Women's Basketball Weekly Release #13

Jan. 29, 2007

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Player of the Week

Susan Lester, Butler
Freshman * Forward/Center * Anderson, Ind.
Lester was a force to be reckoned with last week, averaging a double-double in contests against UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee. The Anderson, Ind., native earned a start against the Phoenix and notched her third double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds, going four-of-nine from the field and two-of-three from three-point range. She again started against the Panthers and notched another double-double (her third in a row) with 20 points and 10 rebounds on eight-of-14 shooting while helping the Bulldogs to their fifth League win. She also added career-highs with five assists and three steals.

Other Top Performances from the Week Ending Jan. 28

Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee
Sophomore * Center * Menasha, Wis.
Edwards averaged 26 points and nine rebounds in two games last week, leading the Panthers to a 1-1 mark. She also shot 73.3 percent (22-for-30) from the field for the week. In UWM's win at Wright State, she scored 30 points for the second-straight game on 13-of-18 shooting and added 12 rebounds for a double-double. Edwards then scored 22 points and grabbed six boards to join Milwaukee's 500-rebound club at Butler.

Kandace Evans, Detroit
Junior * Guard * Southfield, Mich.
Evans had a career-high 28 points against UIC on Thursday and followed it up with a solid 15-point effort against Loyola on Saturday. She shot eight-for-12 against the Flames, including six-of-eight from behind three point line. Her six three-pointers made were a season-high for the Titans.

LaShonda Grant, UIC
Senior * Guard * Chicago, Ill.
Grant guided the Flames to their fourth straight Horizon League victory with 25 points against Detroit on Thursday. She shot 53.3 percent from the field (eight-for-15) and drained three-of-six treys in the 77-73 win. Grant also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and added three assists against the Titans.

Tyanda Hammock, Wright State
Senior * Forward * Mansfield, Ohio
Hammock went six-of-12 from the field, including three-of-five from three-point range, in scoring 17 points against UW-Milwaukee to go along with four rebounds and three assists. She then hit four-of-10 shots, including three of seven from three-point range, in scoring 11 points versus UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

Maggie McCloskey, Loyola
Freshman * Guard * Riverside, Ill.
McCloskey continued her solid play this week, drilling five three-pointers and pouring in a team-high 21 points to lead the Ramblers to a 78-68 win over Detroit in their only game this week. McCloskey also impressed with her ability to control the game from the point guard position, dishing out seven assists against just one turnover.

Amanda Popp, UW-Green Bay
Senior * Guard * Brillion, Wis.
Popp aided the Phoenix in extending its winning streak to 14 games by averaging twice her season average in two road wins. Against Butler, Popp had a team-high 18 points on seven-of-10 shooting and four-of-six from three-point range. Against Wright State on Saturday, Popp tallied 13 points, four assists and five rebounds.

Jessica Schloemp, Youngstown State
Sophomore * Forward * Findlay, Ohio
Schloemp scored a season-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers in YSU's second straight home Horizon League victory with a 65-55 win over Cleveland State on Saturday. Schloemp also collected three steals against the Vikings.

Horizon League Notes

UW-Green Bay (17-3; 8-0 HL)
The Phoenix posted a perfect 8-0 mark after the first round of League competition, while pushing its winning streak to 14 games with wins at Butler (81-64) and Wright State (67-53) last week.

UW-Green Bay overcame an early 13-point deficit against the Bulldogs on Thursday by shooting 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from three-point territory and committing just eight turnovers. Senior Amanda Popp and junior Kayla Groh led the way with 18 points apiece, both hitting four-of-six from long range. It was a record night for senior Natalie Berglin as she drained four three-pointers to give her a school record 162 for her career. Senior Nicole Soulis added 16 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Rachel Porath notched nine assists, six rebounds and zero turnovers in the victory.

Porath came up big again in the team's second game of the week as she poured in a team-high 14 points. Popp and Soulis also recorded double-digit point totals in the contest with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Berglin did the distributing, handing out nine assists compared to just two turnovers. On the season, the senior guard holds an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.91.

In Horizon League play, the team is shooting a blistering 50.8 percent from the floor, including 43.3 percent from three-point land. At the charity stripe, the Phoenix has shot 86.9 percent over eight League contests.

Soulis' 27 points last week gave her 1,728 for her career and moves into fifth place on the loop's all-time charts. For the year, Soulis places second in the loop in scoring (17.8), blocked shots (1.45) and free-throw percentage (.847), while ranking third in field-goal percentage (.564) and fifth in rebounding (5.7).

As a team, UWGB leads the Horizon League in scoring offense (76.4 ppg.), scoring defense (60.5 ppg.), scoring margin (+16.0), free-throw percentage (.798), field-goal percentage (.484), three-point field goal percentage (.396), assists (17.35 apg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.36).

