Nov. 23, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team begins its Thanksgiving Break road trip on Monday, Nov. 24 at Northern Arizona. The Broncos and Lumberjacks face off at 6:35 p.m. at the Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz. Santa Clara then makes its way to the East Coast to take on the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast. The game is slated for 3 p.m. PT on Nov. 26.
Last Time Out
Santa Clara faced another setback Thursday night to Sacramento State. The Broncos and Hornets saw two very different halves, as SCU control the first half and Sac State utilized two key runs to dominate the second half and win the game, 62-52. Sophomore Lena Gipson tallied her second double-double with game-highs of 17 points and 20 rebounds. Elizabeth Doran was the only other Bronco to reach double-digits, chipping in with 10 points.
Follow Your Broncos Online
Monday's game against Northern Arizona will be featured on FCS Central (Fox College Sports) and on Dish Network 9411. The TV broadcast (for those who do not have access to the channels) will also be streamed to www.bigskytv.org, which is a free service. Fans just need to register with a valid e-mail address. Live stats will also be provided on www.nauathletics.com.
Next Wednesday's game at Florida Gulf Coast will also feature a live video/audio stream offered by www.ASun.tv. The cost is $6.99. Free live stats will be available on www.fgcuathletics.com.
Bronco Watch
Santa Clara is still searching for win No. 1 as it takes to the road for five games. Under the direction of first-year head coach Jennifer Mountain, SCU returns six letterwinners and two starters from last season and welcomes five talented newcomers.
Forward Gipson leads the team in points and rebounds, averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman Rhianna Faithfull and senior Claire Goins lead the team's shooting with a 66.7 and a 64.3 field goal percentage, respectively. Faithfull and Becky Goll are perfect from beyond the arc, and Goins and Doran remain perfect at the charity stripe.
It's Raining Threes
The Broncos are at it again! This time redshirt freshman Faithfull stepped up to the plate and knocked down back-to-back treys just 17 seconds apart. They were her first two career 3FGs. Goll, Doran and Alyssa Shoji have also showed off their three-point shooting skills. The Broncos are at eight 3FGs thus far.
Last Time...
The last time the Broncos dropped their first three games of the season was in 2005-06. Santa Clara went on to post a 19-12 overall record and win a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season crown with an 11-3 record. SCU also advanced to the WNIT that season.
Scouting Northern Arizona
The Lady Lumberjacks enter Monday's game with a 0-4 record after falling 75-60 to Pepperdine on Saturday. Lumberjacks return three of their starters from last season. Lauren Hoisington leads the squad with 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Janelle Matthews averages 8.0 points thus far and has collected five steals. Jenna Galloway has also been working the boards and averaged 4.7 per game.
Last Time vs. NAU
SCU and NAU last met on Dec. 29, 2007 at the Leavey Center, when the Broncos posted a 76-66 victory. Jen Gottschalk led the game with 27 points, while Cronk added 17 points and Walker had 12. Ashley Ingle and Laura Dinkins led for NAU with 19 points each, while Dinkins posted a game-high 13 rebounds.
All-Time vs. NAU
Monday's game marks the second meeting of these two programs. The first-ever meeting was in December 2007.
Scouting Florida Gulf Coast
The Eagles enter next Wednesday's game with a 1-1 record and will have nine days between games. FGCU started the season with an 88-86 win over Florida but fell 81-64 to then-No. 21/24 Florida State. The Eagles return only one starter from last year and just three letterwinners. Adrianne McNally leads the team thus far with 14.0 points per game. Chelsea Lyles is second with 11.0 points and leads with 5.5 rebounds per game.
Last Time vs. FGCU
First Meeting
All-Time vs. FGCU
First Meeting
On Deck
The Broncos remain on the road for the second half of their holiday road trip. Santa Clara will participate in the 2008 UM Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by the University of Miami. The Broncos will face the Cougars of Chicago State in the first round on Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. PT. SCU will then play either Austin Peay or Miami on Nov. 29. Santa Clara concludes its road trip back on the West Coast against the Aggies of UC Davis. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif.