Dec. 2, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, December 3
LMU (5-1) at Cal Poly (4-2) 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 6
LMU vs. UNLV (4-1) 2:00 p.m.
Live audio for all LMU games is available with Angie Kiel and Patrick Duggan through Stretch Internet on Lions All-Access at LMULions.com. Gametracker will be available for all home games at LMULions.com
Briefly
LMU puts its four-game winning streak on the line this week as it faces a pair of tests, one away and one at home. After three straight home games, the Lions hit the road Wednesday, traveling up the 101 to San Luis Obispo to take on Cal Poly. Then it's back to Gersten Pavilion for the Homecoming festivities and a Saturday matinee against UNLV, to be followed by the LMU men's team taking on Wyoming.
Listen To And Follow The Lions Live On The Web
Loyola Marymount University, in conjunction with Stretch Internet, is proud to present FREE live audio broadcasts over the World Wide Web on www.LMULions.com. Join Angie Kiel all season long for every Lion game, home and away, in 2008-09. Angie will be joined on select home broadcasts by Patrick Duggan and Will Callanen. Just click on the "Listen" or "Archive" link next to the game of your choice. All broadcasts will be archived within 72 hours of their original airing and will include both the pre-game and post-game shows.
All home games and select away games will be available live on Gametracker through the LMU website. Check www.LMULions.com for all Gametracker live stats information.
Got a Question or Comment? Talk to the Lions
This year, the media relations office has introduced a new feature for radio broadcasts: Talk to the Lions. Fans who are listening to the LMU broadcast through the Stretch Audio Network can now e-mail any question they have and it will be read and answered live on-air by Angie Kiel. To submit your question, go to the women's basketball home page and click on "E-mail the Radio Team".
Media Guide
The 2008-09 LMU women's basketball media guide is now available to download at www.LMULions.com. Copies are also available through the LMU Media Relations Office for $10 per guide.
Coming to a Game?
If you are planning to attend a game at LMU this season, then be sure to reserve your tickets today by ordering online at www.LMULions.com or calling the LMU Ticket Office at (310) 338-LION. The Loyola Marymount University campus is located in Westchester at 1 LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. Visitors must use the main entrance off of Lincoln Blvd. on LMU Drive. Parking for Gersten Pavilion will be in General Parking Lot A.
Saturday is Homecoming
This weekend marks LMU's annual Homecoming festivities and the Lions have plenty lined up, with the first of three women's/men's doubleheaders of the year. The women get things started at 2 p.m. against UNLV, with the men taking on Wyoming at 7 p.m. In between, there will be a barbecue open to the public in the Burns Recreation Center parking lot.
About the Cal Poly Mustangs (4-2)
Cal Poly has won two in a row an four of its last five after winning its home tournament last weekend. The Mustangs opened with a 69-62 victory over Missouri-Kansas City that saw three players in double figures, led by Megan Harrison's 16 points. Ashlee Stewart added 15 points and seven assists. CP then got 36 points from its bench and had four players in double figures with Harrison again pacing the attack with 17 points.
Harrison is one of three Mustangs averaging double figures, leading the team at 14.8 ppg. Kristina Santiago is second at 11.0 ppg while Lisa McBride is at 10.7 ppg to go along with a team-high 7.0 rpg and is shooting 50% from the floor. Cal Poly regularly runs 14-15 players deep and has no player averaging more than 30 minutes a game.
Faith Mimnaugh is in her 12th season in San Luis Obispo, where she has a record of 125-187. Last year, the Mustangs went 13-19 overall and 8-8 in the Big West Conference. They return nine letterwinners and three starters.
This will be the eighth straight season that Cal Poly and LMU have squared off, switching venues each year. LMU has won three straight in the series and leads the all-time meetings 9-2. The teams met last season in Gersten Pavilion, with the Lions winning 80-64. LMU also won the last time they visited Mott Gym, 64-62 on November 28, 2006. The series is tied 2-2 when playing in SLO.
