts (184), No. 37 in assists (103) and field goals made (192), No. 38 in points scored (531), No. 39 in 3-point attempts (116), No. 41 in 3-pointers made (33) and No. 50 in steals (52); Kenadee French is No. 28 in 3-pointers made (54) and No. 31 in 3-point attempts (168); Allie Cannon is No. 27 in 3-point attempts (174), No. 33 in 3-pointers made (48), No. 40 in free throws made (84) and No. 48 in free throw attempts (114); with Sienna Riggle No. 14 in blocked shots (41), No. 39 in free throw attempts (140), No. 44 in free throws made (80) and No. 47 in rebounds (234). Two Coyotes rank in the single-season Top-50 record book, as Riggle is No. 11 in blocked shots (37), No. 29 in rebounds (192), No. 33 in free throw attempts (116) and No. 46 in free throws made (67), with Mitchell No. 26 in rebounds (199).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: C of I closes out their regular-season home schedule next weekend, hosting Northwest (Feb. 11) and Evergreen (Feb. 12) – with Saturday's game vs. TESC marking Senior Night for the three senior student-athletes on the squad.