Dec. 11, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
This Week
The Broncos conclude a five-game string of games against regional opponents this week with two road contests. SCU will visit Pacific (3-3) on Wednesday and Fresno State (5-2) on Saturday in non-conference action.
Live on the Internet
Santa Clara's contests this week against Pacific and Fresno State can be heard on a live Internet audio broadcast on www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. Additionally, all home contests can be followed online with a live statistical tracker, also located on Santa Clara's official athletic website. By logging on, fans can receive real-time updated statistics direct from the official scoring computer allowing users to listen to the audio broadcast and keep up with the statistics simultaneously. The features were introduced midway through last season and have been enjoyed for the team's entire regular season home schedule. Anthony Passarelli begins his first season as the voice of the Broncos.
In the Rankings
Although the Broncos are not ranked in the top 25 polls yet, the team has received votes in the last three weeks after topping two top-25 teams in its first four games. Santa Clara peaked with 12 votes in the AP poll and nine in the USA Today/ESPN listing while the Broncos' RPI ranking topped at 11th nationally by CollegeRPI.com. This week, the Broncos have eight votes from the USA Today poll and are 25th in the CollegeRPI listing.
Scouting the Pacific Tigers
Series Record: Santa Clara leads 19-14
First Meeting: 1974-75 - SCU won 38-24
Last Meeting: 2000 - SCU won (69-50) on Nov. 18 in Santa Clara
UOP Largest Margin of Victory: 32 on Feb. 2, 1980 (75-43) in Stockton
SCU Largest Margin of Victory: 21 on Dec. 7, 1984 (68-47) in Santa Clara
Notable: Pacific is 3-3 on the season, with victories over Sacramento State, Gonzaga and Southern Utah... the Tigers are 0-1 at home this season with a loss to Rutgers after the Thanksgiving holiday... Pacific is led by Selena Ho's 15.8 points-per-game average.
Scouting the Fresno State Bulldogs
Series Record: Fresno State leads 15-12
First Meeting: 1977-78 - FSU won (62-55)
Last Meeting: 1998- SCU won (77-61) Nov. 24 in Fresno
FSU Largest Margin of Victory: 23 on Dec. 13, 1988 (83-60) in Fresno
SCU Largest Margin of Victory: 36 on Dec. 28, 1997 (86-50) in Santa Clara
Notable: Fresno State is 5-2 on the season, it's only losses to California and Bradley, both on the road... the Bulldogs opened their season with three wins and are currently on a two-game win-streak, but will face WCC opponent San Francisco before the Broncos visit town on the weekend.... Although Fresno State leads the all-time series, SCU has won the last four contests... Junior guard Lindsay Logan leads FSU in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game.
Gruening from Downtown
Caroline Gruening has made at least one three-pointer in each of the Broncos' first seven games. As of late however, she has been making more of them at a higher percentage. In the first two games of the season, Gruening went a combined 4-10. During the middle two games of action she combined to shoot 3-8. The next two contests she went 4-5 in each game, making her shots at an 80-percent clip from behind the arc. Overall this season, Gruening is shooting 48.6 percent from the land of plenty (17-35), while only hitting 6-26 from inside the arc.
Up Next: More Non-Conference Home Action
The Broncos remain at home to close out the 2001 calendar year. SCU will host Temple on Wednesday, Dec. 19 and Portland State two days later. Both contests will begin at 7 p.m. Santa Clara returns from the holiday break with a 2 p.m. contest on Dec. 29 against CS Northridge, a preview to the men's Cable Car Classic later that evening at the Leavey Center.
Season/Game Tickets On Sale
Season and individual game tickets for Santa Clara are on sale through the school's official website www.SantaClaraBroncos.com and the athletic ticket office at 408-554-4660. In conjunction with Student Advantage's FANSonly Network, the athletic department has developed an online ticket application that provides fans with the ability to purchase season tickets, family plans, individual games or an all-sports pass via the official athletic website. Season and individual match ticket packages are also available through the athletic ticket office, open between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Head Coach Chris Denker
In his first season as head coach, Chris Denker (Oregon '90) led the Broncos to a share of the regular season WCC title with Saint Mary's. The championship made Denker and first-year Gael coach Michelle Jacoby the first first-year coaches to win a women's basketball title in the WCC, taking into consideration both rookie head coaches and previously experienced head coaches in their first year with a league squad. Additionally, the victory over Pepperdine on Jan. 11 made Denker the winningest first-year head coach in SCU history, surpassing 10-year head coach Ken Thompson's first year mark of nine wins in the 1978-79 season. Now in his second season with a 25-10 career mark, Denker was no stranger to Santa Clara basketball. Serving as an assistant coach on Caren Horstmeyer's staff for the last seven years, Denker was the top recruiting and offensive coordinator. His teams amassed a 137-64 (.682) overall record, including a 69-29 (.704) mark in West Coast Conference play. The Broncos have also won three WCC Championships under his watch and advanced to the postseason four times. He has also been an assistant coach Idaho State University and South Eugene (Ore.) High School. As a collegiate player, Denker lettered in basketball as a freshman at Boise State University before transferring to Linn Benton Community College the next year. At LBCC, he served as the basketball team captain and earned honorable mention All-League recognition in 1987.
King Named on of the WCC's Top 50 Athletes
Former Bronco hoopster Melissa King (1991-93) was named one of the West Coast Conference's greatest student-athletes to ever grace the courts, courses and fields over the last five decades. In honor of the league celebrating its 50th year of existence, the WCC announced its top 50 listing. The list includes only individuals from the league's current membership who participated in WCC athletics while the conference sponsored each performer's particular sport. Each of the honorees was recognized for his or her contributions to the conference, with primary focus on each individual's collegiate accomplishments.
All eight of the WCC's current member institutions submitted nominees to the conference staff to be considered for the league's Top 50 list. The final student-athletes were then selected by the conference office from the pool of nominees. Eight of the greatest student-athletes in league history hail from Santa Clara. The full list is available at www.WCCsports.com. Please visit the website in the near future, as articles on some of the top 50 student-athletes will appear, as well as a historical look at the league.