About the UNLV Rebels (4-1)
UNLV also hosted a tournament over the Thanksgiving break, going 1-1 at the Lady Rebel Round-Up. The Rebels opened with a narrow 70-69 overtime loss to Eastern Washington despite 31 points and 10 rebounds from Shamela Hampton. They bounced back the next day, getting 24 points and 13 boards from Hampton and shooting 67% in the second half for a 76-65 win over Cal State Fullerton.
Kathy Olivier returned to her alma mater this year after 15 years as head coach at UCLA, where she went 232-208. Last year, UNLV was 8-22 overall and 4-12 in the Mountain West Conference. They bring back 11 letterwinners and three starters.
LMU pulled out a 61-59 victory last year in Las Vegas on Amanda DeCoud's length-of-the-floor sprint and jumper at the buzzer. It was the Lions' second straight victory in the series but UNLV still controls the all-time meetings, 5-2.
Last Week Recap: Lions Make it Back-to-Back Ayres Tourney Titles
LMU entered the 2008 Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament as the defending champions and was not about to let anyone take away its crown. In Friday's semi-final, sophomore Renahy Young led three players in double figures with 20 points as LMU advanced to the title game with a 69-55 victory over Idaho State. The Lions put in a solid team effort, getting 18 points from junior Lisa Helmers, 12 points from freshman Alex Cowling, eight points and 11 rebounds from sophomore Aleyse Evans, 10 rebounds from sophomore Melanie Ysaguirre, and three points, six rebounds, six assists, and five steals from senior Cassady Moore. That all set up a championship matchup against Georgetown, who had handed LMU a 75-49 spanking last year in Washington, D.C. The emotions of that defeat were still fresh in the Lions' minds and they came out ready to battle the unbeaten Hoyas. Young's three-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave them a four-point cushion at the half but GU opened the second period with a 9-2 run to reclaim the lead. The tight game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes but it was Helmers' long three with 5:10 left, Young's free throws with 2:29 remaining, and a layup by Evans off a feed from Young with 38 ticks on the clock that sealed the championship, 54-49.
Young MVP, Moore All-Tourney at Ayres
For the second time this season, sophomore Renahy Young and senior Cassady Moore walked away from a preseason tournament with individual hardware. In the season-opening Bank of Hawai'i Invitational, both were named to the all-tournament team. Moore repeated the honor at the Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament, averaging a steady line of 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals a game. Young, however, was the offensive force, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively, and spurring LMU's come-from-behind victory in the championship game.
Quick Out of the Gate
This year marks the sixth time in school history that LMU has started the season 5-1, tying for the program's best six-game start. The Lions also went 5-1 in 1987-88, 1991-92, 2001-02, 2002-03, and 2003-04, when the Lions started 8-1 on their way to a 24-6 season.
LMU's current four-game winning streak is its longest since winning six straight from February 10-March 3, 2007.
Young Guns
Don't worry about the hype overwhelming sophomore guard Renahy Young. After being named to the WCC All-Freshman and Honorable Mention teams in 2007-08 and to this year's Preseason All-Conference squad, Young has only gone out and earned Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament honors and the MVP trophy at the Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament.
Young has reached double figures in five of LMU's six games this season and has twice topped 20 points, including a career-high 31 points in the triple-overtime loss to Arizona. That performance made her the first LMU player to break the 30-point plateau since Bryn Britton in 2001.
Free throws are the theme for Young, who has managed to get to the line when her shot isn't dropping. Against Toledo, she was outright horrible (1-for-16) from the floor but showed her greatness by continually driving to the hoop and drawing fouls, setting a new LMU single-game record with 15 free throws made (on 19 attempts). She then went 14-for-16 from the line in the win over Idaho State and has attempted 12-or-more foul shots in a game three times this year. After six games, Young is on a torrid pace, averaging 17.7 ppg and 10.5 trips to the line.
