Nov. 23, 2005
Tournament Central
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Briefly
The Lions host their annual Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend, the LMU/Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Classic. This year's field is one of the best, with Georgia, UCLA and Charlotte joining LMU in the four-team field. The games tip off on Friday at 5:00pm with UCLA and Georgia playing in the first game, and LMU and Charlotte facing off in the second game at7:00pm. The action continues on Saturday. The consolation game is at 3:00pm and the championship game is at 5:00pm. All games will have Gametracker available, and all LMU games will be broadcast live on Lions' All-Access.
Looking Back
It was an offensive showcase for the fans at the Bren Events Center on Monday night as LMU secured a 93-73 victory. Amanda Patton broke her career high for points for the second straight game, scoring 18 points with five three-pointers. Five players finished in double digit scoring, including Jevay Grooms with 15 points and Rachael Ziemann with 13 points. LMU shot 56.7% from the field in the first half, taking a 54-38 lead after 20 minutes, and kept up the intensity in the second half. LMU showed its depth, with every healthy player entering the game, and none playing more than 27 minutes. Ashlee Dunlap was one rebound away from her second straight double double, scoring 11 points and pulling down nine rebounds.
The Lions opened their season at Arizona, falling to the Wildcats 74-66. Patton started out the regular season as she played in the exhibitions, leading the team in scoring with a then-career-high 15 points. After a close first half, the Wildcats pulled away in the second half. A strong LMU finish closed the deficit to eight points, but the Lions ran out of time.
One for the Record Books
LMU's 93-73 win over UC Irvine was one of for the Lion record books. The 93 points was the seventh highest point total in school history, and the most points scored since LMU scored 94 points against Gonzaga on February 5, 2000. In addition, Amanda Patton added her name to the single-game record list, making five three-pointers for 18 points. The five treys ties for fifth place on the single game list.
Deep Bench
The two games have really shown how deep and balanced LMU's team is this season. In the 93-73 win over UC Irvine, five players scored in double digits, and no player had more than five field goals. Every healthy player saw playing time, with just one person playing more than 24 minutes, and only four playing more than 20 minutes.
Potent Offensive Attack
So far this season, the Lions are averaging 79.5 points per game. This is a departure from LMU teams of the past few years. Last year's Lions averaged 60.3 points per game, and their highest scoring game was 76 points. The 2003-04 championship squad averaged 61.2 points per game, and their season-high was 77 points.
The Tournament Field
About Charlotte
Charlotte has a 1-1 record heading into the tournament. The 49ers opened their season with an 84-58 win over Appalachian State, but dropped an 87-80 decision against Western Kentucky on Tuesday night. Sakellie Daniels led Charlotte with 21 points against WKU, and Pam Brown leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. Amanda Butler is in her first season as the head coach of the 49ers after spending four years as an assistant with Charlotte. Last season, Charlotte finished with a 22-9 record and participated in the WNIT.
About Georgia
Georgia is 2-1 on the season and ranked 11th in the latest polls. After dropping their opener to defending NCAA Champions Baylor, the Lady Bulldogs rebounded with a thrilling 92-91 win over Santa Clara. They recorded an 80-51 win over TCU on Monday night. Four players scored in double digits for Georgia against TCU, led by Inglewood native Alexis Kendrick with 17. Last season, Georgia was 24-10 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time under head coach Andy Landers.
About UCLA
UCLA is 0-2 after Tuesday's night's 71-67 loss against BYU. UCLA opened its season with a 93-85 setback against defending NCAA Champion Baylor. The Bruins are led by Noelle Quinn who is averaging 18.0 points per game. Lisa Willis is close behind at 17.5 points, and Nikki Blue is averaging 15.5 points per game. Last season, UCLA finished with a 16-12 record and placed 6th in the Pac-10. Blue and Quinn are pre-season Wooden Award All-Americans.
Lions Top Preseason Poll
LMU was chosen as the favorite to claim the WCC women's basketball title in the 2005-06 WCC preseason poll, as selected by the conference coaches. The Lions, who posted a 16-13 overall record last season and a 9-5 mark in conference play to finish in second place, will be seeking their second WCC championship in the last three years. The Lions received 59 points in the poll, including four first place votes, to edge defending champion Gonzaga. Santa Clara, the 2005 WCC Tournament champion, was picked third and received the remaining first place vote. Pepperdine, which returns six letterwinners, and Saint Mary's, which returns eight letterwinners, tied for the No. 4 spot with 36 points. San Francisco was selected sixth with 25 points, followed by San Diego with 21 points and Portland with 12 points. Additionally, LMU guard Rachael Ziemann was named one of the top returning players in the WCC.
Lions in the WCC Statistics
When looking at the WCC statistics after the opening week of play, you'll see LMU's name at the top of several categories. LMU leads the conference in field goal percentage, making 49.1% of shots, and also in scoring margin, averaging 6.0 points more per game. The Lions are second in scoring average at 79.5 points per game. Only Santa Clara averages more points at 81.0. Amanda Patton leads the conference in three-pointers made, and Ashlee Dunlap is the top defensive rebounder so far. Patton is second in the WCC in scoring, and Dunlap is second in rebounding.
Looking Ahead
LMU heads out on the road again, traveling to Utah for a pair of games. LMU will take on Weber State on Thursday at 6:00pm PST, and Utah on Saturday at 2:00pm PST. LMU faced both teams last year in Gersten Pavilion, and dropped both contests.
Lions On TV
Two LMU games are scheduled to be on TV this season. LMU at Pepperdine on January 28th will be broadcast on Fox Sports West 2 as part of the WCC package. When LMU hosts Pepperdine, CSTV will broadcast the game. To accomodate this broadcast, the game time has been moved to 5:00pm. Please note the change.
Lions All-Access
For the third straight year, every LMU women's basketball game will be broadcast live on LMU's website at www.LMULions.com. This year, LMU has teamed up with CSTV to provide Lions' All-Access. In addition to audio for all games, streaming video will be available for all LMU home games. Angie Kiel and Patrick Duggan return for the second year as the voices of the Lions to provide play by play, along with insight and analysis for every Lion broadcast. Check www.LMULions.com for more information on Lions' All-Access.
