Women's Basketball Weekly Release #16

Feb. 27, 2006

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Horizon League Player of the Week

LaShonda Grant, UIC
Junior Guard * Chicago, Ill.
Grant averaged 22.5 points per game and 5.5 rebounds, as the Flames split a pair of contests en route to a third-place regular-season finish in the Horizon League. In UIC's 65-58 loss to UW-Milwaukee at home, the junior posted a season-high 27 points and led the team with five steals. She added 18 points and seven rebounds in the Flames' victory over Detroit. For the week, Grant shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field and 50 percent (six-of-12) from behind the arc.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 26

Lade Akande, Butler
Freshman Forward/Center * Robinson, Ill.
Akande registered the seventh double-double of her career with 25 points and 10 rebounds Thursday against Cleveland State. She added three assists, three blocks and three steals. Akande followed that with 12 points and a game-high seven boards Saturday against UW-Green Bay. She has 11 20+ point performances so far this season.

Dominique Butler, Cleveland State
Freshman Guard * Milwaukee, Wis.
Butler nearly averaged a double-double of 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds last week. She had 11 points and 14 rebounds on Monday against Wright State and pitched in nine points and five rebounds in the Vikings' loss to Butler on Thursday.

Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee
Freshman Center * Menasha, Wis.
Edwards averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in leading UWM to a 2-0 record last week and the team's first League title since 2000-01. She capped her week with a career-high 28 points at Loyola, grabbing 11 boards, four steals and blocking three shots. Thursday at UIC, Edwards had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Monique Godfrey, Youngstown State
Freshman Guard * East Cleveland, Ohio
Godfrey led the Penguins with a team-high 14 points in YSU's 60-54 win over Loyola in the team's only game of the week. Godfrey also dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds while committing just two turnovers in 31 minutes.

Marquise Hanser, Loyola
Junior Guard * Ft. Mitchell, Ky.
Hanser wrapped up the regular season by averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in a pair of contests. Hanser, who played 79 of a possible 80 minutes, finished with 21 points and six boards at Youngstown State before pitching in 11 points, five rebounds and five assists in the season finale against UW-Milwaukee.

Lindsey Pasquinzo, Detroit
Senior Guard * Shelby Twp, Mich.
Pasquinzo scored 19 points in season ending loss against UIC. She set a season-high with 10 rebounds (one short of her career-high), and her first double-double of the season. She shot four-of-10 from three point range.

Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay
Junior Forward * Green Bay, Wis.
Soulis capped the campaign by leading the Phoenix to a pair of road victories. She scored 18 points in a career-high 38 minutes of play in the 66-57 win at Wright State, following up with 26 points, six rebounds and four steals 79-67 win at Butler to clinch a share of the regular-season title. For the week, Soulis averaged 22.0 points per game, 64 percent shooting from the field and 60 percent shooting from three-point range.

Brittney Whiteside, Wright State
Junior Guard * Columbus, Ohio
Whiteside had 12 points and six rebounds against Cleveland State on Monday and followed it up with 18 points and three assists versus UW-Green Bay on Thursday. She averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds during the week.

Horizon League News and Notes
THIS WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE: This week begins the 2006 Horizon League Championship. The tournament gets underway on Tuesday (Feb. 28) when eighth-seeded Cleveland State travels to face (#8 seed) Loyola. Quarterfinal action is slated for Wednesday and Thursday (Mar. 1 & 2) at the home arena of the top four seeds. Wednesday's lone game features (#4 seed) Butler hosting (#5 seed) Detroit. Thursday's action sees (#1 seed) UW-Milwaukee hosting the winner of the Loyola-Cleveland State game, (#6 seed) Wright State matching up with (#3 seed) UIC at the Pavilion and (#7 seed) Youngstown State making the trip to (#2 seed) UW-Green Bay. The tournament will then move to a set location on Sunday and Monday (March 5 & 6), either Youngstown State or, if the Penguins do not advance to the semifinal round, the campus of the highest remaining seed.

SPECIALTY AWARDS AND ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS ANNOUNCED: UW-Green Bay junior forward Nicole Soulis picked up Player of the Year honors, while UW-Milwaukee's freshman Traci Edwards and head coach Sandy Botham earned the Horizon League's other two specialty awards, as the League office announced the specialty awards and All-League teams on Monday. Joining Edwards and Soulis on the First-Team All-League team was Nichole Drummond (UW-Milwaukee), Jackie Closser (Butler) and Brittney Whiteside (Wright State). The second team featured Lade Akande (Butler), Chrissy Dizon (UIC), LaShonda Grant (UIC), Marquise Hanser (Loyola) and Natalie Berglin (UW-Green Bay). For a complete list, see attached release.

