Women's Basketball Hosts Oregon, Oregon State
Jan. 16, 2001 Complete Release in PDF Format
Seattle -
Game 15
Game 16
Bank of America Arena (10,000)
Game Promotions
Jan. 20 -" Camp Reunion Day"
The Coaches
Oregon
Oregon State
Series Notes
Huskies on Radio
June Daugherty Radio Show
Next Games
This Week: The Washington women's basketball team (10-4, 3-1), returns home for a pair of games against Northwest rivals Oregon and Oregon State. First up is No. 18 Oregon (10-3, 3-0) at 7 p.m., Thurs., Jan. 18 followed by Oregon State at 2 p.m., Sat., Jan. 20. The OSU game will be televised by Fox Sports Northwest on a delayed basis, set to air at 2 p.m. Jan. 21. Both games can be heard live on radio at KKOL 1300 a.m.
UW-UO Series Note: As with last weekend in Arizona, the Husky senior class has a little extra motivation this week. During their tenure as Huskies, the six-player class has collected wins over every Pac-10 opponent except Oregon. The Ducks carry a current nine-game win streak entering the Thursday night contest. The last time Washington defeated Oregon was an 82-66 game Jan. 13, 1996 in Seattle.
Keeler to Redshirt: Freshman forward Sarah Keeler (Pendleton, Ore.) will redshirt this season and begin her first year of play in 2001-02. Keeler, a USA Today honorable mention selection as a junior in high school, suffered a torn ACL during her senior year at Pendleton High. Keeler had surgery Nov. 10 to repair a minor meniscus tear in her left knee. She slightly re-injured the knee during practice recently. Keeler is continuing rehabilitation and is practicing with the team.
UW Against Ranked Teams: Washington's game against No. 18 Oregon will mark its third against a ranked opponent this season. The Huskies are 0-2 against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The first loss came at the hands of No. 1 Connecticut back on Nov. 24. The second was last weekend, an 88-72 setback to No. 22 Arizona. Huskies in Overtime: The triple overtime game against USC Jan. 7 was Washington's second extra period contest this season. The Huskies opened the year with a 77-74 loss at the buzzer in one overtime period at Indiana. The triple overtime game against USC was the first in UW school history. Washington's all-time record in overtime is 8-9 since 1976. Looking Back: After 14 games last season, Washington had a record of 4-10 ... this year, the Huskies are 10-4, and have won nine of their last 11 games ... they were 1-3 after the first four Pac-10 games last year ... this year they are 3-1 and third in the Pac-10 standings after the opening two weeks. Dawgbite: Washington's 10-4 start on the year is its best since the 1997-98 season when the Huskies jumped out to a 10-0 mark and a No. 7 national ranking to open the year. That team finished 18-10 and advanced to first round of the NCAA Tournament. The victory over UCLA Jan. 4 gave UW a mark of 8-3, to equal Washington's win total from last season. Senior Strength: Husky coach June Daugherty continually points to the six-player senior class as a major reason for UW's hot start this year, crediting the group with strong leadership in practice and during games. Senior captains Megan Franza and Jill Pimley headline the group. Franza has been a constant in the starting lineup since her freshman year and is a leader on the court. Pimley is in her second season as a team captain and is a vocal leader whether she is playing or on the bench. LeAnn Sheets, who has struggled with injuries throughout her career, is healthy and gives the Huskies a veteran presence in the post. Melissa Erickson also offers experience off the bench, giving the Huskies added height inside. Sarah Duncan was named Most Inspirational last season and continues to fill that role this year. Carli Halpenny rounds out the group. A redshirt junior, she has opted to graduate this year in order to spend the spring quarter studying in Italy. The move puts her back in the class she entered with in 1997 and strengths the leadership the six-player group provides. Washington had no seniors on its roster last season when it posted an 8-22 record.
