Women's Basketball Weekly Release #11

Jan. 15, 2007

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Player of the week

Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay
Senior * Forward * Green Bay, Wis.
Soulis dominated in a pair of wins last week, including UW-Green Bay's victory over UW-Milwaukee on Saturday. Soulis fired 10-of-13 from the field for a game-high 24 points, including 18 in the team's decisive first half, in a 85-70 victory. Against North Dakota State on Tuesday, Soulis led all scorers with 17 points, just missing a double-double with nine rebounds.

Other Top Performances from the Week Ending Jan. 14

Lade Akande, Butler
Senior * Center * Robinson, Ill.
Akande led the Bulldogs in both points and rebounds last weekend, averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. She notched her second double-double of the season against UIC on Thursday, leading the Bulldogs with 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, including nine in the first half alone. Against Loyola on Saturday, she registered her second 20-point game of the season, leading all scorers with 22.

Monique Godfrey, Youngstown State
Sophomore * Guard * East Cleveland, Ohio
Godfrey led the Penguins to their second straight Horizon League victory with 17 points in a 55-39 win over Detroit on Saturday. Godfrey, who scored 11 points in the second half, connected on 5-of-11 from the floor, including two three-pointers. She also picked up three rebounds, two assists and two steals against the Titans.

LaShonda Grant, UIC
Senior * Guard * Chicago, Ill.
Grant averaged 23.5 points per game in UIC's 2-0 week against Butler and Wright State. Grant shot 46.2 percent from beyond the arc (6-for-13) and drained 13-of-14 free throws (.929). The guard totaled seven assists and six steals against the Bulldogs and Raiders. Grant matched a career high with 31 points against Butler on Thursday, shooting 66.7 percent from the field (10-for-15).

Aubrey Hampton, UW-Milwaukee
Senior * Guard * Oak Park, Ill.
Hampton shot 5-of-6 on three-pointers for the second-straight game Saturday at Green Bay in UWM's first-place showdown with UWGB. She finished 19 points and once again tied the fourth-best single-game three-point performance in school history.

Whitney Lewis, Wright State
Junior * Forward * Lynchburg, Ohio
Lewis tied a career high with 21 points against Loyola on Thursday, shooting seven-of-11 from the field, including four-of-seven from three-point range. She then added 14 points versus UIC on five-of-nine shooting, including two-of-five from behind the arc.

Joyce Massey, Detroit
Junior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Massey recorded her fourth double-double of the season against Youngstown State with 14 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday. She also scored 14 in leading the Titans to a 64-61 victory over Cleveland State on Thursday, while pitching in a career-high tying six assists against Vikings.

Jenna Real, Loyola
Senior * Forward * Elgin, Ill.
Real put together another outstanding week, averaging 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting .688 from the floor to help the Ramblers to a 1-1 week on the road in the Horizon League. Real opened up the week strong, posting 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds - her third double-double of the season - plus five assists in LU's 76-69 win at Wright State. Real followed that up with 16 points, six boards and a career-best seven assists as the Ramblers fell short at Butler on Saturday afternoon.

Horizon League Notes

UW-Green Bay (13-3; 4-0 HL)
The Phoenix pushed its winning streak to 10 games last week with victories over North Dakota State (77-51) and UW-Milwaukee (85-70).

Senior guard Natalie Berglin became the 23rd UW-Green Bay player to top the 1,000-point mark for her career with an early triple in Tuesday's victory over NDSU. Classmate Nicole Soulis led the offense in the contest, just missing a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. As a team, UWGB shot 58.0 percent (29-of-50) from the field and drained seven-of-17 from beyond the arc.

Saturday's contest against Milwaukee pitted the last two undefeated teams in League play. The Phoenix started the game by making its first six shots and finished with a 60.0 percent (30-of-50) conversion rate from the floor. Once again, Soulis would led the way with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while Berglin and senior Amanda Popp added 16 and 14 points, respectively.

With the victory, head coach Kevin Borseth notched his 200th victory at Cleveland State and now owns a 200-61 record (.766) in nine seasons in Green Bay, Wis.

Soulis' 41 points last week gave her 1,667 for her career and moves her 19 points away from Autumn Rademacher (Detroit, 1993-97) for sixth place on the loop's all-time charts. For the year, Soulis paces the loop in scoring (18.4) and blocked shots (1.50), while ranking third in field-goal percentage (.569), second in free-throw percentage (.855) and sixth in rebounding (5.7).

As a team, UWGB leads the Horizon League in scoring offense (75.9 ppg.), scoring defense (62.8 ppg.), scoring margin (+13.2), free-throw percentage (.790), field-goal percentage (.477), three-point field goal percentage (.377), assists (16.75 apg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30).

The starting five for the Phoenix can all be found in the top 30 of the League's scoring chart as Berglin (11.3 - 12th), sophomore Rachel Porath (10.0 - 15th), junior Kayla Groh (9.9 - 16th), and senior Amanda Popp (8.2 - 26th) trail Soulis on the list.

UW-Green Bay stays home at the friendly confines again this week as the team welcomes Cleveland State on Thursday and Youngstown State on Saturday.

