FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS: Seattle University is back home, where it has won six of its last seven games, to welcome Chicago State to the Connolly Center North Court. The Redhawks would like to break through and earn their first-ever victory over the Cougars before playing four of their next five games away from home. Seattle U is also looking for its first victory on a Saturday this season.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
Seattle University
- G: #1 Sylvia Shephard - 5-10 - So. - 6.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 spg
- G: #5 Elle Kerfoot - 5-7 - Sr. - 8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.9 apg
- G: #11 Talisa Rhea - 5-11 - Sr. - 13.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.4 apg
- F: #14 Ashley Ward - 5-11 - So. - 10.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 85.7% FT
- C: #41 Kacie Sowell - 6-2 - So. - 14.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 61.3% FG
THE FRESNO STATE GAME: Seattle University fell victim to the three-point shot, as Fresno State hit 15 three-pointers on its way to a 71-61 victory Wednesday afternoon at the Save Mart Center. Kacie Sowell notched her fourth double-double in the last five games and her seventh double-double of the season, leading the Redhawks with a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from the free throw line as well as 13 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Ashley Ward contributed 15 points, four assists, and three steals. Fresno State, coming into the game averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per game, third-most in Division I, hit 15 three-pointers on 35 attempts, the last coming from Alex Sheedy with 2:19 left in the second half. Seattle U scored the last seven points of the game, including four points from Daidra Brown. As a team, Seattle U shot 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the field, including 2-of-14 from the three-point line, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the free throw line. The Redhawks won the rebounding battle, 41-33, but they also committed 21 turnovers that led to 25 Fresno State points
SCOUTING CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars come into Saturday's game with a 2-14 overall record, with the only victories coming against Western Michigan and Trinity International. Chicago State is 0-8 away from home. The Cougars are scoring 51.9 points per game and giving up 72.4 points per contest. As a team, Chicago State is shooting 33.0 percent from the field, including 26.9 percent from behind the three-point line, and 69.8 percent from the free throw line. Janay Dockery is the player to watch for Chicago State, averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. Natalie Marlowe leads the team in assists, averaging 3.8 assists per game to go along with 8.8 points per game.
SEATTLE U VS. CHICAGO STATE: This is the second straight year that Seattle U and Chicago State will play a home-and-home series during the season. Last year the Cougars swept the Redhawks with two close victories. The first meeting last year took place in Chicago Jan. 17, 2011, with the Cougars hitting late free throws to hold off the Redhawks, 59-53. Elle Kerfoot led the Redhawks with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Daidra Brown contributed seven points, six assists, five steals, and two blocked shots. Tressa Beckel led Chicago State with 26 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, and three blocked shots. In the rematch 12 days later in Seattle, a second-half surge allowed the Cougars to earn the 74-62 victory. Kerfoot again led the way for the Redhawks with 20 points and eight assists. Four players scored in double figures for Chicago State.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Kacie Sowell is currently fifth in the nation in field goal percentage, hitting 61.3 percent of her field goal attempts. By hitting 85.7 percent of her free throw attempts, Ashley Ward is tied for 39th in Division I in free throw percentage, while Talisa Rhea is 33rd in the country in assists per game (5.4).
GETTING CLOSER: Elle Kerfoot is three three-pointers away from Seattle U's career record for made three-pointers, currently held by Ashley Payne with 168. Kerfoot is also 64 points away from becoming the 11th player in Seattle U women's basketball history to score at least 1,000 points in a career. She moved into 10th place on the school's all-time assists list with 278, passing Donna DeWald's total of 275.