Healthy Huskies: While crediting the senior class with leading the Huskies, coach Daugherty also points to a healthy lineup as cause for celebration. Washington's frontline was beset by injuries last season, causing Daugherty to constantly shuffle her lineup. No less than five different players were on the bench with injuries at one point or another last year. LeAnn Sheets missed the first eight games of the season after foot surgery. Cheryl Sorenson ended up redshirting after a torn ACL in preseason. Melissa Erickson was hampered by a sore shoulder during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Carli Halpenny was limited by a stress reaction in her hip and was initially declared out for the season and Kellie O'Neill had a premature end to her freshman year after suffering a severe ankle sprain midway through the season. Road Warriors: Last week when the Huskies visited ASU and Arizona, it marked their first road games since Dec. 3. They split the series, winning at ASU and losing at UA, to give them a makr of 4-2 away from home. The three non-conference road wins came at Michigan, Boise State and Oklahoma State. The only loss was a 77-74 setback in overtime at the buzzer to an Indiana squad that now boasts a record of 13-4. Dawgbite: When Washington defeated UCLA Jan. 4, it gave fifth-year Husky coach June Daugherty career victory number 190. She enters the UO/OSU series with a 12-year mark of 192-134 ... she has a mark of 69-60 in her fifth year at Washington ... her win total is third among seven Husky coaches over the years. Pizza Time!: Washington's defensive efforts have been stellar so far this season and it's not just the Huskies who are reaping the benefits. When Washington wins at home and holds its opponent under 55 points, every fan in Bank of America Arena can redeem their ticket stub for a free small pizza at Papa John's Pizza. It's become a rally cry for the home crowd and so far, the fans have cashed in twice, against UCLA (54) Thursday night and against Loyola Marymount (52) on Dec. 21. They just missed against James Madison when the Dukes tallied 56 points. Overall, the Huskies are holding opponents to 66.6 points per game this season.
Mendiola Magic: Freshman guard Giuliana Mendiola is off to a great start in her first season as a Husky. The Seattle Times Classic MVP, she leads the team in rebounding with an average of 7.3 boards per game, a mark that is fourth-best in the Pac-10. She is UW's second-leading scorer with 12.1 per game and has a Pac-10 leading four double-doubles to her credit, against Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Colorado State and USC. Mendiola, who plays the one, two and three guard spots, has started 12-of-14 games and is averaging 30 minutes per contest. The younger sister of teammate Gioconda, Mendiola takes care of the ball well, with only one turnover in her first college game, at Indiana, none at Boise State and none against Loyola Marymount. She dished out eight assists versus UCLA. In the triple overtime win over USC, Mendiola had 12 points, 10 rebound, six assists and only two turnovers in 41 minutes of action. rank category statistics More Magic: Freshman guard Gioconda Mendiola established a new career high with a team-leading 10 points against UCLA Jan. 4. Mendiola had only scored in two of the nine games in which she had played this season. Her previous high was five points against James Madison. Payne Returns to Action: Sophomore guard Loree Payne returned to the starting lineup against UCLA and USC. UW's leading scorer as a freshman last season (17.4 ppg), Payne missed the first six games after being sidelined by a stress fracture in her left foot. The sophomore guard, who was on the gold-medal winning USA Basketball Jones Cup team this summer, tallied a game-high 21 points in the win over USC. It was the 10th time in her career she has topped the 20-point plateau. Payne played for the first time this season against Loyola Marymount, Dec. 21 and played 10 minutes going 3-of-5 from the field, including a three pointer and a free throw, for eight points. Against James Madison, Payne played seven minutes and scored three points with one assist and one steal. Her playing time increased to 21 minutes against CSU when she scored nine points. She had five points in 17 minutes against UCLA. Facts and Figures: Washington is 9-0 when it leads at halftime and 8-3 when it outrebounds opponents ... 10 different Huskies have scored in double figures so far this year.
The Series with Oregon
Last Meeting: (Feb. 20, 2000 in Seattle) Oregon 70, at UW 69 - Angelina Wolvert's short banker with 11.3 seconds remaining capped a 9-0 Oregon scoring run in the final three minutes, lifting the Oregon Ducks to a 70-69 victory over Washington.
The Series with Oregon State
Last Meeting: (Feb. 17, 2000 in Seattle) OSU 57, at UW 50 - Sissel Pierce scored 16 points to lead the Oregon State to a 57-50 victory over Washington.
Statistical Comparison UW UO OSU Overall record 10-4 10-3 9-4 Injury Update: Loree Payne missed the first six game with a stress fracture in her left foot but has returned. She saw her first game action Dec. 21 against LMU, playing 10 minutes. Cheryl Sorenson has been nursing tendinitis in her knee and is playing sparingly. LeAnn Sheets suffered a left ankle sprain at Boise State and missed the Nebraska and Oklahoma State games. She returned to action against St. Mary's and is back the starting lineup. Sarah Keeler, who had a minor meniscus tear in December, will redshirt this season. Huskies Honor UW Football Player: The women's basketball team is wearing a patch with the initials "CW" on its jerseys this season, to support senior football player Curtis Williams, who suffered a spinal cord injury during the Oct. 28 football game at Stanford. Williams, who attended the Rose Bowl, is currently in a rehabilitation center in San Jose, Calif.