UW-Milwaukee (7-10; 3-1 HL)
UWM dropped a 85-70 decision to in-state rival UW-Green Bay on Saturday in the team's only game last week.

Both teams entered the contest with no losses in conference action, but the hot-shooting Phoenix proved too much for the Panthers. The trio of senior Aubrey Hampton and sophomores Traci Edwards and Emily Markert combined to score 51 of UWM's points on 19-of-29 shooting. Hampton buried five-of-six from long distance for the second-consecutive contest.

The loss snapped UW-Milwaukee's 12-game League winning streak, dating back to Jan. 26, 2006 when the club lost 69-67 at Wright State.

Hampton has found her touch from three-point territory in the team's last seven contests. She has shot 58.8 percent (20-of-34) from beyond the arc and registered double digits in six of the seven games.

On the statistical charts, Edwards tops the circuit in rebounding (9.3), while placing second in scoring (18.2), field-goal percentage (.593) and blocked shots (1.31).Edwards' work on the boards has helped Milwaukee to the loop's only positive rebounding margin (+2.1).

The Panthers host two of the Ohio schools this week as Youngstown State visits the Klotsche Center on Thursday and Cleveland State makes the trip on Saturday.

Butler (6-10; 3-2 HL)
The Bulldogs split against the League's two Chicagoland foes with a 70-64 loss to UIC on Thursday and a 79-73 victory over Loyola on Saturday.

On Thursday, Butler had four players in double figures and sophomore Lade Akande led the team with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Flames held a considerable edge in field-goal percentage (50.0 percent to 37.3 percent), while just edging BU in rebounds (39 -37).

Loyola also shot at a 50.0 percent clip from the field in Saturday's contest, but the Bulldogs were able to overcome the Ramblers' hot hand with 11 three pointers and a season-high 11 thefts. Akande had another big game with 22 points on nine-of-17 shooting from the field.

Senior Jackie Closser is fifth all-time in Butler history in minutes played (3,193). She will become the school's all-time record holder if she averages 32 minutes for the remainder of the team's game (she has averaged 36.9 minutes through the team's first 16 games). In Closser's time on the floor she has found her three-point touch, hitting a trey in every game this season and at least one in her last 44 games.

This week the Bulldogs take to the road against Detroit on Thursday and then will swing through Fort Wayne, Ind., for a contest against IPFW on Saturday.

UIC (9-9; 3-3 HL)
UIC evened its overall (9-9) and League record (3-3) last week with road wins over Butler (70-64) and Wright State (68-46).

Senior LaShonda Grant posted a career-high-tying 31 points against BU on Thursday, shooting 10-of-15 from the floor and four-of-seven from three-point land. As a team, the Flames shot 50.0 percent (28-of-56) in the contest.

In Saturday's victory at WSU, all 13 players that entered the contest found their way into the scoring column. Grant was the only player to post double digits with 16 points on the afternoon. The five-foot-six guard stands in fifth place on the League's scoring list at 14.6 points per contest.

The Flames have been solid defensively this season, posting the conference's top marks in turnover margin (+4.56) and steals (10.72). Grant (2.06) and fellow senior Krystal Hugelier (1.83) place second and fourth, respectively, on the individual steals-per-game chart. In six League games, the team has increased its turnover margin to +7.50 and has forced an average of 23.2 turnovers in those contests.

It's not a long road trip this week for UIC as the team travels across town to take on Chicago-rival Loyola on Saturday.

Wright State (4-12; 2-3 HL)
The Raiders dropped a pair of contests to the Chicagoland schools last week, falling 76-69 to Loyola and 68-46 against UIC.

Junior Whitney Lewis led WSU in scoring against Loyola with 21 points off the bench. The team posted its second-highest point total of the season in the outing, but the Ramblers scorched the nets for a 57.4 percent (31-of-54) field-goal percentage, including 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from long range.

In Saturday's loss, senior Brittney Whiteside led the offense with 18 points, extending her double-figure scoring streak to seven games. Lewis again found double figures at 14 points. She drained two more three-pointers to give her six on the week after netting only seven in her previous seven contests.

WSU has done its work on the defensive side of the ball this season, ranking third in the League in both scoring defense (65.9) and steals (8.75 per game). Individually, junior Danielle Duncan is third in the conference in steals (1.88), while Whiteside is 12th (1.50) and senior Steph Comisar (1.46) is sixth.

Wright State heads to Detroit for a Saturday contest in the team's lone game of the week.

Cleveland State (5-13; 2-3 HL)
Despite two players notching double-doubles for the first time since Dec. 30, 2001, the Vikings were unable to overcome Detroit in a 64-61 decision on Thursday evening. It wasn't the first close loss for the team at home as four of Cleveland State's six home losses have come by a total of eight points.

Senior Nicole Thomas (12 points, 12 rebounds) and sophomore Chenara Wilson (12, 10) pulled off the rare feat in the loss. For Thomas it was her fifth double-double of the year and she now is tied for second in the loop in rebounding (7.7 per game). Freshman Kailey Klein also poured in 16 points in the contest and has totaled 16 or more points in three of the team's five League games.

