Seattle University Redhawks (4-4) vs. Portland Pilots (5-4)
Sunday,
Dec. 11 - 12:30 p.m.
Connolly Center (1,050) - Seattle, Wash.
Series History: Tied 6-6
Last Meeting: Dec. 1, 2010 (Seattle U 61,
Portland 58) - Portland, Ore.
Live Audio/ Stats/Video: www.GoSeattleU.com
Game #10
Seattle University Redhawks (4-4) vs. Santa Clara Broncos (6-2)
Tuesday,
Dec. 13 - 7 p.m.
Connolly Center (1,050) - Seattle, Wash.
Series History: Santa Clara leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 19, 2010 (Santa Clara 63,
Seattle U 60) - Santa Clara, Calif.
Live Audio/ Stats/Video: www.GoSeattleU.com
Weekly Release: Portland and Santa Clara
This Week for the Redhawks: Riding a two-game winning streak, the Seattle University women's basketball team returns home to open up a three-game home slate versus West Coast Conference (WCC) opponents. The Redhawks (4-4) kick off the home stand with fellow Northwest rival Portland (5-4) on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 12:30 p.m. Two days later, Santa Clara (6-2) travels to the Emerald City for a 7 p.m. contest.
Last Time Out: The Redhawks earned their first undefeated weekend of the year, going 2-0. Seattle U dominated Long Beach State, 78-49, on Dec. 2 at home and outlasted Boise State, 89-80, on the road two days later.
Multiple SU players established or tied career-highs over the weekend. Seattle U is also currently riding a 3-1 record in their last four contests.
On Deck: Rounding out their pre-Christmas home schedule, SU will host a third consecutive WCC squad in Saint Mary's on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. Seattle U then travels to Little Rock, Ark. on Dec. 21 to face ULAR in a 5 p.m. PT contest.
Sowell Earns Consecutive College Sports Madness POW Selection: Sophomore Kacie Sowell was named for the second consecutive week the College Sports Madness Independent Player of the Week after helping guide the Redhawks to a perfect 2-0 weekend of action.
The Redhawk post, who is having a breakout season, combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds in SU's wins over Long Beach State and Boise State.
In addition to tying and establishing new career-high records, she has continued to headline the Redhawk offensive efforts with 14.1 ppg. She's also the squad's rebounding leader, averaging 8.1 rpg.
Two in a Row!: For the first time this season the Redhawks put together a perfect weekend of action. Seattle U went 2-0, defeating head coach Joan Bonvicini's former program Long Beach State, 78-49, on Dec. 2. They then earned their first road win of the season at Boise State, 89-80, two days later.
The Redhawks are riding a solid streak currently, as they are 3-1 entering this weekend's matchup.
Ranked Nationally: Sophomore Kacie Sowell currently is ranked No. 13 in the country in field goal percentage (59.0 percent) and T-No. 3 in double-doubles (3). Classmate Ashley Ward is T-No. 28 in free throw percentage (90.6 percent) and senior Talisa Rhea is T-No. 35 in assists per game (5.4).
Season-Best Shooting: In SU's 78-49 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 2, the Redhawks shot a season-high 55.8 percent (29-for-52) from the field.
The Redhawks currently are averaging 69.4 ppg, holding a +1.3 margin over opponents.
Double Figure Scorers: The Redhawks have tallied four or more players to score in double digits in their last three games. Sophomore Kacie Sowell has scored in double figures in all eight games this season, scoring a combined 46 points over that span.
From the Stripe: After struggling early on from the free throw line, the Redhawks posted a season-high 82.5 percent (33-for-40) from the charity stripe at Boise State on Dec. 4. Kacie Sowell scored a game-high 11 points from the line, while Daidra Brown and Ashley Ward were a perfect 8-for-8.
WCC Squads Up Next: The Redhawks next three consecutive home games will be versus three WCC teams in Portland, Santa Clara and Saint Mary's. The Redhawks went 1-2 versus the trio of teams last season.
The SU-UP Connection: Current Seattle U graduate assistant video coordinator Karlie Buriss was a four-year letterwinner for the Pilots from 2005-09.
Seattle U Thanksgiving All-Tournament Team: Senior Elle Kerfoot and sophomore Ashley Ward were named to the Seattle U Thanksgiving All-Tournament Team for their contributions in the two-day tourney. Ward tallied 14 points in both games, while Kerfoot posted a season-high 19 points on Nov. 25 versus USF.