Defensive Stopper Shows Offensive Side
For the last three seasons, Cassady Moore has been one-half of a prolific defensive tandem, joining up with Amanda DeCoud to wreak havoc in the backcourt. Now that DeCoud has graduated as the school's #2 all-time thief, it is time for Moore to assume the spotlight in her senior season. With 126 career steals, Moore is on pace to finish among the LMU top-10, needing just 20 steals to enter the ranks. Offensively, Moore started the season with a bang as the only Lion to score in double figures in each of the first four games. She was named to the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in the three games and then earned Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving All-Tournament honors by averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in leading LMU to the title.
Toughness in the Post
With the graduation of Valerie Ogoke, all eyes are on sophomore Aleyse Evans as the Lions' newest defensive and rebounding force. Evans finished among the WCC leaders in rebounds and blocks per game last season despite seeing limited action over the last six games due to a foot injury. Another year older, healthier, and stronger, Evans has worked to improve her game on offense as well as defense. She showed that in the opener vs. Hawai'i, making her first four shots en route to a game-high and new career-high 15 points. She then recorded her first career double-double against Toledo, going 7-for-9 from the floor for 14 points and equaling her career-best with 15 boards. Evans has reached double figures in rebounds in three of the first six games and is averaging 9.5 per game overall while shooting 50% from the floor. She is among the WCC leaders in points per game, total rebounds per game, field goal percentage, steals, blocked shots, offensive rebounds per game, and defensive rebounds per game.
Helmers Takes the Helm
On a team with 11 underclassmen, it is up to the juniors and seniors to take the lead. Junior Lisa Helmers has adopted that mantle and has been named a team captain for 2008-09. LMU's best long-range threat in 2007-08, Helmers hit 59 three-pointers, the fourth-most in a single season at LMU and scored in double figures 10 times. She was also the only player to be named to the all-tournament teams at both of LMU's home tournaments. This year, she could not have had a better exhibition game, connecting on what would have been a school-record eight three-points for a game-high 24 points, which would have topped her career-high of 16 had the game counted. After going 5-for-26 and averaging 5.0 ppg in Hawai'i, she broke out of her shooting slump with a career-high 23 points on 7-for-14 shooting in the home opener against Long Beach State and followed that with 18 points against Idaho State. She is currently second on the team in scoring at 10.3 ppg while her 80 career three-pointers are seventh all-time at LMU.
Sybesma Sidelined
LMU suffered a big blow to its frontcourt during preseason practice when senior Jenna Sybesma went down with a knee injury. Sybesma underwent surgery on November 11 and is working to get back to the court as soon as she can. The Lions will miss her offense down low, as Sybesma reached double figures in each of the final nine contests on 2007-08 to finish the year third on the team at 10.0 ppg while shooting 49% from the floor.
Goss Gets Rolling
Shooters are known to get on hot streaks and junior Kavita Goss certainly found her rhythm against Arizona. After connecting on three three-pointers in the win over Hawai'i, Goss went off against the Wildcats with six triples. Goss made the final seconds of the first overtime and all of the second her own, as her three-pointer with six seconds left forced the second overtime and she hit three more in the second extra frame to score all 10 of LMU's points. She finished with a career-high 21 points and averaged 11.3 ppg through the season's opening weekend.
Jess is Back
Although Evans' injury was a factor in LMU's limp towards the finish, it was the torn ACL suffered by Jessica Vargas on December 5 that had a larger impact on the direction of LMU's season. At the time of her injury, Vargas was averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8% from the floor. Vargas' injury could be a blessing in disguise for LMU as she was granted a medical redshirt and is still just a sophomore, although she adds another upperclassman presence and depth to the guard corps.
