Feb. 25, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team takes to the road for the final weekend of the 2008-09 regular season. The Broncos begin with a homecoming for head coach Jennifer Mountain as she returns to her alma mater, Gonzaga, for the first time. SCU and the Zags battle on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. Santa Clara then takes on Portland on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.
Follow Your Broncos Online
Fans cans listen to this week's game via Bronco All-Access as Sam Farber will be calling the play-by-play action on www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. Live in-game stats will be available via www.gozags.com and www.portlandpilots.com.
Broncos Send Seniors Off In Style
SCU won its first West Coast Conference game last weekend with a 51-46 triumph over USF on Senior Night. It was also the Broncos' first win since Jan. 3's 56-39 win over San Jose State. Sara Majors led the team with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Bronco Watch
SCU enters the weekend with a 3-24 overall record and a 1-11 WCC mark. Lena Gipson leads the team with 13.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She also owns a 49.2 FG%. Elizabeth Doran is 88.9% from the charity stripe and 31.1% from behind the arc. Majors has dished out 82 assists thus far and is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Gipson Makes Mark In Record Books
The sophomore forward has entered her first single-season category as a Bronco. With 266 rebounds, she takes over the No. 5 spot this week from Liz Bruno's sophomore season (1979-80) and Jen Gottschalk's senior season (2007-08) of 260 boards. She is nine rebounds shy of claiming the No. 4 spot from Michelle Cozad's senior season mark of 274. Gipson's boarding average (9.9) also ranks in the top-10 of the single season list. She is tied for No. 4 with Bruno and Terri Reade's freshmen seasons (1978-79).
Closing in on 500
Senior Majors is 10 points shy of her career 500th. She averages 6.3 points per game and has at least three games (two regular season, one WCC tournament) in order to reach the mark.
Viva Las Vegas!
The 2009 West Coast Conference basketball championships are being held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The women's tournament begins on March 6 with the No. 5/8 seeds playing at Noon and the No. 6/7 seeds playing at 2 p.m. The winners advance to play the No. 4 and No. 3 seeds, respectively on Saturday, Mar. 7 at noon and 2 p.m. On Sunday, Mar. 8, the No. 1 seed battles the winner of the No. 4/5/8 game at Noon, while the No. 2 seed takes on the winner of the No. 3/6/7 game. The two semifinal winners will then face off on Monday, Mar. 9 at noon on ESPNU. The winner of the 2009 WCC Basketball Championship receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Nationally
The Broncos jumped up one spot to a No. 5 ranking in the nation 3FG defense this week. SCU has held its opponents to a .253 three-point field goal percentage. Santa Clara is jumped to No. 69 (from No. 90 last week) in field goal defense, holding its opponents to a 37.3 percentage. Individually, Gipson holds onto No. 21 in rebounds per game.
Off The Boards
For the 10th straight week, Gipson leads the West Coast Conference in rebounds. She averages a league-best 9.9 per game. She ranks No. 1 in rebounds and No. 1 in defensive rebounds with 7.19 per game.
In The WCC
Overall, the Broncos continue to lead the WCC in three-point field goal percentage defense and rebounding defense, and moved back to the No. 1 spot in field goal percentage defense. In conference games only, SCU leads the WCC in 3FG% defense (.232) and rebounding defense (35.1), and is second in FG% defense (.358) and 3FG percentage (.318).
Individually in WCC games only, Alyssa Shoji holds on to the No. 1 spot in 3FG% (.444) and is ranked No. 3 in 3FGs made (1.67). Maggie Goldenberger is No. 7 in FG% (.478). Doran is No. 2 in 3FGs made (1.75) and is No. 7 in 3FG% (.288). Majors checks in at No. 3 in defensive rebounds (5.83), No. 4 in rebounding (7.7) and No. 10 in FT% (.822). Gipson rounds out the leaders at No. 2 in rebounding (9.1) and defensive rebounds (6.67), No. 8 in scoring (13.2), No. 9 in offensive rebounds (2.42) and in FG% (.466).
Scouting Gonzaga
The Zags enter Thursday's game with a 22-6 overall record and a 10-2 WCC mark. Last weekend, Gonzaga split its games. The Bulldogs narrowly escaped LMU (81-78) and then fell 72-62 at Pepperdine. ZAGS TO WATCH: Heather Bowman - 19.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg; Courtney Vandersloot - 16.1 ppg, 190 a, 54 stl; Vivian Frieson - 9.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 43 blk, 57 stl.
Last Time vs. Gonzaga
The Broncos and Zags last met on Jan. 15 at the Leavey Center. The Bulldogs defeated the Broncos 65-47.
All-Time vs. Gonzaga
Saturday's game marks the 47th meeting of the two teams. Santa Clara leads the series 27-19.
Scouting Portland
The Pilots enter the weekend with a 16-11 overall record and a 9-3 WCC mark. Portland split last weekend with a loss to Pepperdine (64-55) and a win at LMU (57-55). The Pilots have won six of their last seven games. PILOTS TO WATCH: Laiken Dollente - 14.9 ppg, 38 stl; Tara Cronin - 9.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 51 stl; Karlie Burris - 5.4 ppg, 16 blk, 56 stl.
Last Time vs. Portland
The Broncos and Pilots last met on Jan. 17 at the Leavey Center. Portland won 50-38.
All-Time vs. Portland
Saturday's game marks the 51st meeting of the two teams. Santa Clara leads the series 29-21.
On Deck
Santa Clara heads to Las Vegas on March 6-9 for the 2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships. The Broncos will either play at noon or 2 p.m. on March 6. Please continue to check www.SantaClaraBroncos.com for opponent and tip-off updates.