Butler Bulldogs (14-13; 9-7)
LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs split a pair of contests last week. On Thursday night, Butler downed Cleveland State 75-62 behind Lade Akande's 25 points and 10 rebounds. Saturday the Bulldogs ran into a hot-shooting UW-Green Bay team (55.1 percent) and fell 79-67.

THREES ARE WILD: Junior Jackie Closser now has 181 career three-pointers, breaking Butler's career mark of 167 (Debbie Benziger, 1995-98). Closser also broke her own season-single trey standard with 79 bombs through the team's first 27 games. Closser set the mark with 67 three-pointers one year ago. Her 79 three-pointers are the fifth-best single-season mark in Horizon League history.

THE BULLDOGS LOVE THE THREE: Butler hit 11 three-pointers Saturday against UW-Green Bay, just one off its season-high. It was the team's 14th time this season hitting at least eight treys.

70 IS THE LUCKY NUMBER: Butler is 13-2 this season when scoring 70 points or more.

Cleveland State Vikings (4-23; 2-14)
LAST WEEK: Cleveland State fell in its two contests last week. On Monday night, the Vikings were ousted by Wright State 59-51 despite Dominique Butler's double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds. CSU faced Butler on Thursday night and were pinned with a 75-62 loss.

385 AND COUNTING: Cleveland State heads into this week having made a three-point field goal in 385 consecutive contests the longest active run in the nation and the second-longest streak ever. Louisville (394 games) ranks first all-time in NCAA annals, although the Cardinals had their streak come to an end during the 2004-05 campaign. The last time the Vikings failed to drain at least one three-pointer in a game was in a 78-55 loss at Cincinnati on Dec. 17, 1992.

DOMINIQUE FINDS TOUCH IN LEAGUE PLAY: Dominique Butler's performance in Horizon League play was anything but freshman-like. The Milwaukee native paced the Vikings in scoring (10.9), rebounding (6.0) and steals (3.1), leading the conference in thefts.

Detroit Titans (11-16; 8-8)
LAST WEEK: Detroit lost its only game last week as the Titans were unable to handle a late surge by UIC in a 67-62 loss Saturday afternoon.

PASQUINZO MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Lindsey Pasquinzo is nine three-pointers shy of becoming the third Titan to knock down 200 treys in a career.

STRUGGLING IN THE SECOND HALF: The second half has been the issue for Detroit all season long. In 27 games, the Titans have outscored opponents 910-863 in the first half. In the second half the Titans have been outscored 994-871.

SCORING FROM EVERYWHERE: Seven different Titans have tied for or have led the team in scoring this year: Pasquinzo (12 times), Katie Solner (six), Caitie Goddard (four), Shawanna Stubblefield (four), Kelly Jaskot (two), Joanna Cooper (one) and Kandace Evans (one).

UIC Flames (14-13; 10-6)
LAST WEEK: UIC went 1-1 last week. On Thursday the Flames hosted UW-Milwaukee and fell to were handed a 65-58 loss. UIC bounced back on Saturday with a 67-62 win over Detroit to claim the third seed for the League tournament.

THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE: The Flames have found success on defense this season with League-best in opponents' three-point accuracy (.308) and steals per contest (11.26), while owning the second-best mark in field-goal percentage defense (.424). UIC also has the most assists per game (16.7).

10 OR MORE FOR GRANT: Junior LaShonda Grant has scored in double figures in her last 14 games, the longest active streak in the Horizon League. The last time Grant failed to hit twin digits was on Jan. 5 against Cleveland State when she notched eight points. The junior guard has notched 10 or more points in 20 of the team's 25 games.

DIZON DROPS 20, FLAMES WIN: Chrissy Dizon has scored 20 or more points four times this season and the Flames have come out on the winning end of all four decisions. The senior guard doesn't only fill up the basket, she also shares the ball with a 5.04 assists per game average.

Loyola Ramblers (3-24; 3-13)
LAST WEEK: Loyola dropped both of its games last week. The Ramblers went to Youngstown State on Thursday with the Penguins coming away with a 60-54 victory. On Saturday, Loyola lost to UW-Milwaukee at the Gentile Center, 78-66.

