Women's Basketball Weekly Release #2

Nov. 13, 2006

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Player of the Week

Nicole Thomas, Cleveland State
Senior * Forward * San Antonio, Texas
Thomas had a pair of double-doubles for the Vikings, averaging 19.5 points and 14.0 rebounds while shooting .696 from the floor. On Friday against Miami (Ohio), she tallied a career-high 22 points and 12 rebounds, knocking down nine of her 13 field-goal attempts. Two days later versus Niagara, Thomas tallied 17 points and career-highs of 16 rebounds and three blocks, while going seven-for-10 from the floor. Her rebound total tied for the 20th-best mark in school history.

Other Top Performances From the Week Ending Nov. 12

Sandi Brown, Detroit
Sophomore * Forward * Toledo, Ohio
Brown tallied a team-best 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the Titans' season-opening loss to Bowling Green. She played 39 minutes en route to new career highs in both points and boards.

Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee
Sophomore * Center * Menasha, Wis.
Edwards scored a team-high 20 points in the Panthers' season-opening loss at South Florida. She hit on seven-of-12 from the field and six-of-seven from the free-throw stripe, while adding four rebounds.

Marquise Hanser, Loyola
Senior * Guard * Fort Mitchell, Ky.
Hanser poured in a team-high 24 points to lead the Ramblers in their season-opener against local foe Northwestern. Hanser drilled two three-pointers to help Loyola open up a seven-point lead in the first half and was a constant threat throughout, finishing nine-of-20 from the floor and tying her career-high with five three-pointers.

Candace Jones, Butler
Sophomore * Guard * Indianapolis, Ind.
Jones was one of the Bulldogs' top players against the Fighting Illini on Sunday (Nov. 12), tying for the team-lead with 11 points while adding five rebounds. She scored four of Butler's first nine points in helping the Bulldogs to an early lead and assisted on Jackie Closser's three-pointer that brought Butler to within one with 10 minutes left.

Jessie Miller, UIC
Freshman * Guard * Richfield, Minn.
Miller notched 21 points, a team-high six assists, six rebounds and three steals in her UIC regular season collegiate debut against Western Michigan on Nov. 11. She shot six-of-seven from the floor, including four-of-five from behind the three-point line. The freshman knocked down five-of-seven free throws (71.4 percent), two coming in the last minute of regulation to help the Flames captured their first regular season victory over the Broncos, 87-83.

Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay
Senior * Forward * Green Bay, Wis.
Soulis got the 2006-07 season off with a bang Friday against Kansas State, as she led all scorers with 21 points while posting her 14th career double-double with 11 rebounds. Against the 2006 WNIT Champion Wildcats, Soulis also had three blocked shots and was nine-of-17 from the field in 37 minutes of work.

Heather Karner, Youngstown State
Junior * Guard * St. Louis, Mo.
In her Division I debut, Karner led the Penguins to a near upset over Cincinnati on Friday evening. Karner posted a game-high 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor, including four-of-eight from the three-point line, and six-of-nine from the free throw line. She also grabbed five boards with two assists.

Horizon League Notes

UIC (1-0; 0-0 HL)
The Flames got the 2006-07 season off to a good start with an 87-83 victory over visiting Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Krystal Hugelier and freshman Jessie Miller led the charge offensively for UIC, combining for 43 points. Hugelier netted 22 points, hitting seven-of-13 from the floor and four-of-seven from three-point land. Miller had an impressive debut for the Flames. She hit six-of-seven attempts and four-of-five from behind the three-point stripe, while grabbing six boards and handing out six assists.

For the game, UIC hit 49.2 percent (29-of-59) of its shots and 47.1 percent (eight-of-17) of its three pointers.

This week the Flames take to the floor against Illinois (Tuesday) and Central Michigan (Friday) at home, then travel to Eastern Illinois on Sunday.

Butler (0-1; 0-0 HL)
Despite trailing by one point with 10 minutes remaining, Butler opened the season with a 65-47 loss at Big Ten foe Illinois on Sunday.

Sophomores Candace Jones and Lade Akande along with junior Cassie Freeman scored in double figures for the Bulldogs. The team shot 33.3 percent (17-of-51) from the field, including seven-of-22 beyond the arc. Senior Jackie Closser drilled two of the team's treys, marking the 29th-straight game in which she has made at least one three pointer.

Defensively, BU forced 15 turnovers in the contest in large part to the team's eight steals.

The Bulldogs welcome Bradley to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday for the team's only game of the week.

Detroit (0-1; 0-0 HL)
The Titans struggled to find the touch as the team shot just 24.5 percent (13-of-53) from the floor in a 68-37 loss to Bowling Green on Friday night. The 24.5 shooting percentage was lower than any game for Detroit all of last season.

UDM was led by sophomore Sandi Brown who had team-high totals in points (13), rebounds (seven) and blocks (two). Brown was the only Titan in double figures.

Detroit attempted 17 threes in the game, but found the net only four times. In addition to turning over the ball 25 times in the game, the team only managed six assists, with no player having more than two.