According to the latest statistics release by the NCAA (Jan. 29), the Phoenix pace all Division I teams in free-throw shooting, while placing fourth in turnovers per game and fifth in field-goal percentage.

UW-Green Bay's schedule slows down this week with a single home contest against Detroit on Saturday.

UW-Milwaukee (10-11; 6-2 HL)
UWM split a pair of road contests last week as the team defeated Wright State, 75-65, and then lost to Butler, 81-74, on Saturday.

Sophomore Traci Edwards poured in 30 points in the Panthers' victory over Wright State, becoming the first player in school history with back-to-back 30 point outings. She also grabbed 12 rebounds four her League-best eighth double-double of the season. The defense tallied a season-high 10 steals in the game, while forcing the Raiders into 27 turnovers.

The Panthers shot over 50 percent in Saturday's contest, but it wasn't enough as Butler still came away victorious. Edwards posted her ninth 20-point game of the year with 22 against the Bulldogs and pulled down her 500th career rebound to become the 19th Panther in history to accomplish the feat. The team handed out a season-high 24 assists and committed just 12 turnovers.

Senior Aubrey Hampton and sophomore Katie Fournier both had a solid week, posting double figures in both contests. Fournier set a career-high with 14 points against BU, while Hampton has hit the 10-point plateau in eight of her last 11 outings.

On the statistical charts, Edwards tops the circuit in scoring (19.9), rebounding (9.5) and blocked shots (1.55), while placing second in field-goal percentage (.597).

UW-Milwaukee looks to go 2-0 against Detroit this season as the teams meet on Thursday evening this week.

UIC (11-9; 5-3 HL)
The Flames posted a 77-73 victory over Detroit at the UIC Pavilion in the team's only game last week.

The offense was led by senior LaShonda Grant's 25 points on eight-of-15 shooting. She also picked up seven boards, three assists and three steals in the win. Classmate Krystal Hugelier joined Grant in double figures with 15 points, including three-of-five from long range. As a team, the Flames had 10 steals and forced 21 Detroit miscues in the contest, which led to 27 points.

UIC has been solid defensively this season, posting the conference's top marks in steals (10.80) and the second-highest total in turnover margin (+4.40). Grant (2.05) places second and Hugelier (1.90) ranks third on the individual steals-per-game chart. In eight League games, the team has increased its turnover margin to +6.38 and has forced an average of 22.4 turnovers in those contests.

The Flames head to Ohio this week to battle Youngstown State on Thursday and Cleveland State on Saturday. UIC split the first meetings with the Ohio-based schools, picking up a 72-46 win over CSU on Jan. 4 and falling 67-62 to YSU on Jan. 6.

Butler (8-12; 5-3 HL)
Butler split a pair of home contest versus the Wisconsin school last week as the team fell to League-leading UW-Green Bay, 81-64, on Thursday before recording a 81-74 victory over second-place UW-Milwaukee on Saturday.

Against the Phoenix, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 13-point lead, but the team couldn't hold on as UWGB only committed eight turnovers in the game and three in the second half. Senior Jackie Closser led the offensive attack with 16 points, while freshman Susan Lester posted her second-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. In the game, the two teams combined for 25 three point field goals on 64 attempts. (39.1 percent).

On Saturday, BU notched a season-high 31 assists on its 31 baskets. Four different players dished out at least four helpers with Closser (nine) and sophomore Tara Miller (eight) leading the way. Sophomore Lade Akande took home team-high scoring honors with 25 markers (23 in the second half) on 11-of-16 shooting, while Lester picked up her third-straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

On the season, Closser paces the loop in minutes played (36.90), while placing third in free-throw shooting (.842) and assists (4.00). She also ranks second in three-pointers made (2.35) and has made at least one triple in 48 straight contests, the longest current streak in the NCAA and 12 shy of the all-time Division I record (Kim MacMillan, Long Island, 2000-02).

This week, Butler hosts Wright State on Saturday evening in the team's only game of the week.

Loyola (5-14; 3-5 HL)
The Ramblers grabbed their third League win of the season by downing visiting Detroit, 78-68, on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Maggie McCloskey continued her hot streak with a team-high 21 points in the victory, including five three-pointers. The rookie guard has topped the 20-point mark in three of her last five games, draining 22 treys during the span. Seniors Jenna Real and Marquise Hanser also hit double figures with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Real is now 20 points shy of 1,000 for her career.

This season, Real has connected on a League-best 62.1 percent of her shots for an average of 14.2 points per contest. According to the latest statistics release by the NCAA (Jan. 29), she holds the seventh-highest shooting percentage in the country.

McCloskey also finds herself atop the loop's statistics charts with 2.63 three-pointers made per game, while placing second in assists per outing at 4.42.

On the season, Loyola owns the loop's second-best marks in free-throw average (.754) and field-goal percentage (.443).

The Ramblers travel to Ohio this week as they take on Cleveland State on Thursday and Youngstown State on Saturday.

Wright State (5-14; 3-5 HL)
Despite leading at halftime of both games last week, WSU was pinned with losses against UW-Milwaukee (75-65) and UW-Green Bay (67-53).

Against UWM, the Raiders were outscored 31-19 over the final 12:24 en route to the setback. The offense was led by senior Tyanda Hammock's 17 points, while Steph Comisar (12) and Brittney Whiteside (11) also scored in double digits.

League-leader UWGB proved too much on Saturday afternoon. Wright State tied or set season-highs in three-pointers made and attempted (eight-of-30), free-throw percentage (.833, 15-of-18) and rebounds (45). Hammock (11) and Comisar (10) both poured in double figures, while junior Sierra Crayton led all scorers with 15.

WSU has done its work on the defensive side of the ball this season, ranking third in the League in scoring defense (65.7) and steals (9.11). Individually, freshman Kanisha Ward is tied for fifth in the conference in steals (1.72), while junior Danielle Duncan is ninth (1.68).

The Raiders travel to Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on Butler in the team's only game this week. In the first matchup between the schools, Wright State captured a 76-71 win at the Nutter Center.

Youngstown State (5-13; 3-5 HL)
The Penguins wrapped up the month of January with a 3-3 record after knocking off visiting Cleveland State, 65-55, on Saturday.

YSU shot 46.0 percent on Saturday, its third-best percentage this season. Junior Jessica Schloemp had a season-high 18 points on seven-of-12 shooting from the field and sophomore Monique Godfrey hit for double figures (16) for the fourth-consecutive game.

Junior guard Lauren Branson handed out six assists in the victory to give her 271 in her career. She needs 40 more to move into the top 10 in school history.

Solid defense is becoming a staple of YSU in League play this season. The team places third in scoring defense (62.9) and second in field-goal percentage defense (.404), while leading the loop in blocked shots (3.88).

Youngstown State welcomes the Chicago schools this week as UIC visits the Beeghly Center on Thursday and Loyola makes the trip on Saturday.

Cleveland State (5-16; 2-6 HL)
The Vikings traveled to Youngstown State on Saturday last week and came home with a 65-55 loss.

Four of the eight CSU players that saw action scored in double figures and the team posted a 35-29 advantage on the glass, but YSU's 46.0 percent shooting from the floor proved to be the difference. Senior Chenara Wilson was one of the four in double digits, marking her fifth-straight outing with at least 10 points.

With four treys last week, the Vikings extended their NCAA record for consecutive games with a three-point field goal to 407. 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.

CSU kicks off a portion of its schedule that is dominated by home contests as five of six games in the month of February at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings begin the month by hosting Loyola on Thursday and UIC on Saturday.

Detroit (4-17; 1-7 HL)
Detroit was handed two losses in Chicago last week, falling to UIC, 77-73, and Loyola, 78-68. The two setbacks drop the Titans to 1-7 in League play, their worst start in program history.

On Thursday, UDM got out of the gates slowly, but battled back to close the final margin to four. Junior Kandace Evans had a career day, canning 28 points on eight-of-12 shooting (six-of-eight from three-point land). As a team, the Titans shot a season-best 50.0 percent (24-of-48) from the floor and 56.3 percent (nine-of-16) from downtown.

The rims weren't as kind in the Gentile Center on Saturday afternoon as the team cooled off to shoot 39.7 percent (27-of-68) from the field and 23.5 percent (four-of-17) from three-point territory. Junior Joyce Massey led all scorers in the contest with 28 points to go along with nine rebounds, while classmate India Bruster posted her second double-double of 2006-07 with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Massey has now led the team in scoring in 14-of-21 games this season. She ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (15.3) and is third in rebounding (7.1).

Detroit hits the road again this week with two contests in Wisconsin. The team faces UW-Milwaukee on Thursday then heads north to UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

Valparaiso (11-9; Joins HL in 2007-08)
The Crusaders went 1-1 in a pair of road outings last week, picking up a win at IPFW, 75-67, and losing a 56-49 decision at Southern Utah.

Seniors Betsy Rietema and Tamra Braun led the charge against IPFW on Wednesday. Rietema poured in 23 points to go along with eight rebounds while Braun grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds.

VU couldn't find the offense on Saturday against Southern Utah, shooting just 30.0 percent in the contest. Sophomore Aimee Litka was the only player in double figures with 11 points.

Braun ranks first in the Mid-Continent Conference in field-goal percentage (.585), second in blocks (1.75) and third in rebounding (8.4). Rietema places third in scoring (13.7) and seventh in rebounding (6.7). As a team, Valpo leads all Mid-Con teams in three-point field-goal percentage (.384) and three-pointers made (6.60 per contest).

Valparaiso heads to UMKC on Monday of this week and then welcomes Centenary on Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders posted a 69-43 decision over Centenary in the teams' first matchup this season.