The Vikings posted a 43-32 rebounding advantage in the game and the club tops the League in rebounds per contest (39.4).

With three treys against UDM, the Vikings extended their NCAA record for consecutive games with a three-point field goal to 404. The last time that Cleveland State failed to drain at least one three-pointer in a game was a 78-55 loss at Cincinnati on Dec. 17, 1992.

It's on to Wisconsin for CSU this week with the team taking on UW-Green Bay on Thursday and UW-Milwaukee on Saturday.

Youngstown State (4-11; 2-3 HL)
YSU picked up its second-straight League win on Saturday with a 55-39 decision over Detroit. The back-to-back loop wins are the team's first since the last two games of the 2004-05 season.

Although Youngstown State could only muster 15 points of its own in the first stanza, the Penguins came to play defensively in the victory and held Detroit to just eight points in the first half, the fewest in school history. Sophomore Monique Godfrey led the offense with 17 points, while junior Heather Karner just missed her first double-double with 10 points and nine boards.

The solid defense is becoming a staple of YSU in conference play this season. The team places first in scoring defense (61.0) and field-goal percentage defense (.375) in five League contests so far this season.

The Penguins make the Wisconsin trip this week to take on UW-Milwaukee on Thursday and UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

Loyola (3-13; 2-4 HL)
The Ramblers went 1-1 last week as the team picked up a 76-69 win at Wright State on Thursday before dropping a 79-73 decision to Butler on Saturday.

Senior Jenna Real continued her hot play with 12 points and a career-best 15 rebounds in the victory over WSU. Classmate Marquise Hanser dished out six assists in the first half and then took things into her own hands in the second stanza, pouring in all 17 of her points after intermission. The team shot a season-high 57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field to go along with a 62.5 percent (10-of-16) conversion rate from three-point territory.

Against Butler, Hanser and Real were back at it again, scoring a combined 33 points. Real also handed out seven assists in the contest to give her 12 on the week. Once again the team had a hot-shooting touch (50.0 percent), but the Bulldogs were able to hold off the Ramblers charge.

Freshman Maggie McCloskey also had a big hand in the week, scoring 22 points against WSU and adding 11 more against BU. On the week, she had nine triples on nine-of-14 shooting (64.3 percent) from three-point land.

The team put a premium on sharing the ball during the week with 21 assists against the Raiders and a season-best 23 helpers against Butler. LU now ranks second in the League in assists (16.06).On the season, Loyola owns the loop's second-best marks in free-throw average at .760 and field-goal percentage (.441).

Real holds the top spot in the conference in field-goal percentage (.647) and places seventh in scoring (13.8), while Hanser sits in fourth on the scoring chart (15.6).

Loyola travels to Chicago State for a non-conference game on Tuesday before hosting crosstown rival UIC on Saturday afternoon.

Detroit (4-13; 1-3 HL)
Detroit picked up its first road win of the season on Thursday with a 64-61 victory at Cleveland State, but then fell 55-39 at Youngstown State on Saturday.

Junior Joyce Massey posted team honors in points (14), assists (six) and rebounds (six) in the victory over CSU. She also pitched in three of the team's season-best 15 steals. The Titans shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) in the contest which is the second-highest field-goal percentage of the season for the team.

UDM struggled on the offensive end in Saturday's game, netting only eight first half points and finishing under the 40-point mark for the third time this season. Massey poured in 14 more points en route to a double-double with her 12 rebounds. Junior India Bruster also had a solid outing as she grabbed 10 boards to go along with a career-high six blocks and three steals. Bruster's six blocks were part of the team's season-best 11 in the contest.

Massey has now led the team in scoring in 12-of-17 games this season. She ranks third in the conference in scoring (15.9) and is tied for second in rebounding (7.7).

This week UDM stays at home, welcoming Butler (Thursday) and Wright State (Saturday) to Calihan Hall.

Valparaiso (9-7; Joins HL in 2007-08)
The Crusaders kept their winning ways going with victories at Centenary (69-43) on Wednesday and IUPUI (78-72) in overtime on Saturday.

Sophomore Launa Hochstetler led the way with 16 points, while seniors Betsy Rietema and Carrie Myers added 12 and 11 points, respectively, versus Centenary. Fellow senior Tamra Braun also became Valpo's all-time blocks leader with her 167th career block at the 14:05 mark of the second half. She broke Michelle Mader's record that was set from 1988-92.

The team then improved its Mid-Continent Conference record to 3-0 with a victory over IUPUI. Rietema led the charge with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Braun and Myers chipped in a combined 34 points.

Braun ranks first in the Mid-Cone in field-goal percentage (.613), second in blocks (1.56) and third in rebounding (8.1). Rietema places third in scoring (14.0) and seventh in rebounding (6.7). As a team, Valpo leads all Mid-Con teams in three-point field-goal percentage (.396) and three-pointers made (6.75 per contest).

VU stays at home to take on Oakland on Monday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center, then takes to the road to face Western Illinois on Saturday.