This week the Titans will try to turn it around as they face Buffalo at home on Tuesday and Western Michigan on the road on Friday.

Loyola (0-1; 0-0 HL)
Senior Marquise Hanser picked up where she left off last season, netting a team-high 24 points in Loyola's loss to Northwestern. Hanser finished second in the Horizon League in scoring a year ago with a 17.2 points-per-game average.

Despite making 41.4 percent of their shots, the Ramblers were unable to prevent the Wildcats from getting to the free-throw line. Northwestern held a 26-7 edge in free-throw attempts and a 43-30 advantage in rebounds.

Freshman Jennifer Juergens had a solid first game for LU with seven points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists in 35 minutes.

The Ramblers host Illinois State on Tuesday before heading to Champaign, Ill. to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

UW-Green Bay (0-1; 0-0 HL)
The Phoenix gave Big 12 opponent Kansas State all it could handle in both teams' season openers on Friday night. After being down 12 at halftime, UW-Green Bay battled back only to fall on the wrong end of a 72-67 decision.

Preseason Player of the Year Nicole Soulis didn't disappoint in her first game of 2006-07 as she tallied a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds against K-State. Sophomore Rachel Porath (14 points) and Senior Amanda Popp (11 points) were the only other UW-Green Bay players in double figures. Porath tied a career high with the 14 points, going five-of-nine from the field and adding four free throws.

As a team, the Phoenix shot 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the field and only 15.4 percent (two-of-13) from three-point territory. UWGB did hold an edge in turnovers, forcing 14 and only giving away eight.

Oakland makes the trip to Green Bay, Wis. for a Wednesday night match-up in UW-Green Bay's only game of the week. It marks the earliest home opener in team history.

UW-Milwaukee (0-1; 0-0 HL)
The Panthers were pinned with an 85-59 loss at South Florida in the team's season opener on Friday.

Preseason First-Team selection Traci Edwards recorded 20 points on seven-of-12 shooting. Last season, the sophomore center had 11 games with 20-or-more points.

UW-Milwaukee found the touch from beyond the arc, knocking down eight-of-16 treys in its 42.2 percent (19-of-45) shooting performance.

Dating back to last season, UWM has a record of 17-3 in 2006.

The Panthers wrap up in Florida with Miami (Fla.) on Monday. The team then makes the trip to Drake on Friday before heading back to the Klotsche Center to take on Central Connecticut State on Sunday.

Youngstown State (0-1; 0-0 HL)
It was quite a Division I debut for junior college transfer Heather Karner as she dropped 34 points on Cincinnati in YSU's season opener at the Beeghly Center on Friday.

Karner made 12-of-17 shots (70.6 percent) and four-of-eight three pointers, while adding five rebounds and two assists. She became the first Penguin since Jenny Horner in 2002 to post a 30-point game.

Junior Jessica Shloemp pitched in 10 points and eight rebounds, while junior Lauren Branson team-highs with eight assists and four steals. Sophomore Velissa Vaughn chipped in with a career-best 14 points.

As a team, YSU shot 49.1 percent from the floor, but committed 25 turnovers in the loss.

The loss was just the fifth time that the Penguins have lost a season opener at the Beeghly Center.

Youngstown State has a light schedule this week with only a road contest at Coppin State on Friday evening.

Cleveland State (0-2; 0-0 HL)
Cleveland State was the only League team to play twice this week and the Vikings took two heartbreaking losses by a total of three points.

In Friday's season opener, CSU scored 50 second-half points only to lose 86-84 to Miami (Ohio) on two late free throws. Senior Nicole Thomas had a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds, while four other Vikings score in double figures. Freshman Stephanie Crosley pulled down nine rebounds to go with her 15 points in her first collegiate game.

Against Niagara on Sunday, CSU dropped an 84-83 overtime decision. The Vikings came back from an 11-point deficit at halftime by shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29). The team held the edge in rebounds (48-46) and turnovers forced (16-14), but it was not enough as Niagara slipped out with a one-point victory. Thomas had another big game with a double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds, while sophomore Dominique Butler tied a career-high with eight steals.

For the first time since Mar. 1 and 6, 2003 Cleveland State posted back-to-back 80-point efforts.

CSU heads to Athens, Ohio to take on Ohio University in the team's only game of the week.

Wright State (0-0; 0-0 HL)
The Raiders were the only Horizon League team not to begin the 2006-07 last week. WSU will play an exhibition game against Athletes in Action on Monday before playing their first regular-season contest on Saturday at Ball State.

Valparaiso (0-1; 0-0 HL)
Valpo took a season-opening 64-45 loss to Northwestern on Friday last week.

The Crusaders had only one player in double figures as Betsy Rietema had 13 points, while Tamra Braun pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

Valparaiso finished the game shooting just 29.5 percent from the field, while committing 19 turnovers. Northwestern connected on 41.3 percent from the floor, including 53.6 percent in the second half and out-rebounded the Crusaders 41-31, including 14-6 on the offensive end.

This week Valpo takes on another Big Ten foe when the team travels to Indiana on Wednesday, before opening the home slate with Northern Arizona on Friday.