For the second consecutive season the Redhawks fell in the championship game of their annual Thanksgiving Tournament.
Sowell Named College Sports Madness POW: Sophomore Kacie Sowell was named College Sports Madness Independent Player of the Week on Nov 28. She is the first Redhawk to earn a national honor since SU reclassified back to DI.
This season she has started all six games and is the team's leader in both points (13.7) and rebounds (8.3). Sowell has scored in double figures in every game this year, tallying a pair of double-doubles along the way. She is coming off a combined 25-point and 17-rebound performance at the Seattle U Thanksgiving Tournament, where she was integral in helping guide SU to the championship game of the annual tournament.
Redhawks Sign Three to NLI's: Seattle U signed three student-athletes to NLI's on Nov. 10. Joining the Redhawks for the 2012-13 campaign are: Catherine "Cat" Perez (Palo Alto, Calif.), Taelor Ross (Portland, Ore.) and Kristin Stoffel (Everett, Wash.). The incoming class of 2016 boasts a trio of versatile players, who are all above six-feet tall.
Check Out the 2011-12 Team Guide Magazine: Get to know the 2011-12 Redhawks in this season's Seattle U Women's Basketball Team Guide Magazine. To view the online publication: http://bit.ly/ttmVKn.
Kerfoot Plays for Canada at World University Games: Senior Elle Kerfoot was selected to the Canadian World University Games roster this past summer. She is the first Redhawk to be selected to a youth national team program since head coach Joan Bonvicini took over the program in 2009.
Redhawks Sweep Preseason College Sports Madness Honors: The College Sports Madness Preseason All-Independent Team saw strong representation from Seattle U as head coach Joan Bonvicini was named Coach of the Year, senior Elle Kerfoot was voted Player of the Year and Renee Dillard-Brown was named Freshman of the Year.
Kerfoot and sophomore Ashley Ward were also named to the first team, while junior Daidra Brown and senior Amani Butler rounded out the SU selections with second team accolades.
Status Update: Senior Carley Butcher and freshman Kim Flournoy will both miss action during the 2011-12 season due to injury; while freshman Monique Abbs is currently inactive.
The Captains: Seniors Elle Kerfoot and Talisa Rhea have been selected this season's co-captains. Kerfoot was a co-captain last year, as well.
Final Year of Independence: 2011 will mark SU's final season playing as an NCAA DI Independent. On July 1, 2012 Seattle U will officially join the Western Athletic Conference as full members.
Scouting Portland: The Pilots of Portland (5-4) are currently coming off consecutive losses to Eastern Washington, 76-60, on Nov. 29 and at Oregon, 88-78, on Dec. 4. Prior to their two-game skid, UP had won three straight.
Natalie
Day leads the Pilots, averaging 19.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg. ReZina TecleMariam is the
team's second-leading scorer, averaging 10.7 ppg.
Portland faces Washington on Friday, Dec. 9, prior to heading to the Connolly Center.
The Last Time Seattle U Faced Portland: The Redhawks earned a 61-58 victory over the Pilots in their last meeting on Dec. 1, 2010 in Portland, Ore. SU was headlined by Salena Dickerson's 16 points and Elle Kerfoot's eight assists.
Scouting Santa Clara: Santa Clara (6-2) is coming off a split weekend of action on the road. They defeated Cal State Northridge, 90-72, on Dec. 1, before falling 88-82 to UC Irvine on Dec. 3. Before their six-point loss to the Anteaters, the Broncos were riding a five-game winning streak.
Three SCU players are averaging double figure scoring numbers, with Alyssa Shoji headlining the offense (16.6 ppg). Ruta Zurauskyte follows with 16.0 ppg and is the team's rebounding leader with 9.0 rpg. Megan Fulps rounds out the Broncos' top scorers with 13.6 ppg.
Santa Clara faces Cal on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Berkeley, Calif. prior to traveling to Seattle.
The Last Time Seattle U Faced Santa Clara: Despite holding a 33-31 advantage at halftime, the Redhawks were edged 63-60 by the Broncos in their first-ever meeting in Santa Clara, Calif. on Dec. 19, 2010. In the game, Amani Butler put up career-best numbers, including scoring 15 points to lead SU's offensive efforts.