Women's Basketball Weekly Release #5

Dec. 4, 2006

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Player of the Week

Tyanda Hammock, Wright State
Senior * Forward * Mansfield, Ohio
Hammock led the Raiders in scoring in both games last week. She posted her first career double-double in setting career-highs in points (22) and rebounds (13) against Toledo while adding a career-best five steals. The fifth-year senior then came back with 14 points and three rebounds in the Raiders' first win of the season against Longwood on Saturday.

Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee
Sophomore * Center * Menasha, Wis.
Edwards averaged 16 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last week for the Panthers, while also making her first career three-pointer. Against Marquette, she scored 19 points and grabbed seven boards. Then, she played a career-low 15 minutes at Iowa State due to foul trouble, but still scored 13 points and had seven boards.

Ellen Hamilton, Butler
Senior * Guard * Greenfield, Ind.
Hamilton led the Bulldogs in scoring in both of their contests last week, averaging 15 points per game while converting six-of-12 attempts from three-point territory. She went six-of-11 from the field against IUPUI on Wednesday (Nov. 29), hitting four-of-eight from three and pacing the squad with 16 points in leading the Bulldogs to a 58-53 victory over the Jaguars.

Cassie Johnson, UIC
Freshman * Center * Apple Valley, Minn.
Johnson averaged 11 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games for the Flames last week. Johnson was nine-for-18 from the field and four-for-four from the free throw line. Johnson picked up a career-best 16 points against Northwestern on Wednesday. She shot 60 percent from the field (six-of-10) and drained four-of-four from the free throw line. The freshman added six points and six rebounds against Northern Iowa on Sunday.

Joyce Massey, Detroit
Junior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Massey averaged 22.5 points per game in two games against Kentucky and LSU last week. Against the Wildcats, she scored a career-high 29 points, then followed that performance with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds against 11th-ranked LSU.

Amanda Popp, UW-Green Bay
Senior * Guard * Brillion, Wis.
Popp led the Phoenix with a season-high 19 points, just one point off her career best, in UW-Green Bay's loss to DePaul on Wednesday. She shot six-of-seven from the floor with her lone miss from three-point range in 35 minutes of work.

Jenna Real, Loyola
Senior * Forward * Elgin, Ill.
Real rebounded from a slow opening two weeks with a solid showing in three games this week, averaging 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering .654 from the floor. Real opened the week with 16 points and six boards at Indiana State and followed that up with her first double-double of the season against Valpo, racking up 17 points and 11 boards (seven-of-11) in a three-point loss to the Crusaders.

UW-Green Bay (3-3; 0-0 HL)
The Phoenix rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit and took a one-point lead with 10 seconds to go on a fast-break layup by senior Natalie Berglin, but No. 17 DePaul answered with a jumper by Caprice Smith with just 0.4 seconds on the clock in a 71-70 win for DePaul at the Phoenix Sports Center Wednesday evening. The team's second scheduled game of the week was postponed due to travel difficulties encountered by Illinois State. No make-up date has been announced.

Amanda Popp's 19 points led four UW-Green Bay players in double figures as Berglin (16), Nicole Soulis (13) and Rachel Porath (11) also poured in double-figure point totals. In the contest, the Phoenix out-shot the Blue Demons from the floor 46.7 percent to 42.4 percent. The team also held a 16-8 advantage in turnovers, with nine of the 16 coming off of steals.

On the season, UWGB leads the Horizon League in points per game (73.3), scoring margin (+5.3), assists (15.5) and turnovers margin (+3.17). Individually, Soulis leads the loop in scoring (17.3) and is tied for the lead in blocks (1.33), while Porath leads in free-throw percentage (.875) and Berglin tops everyone in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.90).

After scoring 5.8 points per contest as a freshman, Porath is averaging 10.0 points per outing in her sophomore campaign. In addition to pacing the circuit in free-throw percentage, she ranks third from three-point land (.471) and sixth from the field (.514).