Megan on the Move: Senior guard Megan Franza continues to move up the Washington's career Top 10 scoring chart, now standing at No. 9 with 1,284 points. Her 18 points against USC Jan. 7 bumped her ahead of Laurie Merlino, who had 1,262 points from 1988-91. Franza moved onto the list against James Madison, Dec. 22, moving past Amy Mickelson, who had 1,224 points from 1987-90. Franza, the Huskies' leading scorer this year at 13.4 per game, is 46 points away from tying former teammate Amber Hall, who scored 1,330 points from 1995-99.
More Megan: Franza entered the year at No. 2 on UW's career three point field goals made list, with 139. She has added 19 more in 14 games this season for a total of 160, including a high of five at Indiana. Franza is chasing former standout Jamie Redd (1995-99), who tops the list with 192 treys. She is also No. 2 on the three point attempts list with 582, again chasing Redd who attempted 675 long range bombs during her career. Franza equaled her career-high for attempts, with 13 against Nebraska Dec. 6. So Far, So Good: Washington wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule with a mark of 7-3, its best non-league record since 1997-98 when it was 9-0. Included in that record is a 3-1 mark on the road. The only three non-conference losses of the season came in overtime at the buzzer at Indiana, at the hands of No. 1 Connecticut and a two-point loss to a 10-1 Colorado State team. The third straight road win, at Oklahoma State Dec. 3, equalled UW's mark from all of last season. The wins have been impressive, beginning with a 73-60 thumping of a Michigan team that had knocked off Louisiana Tech two nights earlier. The Huskies rebounded from the UConn loss by cruising past Boise State, 87-67, and followed with the win at OSU and its first home victory in the new arena, against Nebraska. The Huskies currently have a home mark of 6-2. Helping the cause this year has been increased scoring from the bench and a versatile rotation that is nearly three deep at every position.
Last Week
at No. 22 Arizona 88, UW 72: Lakeisha Taylor scored 23 points and Reshea Bristol had a school-record 16 assists, leading No. 22 Arizona over Washington 87-72 Saturday.
UW 66, at ASU 62: Giuliana Mendiola scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds, including 10 points in the second half, to lead the Huskies to a 66-62 victory over Arizona State Thursday night in Tempe. For the Huskies, the victory snapped a three-game losing streak in Tempe and was the first win in the state of Arizona since 1997.
Huskies Among National Leaders in RPI Rankings
Washington's impressive stand in the RPI rankings continues. In the Jan. 15 Collegiate Basketball News Women's RPI Ratings, UW stands at No. 14 in the nation and its schedule is listed as the 16th-toughest. Last week, they were No. 16 and listed as having the 14th-toughest schedule. On the Rebound: Washington's rebounding efforts have improved tremendously from last season. After a cumulative -4.3 rebounding margin in 2000, the Huskies lead the Pac-10 with a margin of +6.8. The Huskies have outrebounded all but three of their opponents this season (UConn, St. Mary's, ASU). The team is averaging 45.4 rpg, first in the Pac-10, after 14 games. Freshman Giuliana Mendiola is currently the leading rebounder at 7.3 boards per game. LeAnn Sheets, who missed two games with an ankle injury, is at 6.1 rpg, after returning to the lineup against St. Mary's and Kellie O'Neill is at 5.8 rpg. Look at Lalum: Freshman Andrea Lalum (Bozeman, Mont.) blocked four shots in the game against St. Mary's Dec. 17. That mark is the highest by a Husky player since Amber Hall swatted four away at Texas on Dec. 2, 1996. Hall, then a junior, went on to finish her career as Washington's career-leading rebounder (1,003 rebounds, 1996-99).