HITTING THE FREE ONES: Loyola paces the League at the free-throw stripe, hitting 74.8 percent of its attempts. In conference play, the Ramblers have slightly bettered their performance with a 75.4 conversion rate at the 15-foot line. Junior Marquise Hanser tops the team with a League-leading 87.9 percent rate from the line, which has helped her to a 17.4 points-per-game average (the best since Sherry Metz's 19.2 in 1991-92).

STEPPING UP IN LEAGUE PLAY: Senior Danielle Lonie and junior Jenna Real have picked up the pace in League play this season. Lonie has improved from 7.6 points per game in non-conference play to a 12.8 per game average in conference, while Real has improved from 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest in non-League play to 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game against Horizon League competition.

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (22-5; 14-2)
LAST WEEK: UW-Green Bay went 2-0 on the road in League play last week to earn a share of the 2005-06 Horizon League Regular Season Championship. The week opened with a 66-57 defeat of Wright State on Thursday. UW-Green Bay then traveled to Butler on Saturday, picking up a 79-67 win over the Bulldogs.

WINNING GAMES ON THE ROAD: UW-Green Bay has won a team-Division I record 12 road games this season.

A SHARE OF THE TITLE, AGAIN: UW-Green Bay continues its unprecedented string of league championships with its eighth straight title, shared this season with UWM. All eight have come during head coach Kevin Borseth's tenure in Titletown. No other team in league history has won more than three straight league regular season championships.

WINNING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS: In the Monday, Jan. 23 edition of USA Today, UW-Green Bay was recognized for having the third-longest streak of winning seasons in women's college basketball. Behind only Tennessee (34) and Louisiana Tech (31), the Phoenix have been over .500 for the past 28 seasons and have already secured its 29th-straight.

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (19-8; 14-2)
LAST WEEK: UW-Milwaukee picked up two victories last week to share the regular season crown with UW-Green Bay. The Panthers started the week with a 65-58 victory over UIC on Thursday evening. UW-Milwaukee then ousted Loyola 78-66 on Saturday.

A GOOD TIME TO GET HOT: UW-Milwaukee tied a school record with its ninth-straight win with its victory at Loyola Saturday. The win was also the team's 19th of the season, the second most in UWM's Division I era. The Panthers went 20-8 in 2001-02.

MORE BOARDS THAN THE PANTHERS?: UWM was outrebounded for the first time in 13 games last Saturday, but still came away with the win. Despite a 2-4 record when being outrebounded this season, the Panthers have won their last two contests in that instance.

TOURNEY TIME: The Panthers are the top seed in the upcoming league tournament for the first time ever. They also won a League title for the first time since 2000-01.

Wright State Raiders (12-15; 8-8)
LAST WEEK: Wright State split a pair of contests at home last week. The Raiders started the week with a 59-51 victory over Cleveland State on Monday and finished with a 66-57 loss at the hands of UW-Green Bay.

ITS BEEN A GOOD FEBRUARY FOR WHITESIDE: In seven February games, Brittney Whiteside averaged a near double-double of 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. With her 18 against UW-Green Bay, Whiteside is now 10th on the all-time Raider scoring list with 1,074 career points, having passed Chanda Hollingsworth (1997-01) and Jess Van Der Geest (1996-00).

RAIDERS IN THE TOURNAMENT: Wright State is 4-15 all-time in conference tournament games, with those four wins coming in the last six years. The Raiders picked up half that total last season as they defeated Youngstown State in the quarterfinals and Detroit in the semifinals before falling to UW-Green Bay in the championship. The other two wins were over Youngstown State in the 2004 8-9 game and at Detroit in the 2000 tournament.

Youngstown State Penguins (8-19; 4-12)
LAST WEEK: Youngstown State won its only game last week. The Penguins edged Loyola 60-54 at the Beeghly Center to take the seventh seed in the Horizon League Tournament.

FROM BEYOND THE ARC: With two three-pointers made against Loyola, junior Kristy Gaudiose moved into eighth-place on the YSU single-season three-point chart with 55. She also needs one more trey to become the 10th player in school history to make 100 three-pointers during a career and needs three more to move into ninth place on the career list.

SCHLOEMP GETTING IT DONE: Jessica Schloemp has turned in a solid sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-3 forward is averaging 8.9 points per game and leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game. Her 189 rebounds and 27 blocks rank seventh and fourth on the YSU sophomore records charts.