SANTA CLARA, Calif. - A large crowd is expected Sunday afternoon at the Leavey Center when Sacramento State visits to play the Santa Clara women. It's the Broncos annual 'BAWSI Night,' returning to their home floor after playing five straight on the road. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.
Game Notes - Week #5 Dec. 5-12, 2010
SACRAMENTO STATE @ SANTA CLARA
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 • 2:00 p.m.
Game #7 • Home Game #2 • Santa Clara, Calif.
Live Video | Live Stats
LIVE COVERAGE
The game will be broadcast live, FREE of charge, on SantaClaraBroncos.com. A three-camera production will be streamed with Michael Spero (play-by-play) providing the audio. Live stats can also be accessed on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
GAME NOTES
- Santa Clara is led by third year head coach Jennifer Mountain
- The Broncos are returning home after playing five straight on the road
- SCU is coming off a 64-49 loss at Wichita State
- Sunday's game is 'BAWSI Night' (Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative)
- Lena Gipson needs just 25 more rebounds to be No. 2 all-time at SCU
- Gipson moved into fourth place all-time at SCU in rebounding (687) after totaling 27 in the last two games
- Gipson is coming off consecutive double-double games (pts-reb) – she ranked No. 23 in NCAA last season with 16 double-doubles
- Meagan Fulps leads Santa Clara in points, minutes, assists and steals
- Ashley Armstrong is coming off a pair of career games, starting and playing 36 minutes and grabbing 11 rebounds at South Dakota
- Armstrong has made four 3s in the last two games and now leads the team in 3PT % (.385)
- Santa Clara is 11-5 all-time versus Sacramento State, losing the last meeting 62-52 at the Leavey Center in 2008-09
- The Hornets are coming off a 106-88 victory over USF last Wednesday
- Sacramento State's Kylie Kuhns leads the NCAA in rebounding at 14.6 per game
- Sacramento State is 2-6 overall, and 0-2 on the road, losing at Oregon (110-60) and at Pacific (94-86)
- Sac State has been involved in some high-scoring games this year, with four breaking the 100-point plateau
- UP NEXT: The Broncos have the week off for academic finals, returning to play at Southern Utah Dec. 13
SANTA CLARA
A home game with Sacramento State awaits the Broncos (0-6) at the Leavey Center after a five-game road swing which took the team to Colorado, Bakersfield, South Dakota and Kansas. Looking for their first win, Santa Clara will have to continue to get major contributions from all-league forward Lena Gipson and sophomore shooting guard Meagan Fulps. Coming into form after missing most of preseason camp with a back injury, Gipson had a season-high 15 rebounds at Cal State Bakersfield and followed up that outing with consecutive double-doubles at South Dakota and Wichita State. Fulps is leading the Broncos in most every offensive category, averaging a team-best 11.2 points per game and playing 33-plus minutes per night. Look for junior guard Alyssa Shoji to bounce back from two uncharacteristic games at South Dakota and Wichita, in which she was held scoreless. Ricki Radanovich and Ashley Armstrong are giving third-year head coach Jennifer Mountain quality minutes and Lindsay Leo has added another dimension to the Broncos inside game. The Broncos most improve on their scoring average of just 53.8 points per game, which is a WCC low.
SACRAMENTO STATE
The Hornets (2-6) have beaten two WCC teams, knocking off Loyola Marymount 70-69 and USF 106-88. Second-year head coach Jamie Craighead won 15 games in her first season. Her 2009-10 team is picked to finish fifth in the nine-team Big Sky Conference. Six-foot sophomore forward Kylie Kuhns is leading the nation in rebounding (14.6 rpg). Kuhns is also the Hornets leading scorer at 16.8 points per game. Sac State has been involved in some high-scoring games this year, losing to Fresno State 120-93 and Oregon 110-60. The Hornets are beginning a three-game road swing, playing at CSU Bakersfield and Boise State later in the week.
BAWSI NIGHT
The Broncos are setting the standard for community service and academic achievement within the framework of intercollegiate athletics. Jennifer Mountain's student-athletes owned a combined grade point average of 3.42 in 2009. The program's commitment to the Jesuit calling of community service takes the team and its players to a pair of local elementary schools each week as part of the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI), which offers the players an opportunity to influence the lives of young female athletes.
The team has been given the 'Best of BAWSI Award' and also a ceremonial 'Key to the City' from the mayor of Sunnyvale for their community service efforts. Additionally, the coaching staff has taken the initiative to team up with over 15 community organizations, in developing the 'Bronco Community Challenge.'
TICKETS
Buy tickets online via (SantaClaraBroncos.com), or visit the Leavey Center ticket office (500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, Calif.) or by calling directly at 408-554-4660.LAST TIME OUT
LAST TIME OUT
Santa Clara opened the second half on a 13-0 run but it wasn't enough to overcome a 20-point first half deficit as Wichita State held on to beat the Broncos at the Charles Koch Arena Thursday night, 64-49. The Shockers needed just 15 minutes to establish a season-high in three-pointers made, dropping in seven 3s to lead by as many as 20 in the first half and at the break, 37-20.
Meagan Fulps keyed the Bronco run after halftime, making three 3s for Santa Clara (0-6) and finishing with a team-high 14 points and three assists. Lena Gipson posted her second consecutive double-double, with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Santa Clara changed up its starting lineup, going with a four-guard attack (Shoji-Armstrong-Radanovich-Fulps-Gipson) … it was the first-ever meeting between the two schools … the Shockers are now 26-11 at home under third-year coach Jody Adams … Santa Clara's 49 points was a season-low.
ESPN RANKS SCU RECRUITING CLASS AMONG NATION'S BEST
Next year's incoming class for the Santa Clara University women's basketball program has been ranked No. 56 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz. The Broncos and third-year head coach Jennifer Mountain announced the signing of four outstanding high school players during November's early signing period last week:
Nici Gilday of San Jose, Calif. (Presentation HS)
Vanessa Leo of San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS)
Colleen Rooney of Centennial, Colo. (Regis Jesuit HS)
Tyler Woods of Corona, Calif. (Centennial Corona HS)
"All four of our future Broncos fit the mold of what Santa Clara is all about. They are extremely bright young women who value education and grasp what it means to be a Bronco both on and off the court. They are great role models and will representSanta Clara with respect and class at all times. I am very excited about them joining us next year and having the chance to coach them," said Mountain.
LENA GIPSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-WCC
Lena Gipson was named to the 2010-11 West Coast Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. Gipson, a senior power forward from Hanford, Calif., is one of the most prolific rebounders in Santa Clara University history. She was one of ten players recognized on the team, which was released along with the preseason coaches' poll. Santa Clara was picked to finish seventh in the eight-team league. Gipson was named an All-WCC First Team player last season after averaging a double-double (12.6 ppg/10.0 rpg) and collecting 16 double-doubles on the year, which ranked No. 23 among all NCAA players.
FREE GAME BROADCASTS ON SANTACLARABRONCOS.COM
In conjunction with the West Coast Conference, Santa Clara is pleased to announce that most home games and all conference road games this season will be broadcast FREE of charge on SCU's official athletics website (SantaClaraBroncos.com). Additionally, Santa Clara's Michael Spero (play-by-play) will call selected road games, offered online as FREE audio broadcasts.
SANTA CLARA WOMEN'S HOOPS ON YOUTUBE!
Check out the latest videos and features on the Broncos on the team's official YouTube page (youtube.com/scuwbb).