Catching up with Kellie: Sophomore Kellie O'Neill had a stellar performance in her first home game this season, against No. 1 Connecticut. A 6-1 guard-forward who started only nine games and averaged 6.4 points before suffering an ankle injury last season, poured in a game-high 27 points against Connecticut in Washington's home-opener Nov. 24. What They're Saying about O'Neill "I like the way she plays," Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma said of Kellie O'Neill after she scored 27 points against them on Nov. 24. "You have to guard her at the 3-point line. She's really smart with the ball in the lane. Their guards (Megan Franza and injured Loree Payne) get a lot of mention and notoriety, and they should. But I think that kid (O'Neill) is really, really good." Player Notes 24 - Kellie O'Neill ... Had a career-high 27 points vs. No. 1 Connecticut ... 19 pts. in the first half ... 20 pts., 9 rebounds at Oklahoma State ... hit her first nine shots of the game at OSU ... 16 pts./12 rbs for fourth career double-double vs. USC. 42 - LeAnn Sheets ... Missed Nebraska and Oklahoma State games with sprained ankle ... returned to starting lineup vs. St. Mary's ... Times Classic all-tourney team ... team-high 14 pts. vs. CSU ... 9 pts./10 rbs. vs. USC. 14 - Megan Franza ... Veteran senior captain is again leading scorer with 13.8 ppg ... 23 pts. in season-opener at Indiana ... 21 pts. vs. Nebraska ... tied her career-high with 13 3 pt. attempts ... No. 9 on UW career scroring list w/1,284 pts. ... Times Classic all-tourney team ... scored 6 pts. in third OT period to lead UW to win. 13 - Giuliana Mendiola ... Impressive in first 14 games ... 19 points at Boise St., with 4 assists, 2 steals and no turnovers in 30 min. ... has started 12 games ... 1 turnover in first collegiate game at Indiana and also hit 3-pointer to send game to OT ... leads Pac-10 with four double-doubles, most recently vs. USC (12 pts./10 rbs) ... plays point guard and either wing position ... leading rebounder with 7.3 rpg ... MVP of Seattle Times Classic ... 8 assists vs. UCLA ... only 2 turnovers in 41 minutes vs. USC ... ranks in top 10 in six Pac-10 stat categories. 22 - Loree Payne ... saw her first action of the season against LMU (8 pts.) and JMU (3 pts.) ... 9 points in 21 minutes vs. CSU ... returned to starting lineup vs. UCLA and USC ... game-high 21 pts. vs. USC ... 10th time to score 20+ points in her career. Off the Bench 4 - Melissa Erickson ... Senior leadership and inside presence. 12 - Sarah Duncan ... Top defender off the bench ... has played in 9-of-10 games ... 3 rebounds, 3 assists at Oklahoma State. 23 - Emily Autrey ... Came off the bench at Boise St. for a career-high 20 points on 8-11 fg ... 6 pts., 6 rbs. vs. LMU. 31- Gioconda Mendiola ... Averaging 8 minutes a game in first season ... speedy guard ... against LMU, followed a three pointer by her sister Giuliana with one of her own, for her first points of the season ... team and career-high 10 pts. vs. UCLA ... birthday was USC game day (Jan. 7). 32 - Jill Pimley ... Has started 9 games ... tri-captain ... defensive stalwart ... "stat sheet stuffer" who does all the little things ... career-high 14 points vs. St. Mary's ... banked a 3-pointer for game highlight ... tied for second in Pac-10 in FT percentage (20-23/.870) ... 3-4 from three point line vs. UCLA ... 7 rebounds vs. USC. 33 - Carli Halpenny ... Healthy for first time in three seasons ... has made tremendous improvement in strength and aggressiveness ... initially entered season as a redshirt junior but will complete her eligibility this season and study the spring quarter in Rome, Italy. 40 - Andrea Lalum ... Made her first start at Oklahoma State ... four blocked shots against St. Mary's is best for a Husky since Amber Hall in 1996 ... can pound inside or step and hit for three ... 9 pts./9 rbs. vs. UCLA. ... only FG of the USC game came in 3rd OT and extended UW lead to 11 points ... first double-double with 13 pts./10 rbs. at Arizona. 41 - Heather Reichmann ... Has seen limited action in first 7 games ... 3 rebounds at Oklahoma State ... 2 steals and 1 assist vs. St. Mary's. 44 - Cheryl Sorenson ... Sat out Boise St. with tendinitis in knee and has played sparingly since then ... versatile guard/forward ... returns from redshirt season and ACL surgery ... impressive in first game back, at Indiana, with 5-7 fg for 12 pts., 4 rebounds. |