Posts Play Big
Two players who made immediate impacts in Hawai'i were sophomores Melanie Ysaguirre and Maggie Burkett. Ysaguirre has started all six games this season and is second on the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game. She had a game-high eight rebounds in the season opener, then went for four points and five boards despite playing 11 minutes due to foul trouble against Arizona. In the tournament finale, she had four points and seven boards, including four on the offensive end. Against Long Beach State, she went for a solid six points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks, the latter two of which were new career highs. She went on to top her career-high with 10 rebounds against Idaho State.
Burkett has become one of LMU's top players off the bench after seeing limited time last season. Burkett played a total of 51 minutes in 2007-08 but nearly topped that in one game, logging a team-high 43 minutes against Arizona. Due to foul trouble for Evans and Ysaguirre, Burkett was forced to be the dominant player in the post and she responded, pulling down a career-high nine boards.
Here Comes Alex
Freshman Alex Cowling has played well enough to earn herself her own spot on the weekly notes. After having a typical freshman opening weekend in which she had eight points and six boards against Hawai'i but then was hit with three quick fouls and saw just eight minutes of action against Arizona, she bounced back against Toledo, going 4-for-5 from the floor and hitting three big baskets down the stretch to finish with nine points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. Against Long Beach State, Cowling showed that she can be a game-changer, going for career-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds (seven offensive) for her first career double-double. She continued the onslaught against Idaho State, hitting six of her seven shots for 12 points and proving that it takes a brave player to elect to take a charge from her. Six games into her freshman campaign, Cowling is averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 61% from the floor.
Freshman Effective in Debut
Freshman Mikah Maly-Karros should have her picture listed under the term "coming out of nowhere." The freshman played a total of three minutes in the weekend's first two games but then exploded against Toledo. With LMU trailing by 18 within the first six minutes, Maly-Karros provided the spark her team needed by making her first four shots and hustling to grab and offensive rebound and lay it in to complete the Lions' comeback and give them their first lead. Her determination and hustle kept the Lions going as she recorded her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.
Was LMU The Champion in Hawai'i? Technically... No
LMU went 2-1 at the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational, posting the same record as both Arizona and Toledo. So why don't the Lions have a trophy in their cabinet? With three teams tied for first place, the first tie-breaker used in the tournament was head-to-head result. Well, LMU defeated Toledo and Toledo defeated Arizona but Arizona defeated LMU, leaving all three teams still tied. The second tiebreaker used was fewest points allowed, as the tournament organizers wanted to reward defense. That meant that the Lions, who allowed 214 points in the three games, were relegated to third. Toledo (205 points allowed) garnered the runners-up trophy while Arizona (202 points allowed) walked away with the championship. In an ironic twist, Hawai'i, who went 0-3 on the weekend, allowed the fewest points of any team, giving up a mere 192 points in its three games.
Young, Moore Named Bank of Hawai'i All-Tournament
Sophomore Renahy Young and senior Cassady Moore got the season off to an award-winning start as both were named to the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament Team. Young averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game and hit her career-high with 31 points in the loss to Arizona. Young and Moore were the only Lions to score in double figures in all three games as Moore went for 14, 11, and 12 points, respectively.
Overtime Madness
In the last two years, LMU has taken the opinion that if you're going to play overtime, why settle with just one extra period? LMU played one overtime game in 2007-08 but that one, against Cal State Bakersfield, went into double overtime and finished with a 95-90 Lion win. This year, the Lions decided to top that, playing the first triple-overtime game in school history. Unfortunately, three was not the magic number for LMU against Arizona, as the Wildcats won 93-88.
Three-Point Attack
With explosive shooters like juniors Lisa Helmers and Kavita Goss and sophomore Renahy Young on the court, it is quite possible that the Lions will set some three-point shooting records this year. Already Helmers and Goss have been peppering the single-game record of seven made threes, with Helmers going for eight in the exhibition game and Goss knocking down six against Arizona. As a team, the Lions hit 11 against the Wildcats, falling one shy of the school-record of 12, set at UC Riverside on December 5, 2003.