UW-Green Bay continues its current homestand this week by welcoming Iowa to the Phoenix Sports Center on Thursday and Indiana State on Saturday.

UIC (3-4; 0-0 HL)
UIC dropped road contests at Northwestern (72-57) and Northern Iowa (66-50) in its two games last week.

In the loss against the Wildcats, freshman Cassie Johnson led the Flames' offense with a career-best 16 points. She shot six-of-10 from the floor and a perfect four-of-four from the free-throw line. Senior LaShonda Grant also tallied double-digits with 10 points while grabbing six rebounds.

In Sunday's loss at UNI, the Flames shot just 32.3 percent from the floor and did not have a single player in double-digits. Sophomore Nikki Grobbecker had eight points and nine rebounds in the contest.

As a team, UIC has forced a League-best 20.3 turnovers per outing this season, coinciding with a loop-high 10.29 steals per game.

The Flames wrap up a three-game road swing with Wisconsin on Wednesday. The team will then return home to face Air Force on Saturday afternoon.

UW-Milwaukee (3-4; 0-0 HL)
The Panthers went 0-2 last week with a home loss to Marquette (74-63) on Wednesday and a road defeat at Iowa State (85-48) on Saturday.

Sophomore Traci Edwards paced UWM in scoring in both games a week ago, dropping in 19 against Marquette and 13 against the Cyclones. The sophomore also grabbed 15 boards on the week, and now places second in the League in rebounding (8.1) and fourth in scoring (16.3).

Sophomore Turquoise McCain, junior Meredith Onson and sophomore Emily Markert all reached double-figures against the Golden Eagles, but Edwards was the lone Panther in double figures against Iowa State.

After averaging 19.6 turnovers per game through the first eight contests of the season, UW-Milwaukee posted its fewest turnovers with just 12 against Iowa State.

This week the Panthers welcome Air Force to the Klotsche Center on Thursday before traveling to North Dakota State on Sunday.

Butler (2-5; 0-0 HL)
The Bulldogs went 1-1 last week against in-state competition, picking up a 58-53 win over IUPUI before dropping a 97-65 decision to Ball State.

Butler put its best game together defensively of the season against IUPUI, holding the Jaguars to 53 points. Senior Ellen Hamilton led the scoring attack with 16 points on six-of-11 shooting, including four-of-eight from long distance. Candace Jones also found her way to double digits with 14 points in addition to her six rebounds and four assists.

After holding IUPUI to a season low 53 points, Ball State posted 97 points against BU, the most the team has surrendered this season. Hamilton once again paced the offense with 14 points, while Jackie Closser had 13 points and seven assists. With 30 points on the week, Hamilton is just 40 shy of 1,000 for her career.

Closser continued her three-pointers made streak last week, hitting a triple in both games to push the streak to 35. She also is closing in on the 1,000-point milestone as she needs just 31 points.

After an away game at Evansville on Wednesday the Bulldogs welcome nationally-ranked Purdue to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday.

Cleveland State (2-6; 0-0 HL)
The Vikings split last week with a 55-47 win over Buffalo and a 76-61 loss at Toledo.

CSU heads into this week with a three-point field in 394 consecutive games - the longest active streak in the nation and tied for the longest streak ever (Louisville). Last week against Buffalo, the streak got a scare when the Vikings didn't knock down a trey until late in the second half.

In Monday's victory over UB, Stephanie Crosley led the offense with 13 points. In a balanced scoring effort, 10 different players scored and all 11 players that saw time picked up at least two rebounds.

Dominique Butler and Jessica Roque were the only two Vikings in double figures in Saturday's loss at Toledo with 12 points apiece. Cleveland State held the edge in turnovers, committing 17 turnovers compared to Toledo's 21, but a 52.7 percent clip from the field by the Rockets was too much to overcome.

The first half has been trouble for Cleveland State in seven of eight games this year as the team has been out-scored 280-201 in the first stanza of those contests - an average half-time deficit of 11.3 points per contest.

It's a busy week for CSU this week with three games on the slate. The team hosts St. Bonaventure on Monday, travels to Western Michigan on Thursday, then comes back to the Wolstein Center on Sunday to face Akron.

Youngstown State (1-5; 0-0 HL)
The Penguins dropped a 69-51 decision to Miami (Ohio) in their only game last week.

Junior Heather Karner led the offense for the fourth time in six contests with 15 points against the RedHawks. Sophomore Nikita LaFleur also had a solid game, pulling down a career-best 10 rebounds.

YSU has struggled to score on the road this season, averaging just 48.5 points compared to 78.0 points per game at the Beeghly Center.

This week brings the Penguins just one game as they travel to Indiana State on Wednesday.

Wright State (1-5; 0-0 HL)
WSU got in the win column last week with a 52-45 victory over Longwood on Saturday. The team was barely nipped in its first game of the week, a 62-59 loss against Toledo.

Player of the Week Tyanda Hammock posted her first career double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds against the Rockets. She shot nine-of-18 for the game, while adding five assists and five steals to her stat line. Junior Whitney Lewis and freshman Erica Richardson also score in double-digits with 10 points apiece.

Hammock led the way offensively again in the team's second game of the week with 14 points. Junior Sierra Crayton pitched in her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

For the week, WSU shot an impressive 50.0 percent (46-of-92) from the floor.

This week sees Wright State traveling to Canisius on Tuesday before hosting Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Detroit (1-5; 0-0 HL)
A pair of games against nationally-ranked competition led to two losses for the Titans last week. Kentucky topped UDM 79-44, while No. 11LSU picked up an 80-44 victory.

Junior Joyce Massey had a big week for the Titans, averaging 22.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. She scored a career-best 29 points against Kentucky, with 18 coming in the first half to give Detroit a 28-25 halftime advantage. She followed that performance with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds against LSU. On the season, Massey has accounted for 34 percent of the Titan offense. She leads all League players in rebounding (8.7) and is second in scoring (17.2).

Against the Tigers, sophomores Zemora Davis and Sandi Brown also entered double figures in scoring, with Brown also picking up five rebounds and seven assists.

Detroit plays twice this week as the team travels to Ypsilanti, Mich. on Wednesday for its first matchup with Eastern Michigan since 2000 and then takes the floor at Calihan Hall against Northern Iowa on Saturday.

Loyola (0-7; 0-0 HL)
Loyola was pinned with three losses last week as the Ramblers lost to Indiana State (101-71), Valparaiso (77-74) and Bradley (79-59).

LU had four players in double figures and shot 50.9 percent for the game against the Sycamores on Monday, but it was not enough to overcome a 56.7 shooting percentage by ISU. Marquise Hanser paced the four Ramblers in double digits with 20 points, while senior Jenna Real (16 points) and freshmen Elyse VanBoagaert (11) and Jennifer Juergens (11) also found their way to the 10-point plateau.

Real came back with another strong performance in the team's second game of the week, posting a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds against Valpo. LU shot 46.3 percent from the field, compared to 42.9 percent for Valpo.

Hanser poured in 16 points against the Braves in Sunday's loss, giving her seven-straight games with at least 10 points. Jessica Hylton was the only other Rambler that scored double figures with 14 points, while Real had a solid outing with eight points and seven rebounds.

Loyola makes the trip to Dayton on Wednesday for the team's only game of the week.

Valparaiso (4-3; 0-0 HL)
Valpo had a tough stretch of games last week, with three games in five days.

The Crusaders picked up victories over Bradley (82-73) and Loyola (77-74) early in the week, before dropping an 83-71 decision at the Hoosier State Classic on Saturday.

Senior Betsy Rietema had a solid week, averaging 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. She picked up a triple-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Sunday's loss to Indiana State. Classmate Tamra Braun also turned in impressive performances with double-doubles against Loyola and Indiana State.

Valparaiso rebounds with a slow week as a game against Ball State is the only game on this week's slate.