‘Yote Notes – Dec. 3, 2002

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@albertson.edu

 

 

 

 

GENERAL ATHLETICS NEWS:

PRICE NAMED REGIONAL PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR: After compiling the best all-around season in Albertson volleyball history, senior Kristyn Price capped off her Coyote career by being named NAIA Region I Player-of-the-Year at the 2002 regional volleyball tournament.  Price, who led the Cascade Conference in attack percentage and kills per game, becomes the first-ever Albertson player to earn the regional honor.  By being named Player-of-the-Year, Price is eligible for first or second-team All-America status, something a Lady 'Yote spiker has never achieved.  It is the fourth consecutive season that Price was named to the All-Cascade Conference and All-NAIA Region I teams.

 

 

BASAÑEZ ALSO HONORED: Also named to the All-Region team was setter Amanda Basañez.  The junior, who ranked third in the Cascade Conference in assists, was one of 12 players named as honorable mention selections.

 

 

WOMEN'S SOCCER SNUBBED: Albertson women's soccer head coach Aisha Reed was not the only person shocked when neither midfielder Alyssa Latham, nor striker Becky Robertson, were named to the All-NAIA Region I team last week.  Latham led the Cascade Conference in assists per game, while Robertson tied for the loop lead in game winning goals.

 

INTRAMURAL VOLLEYBALL: For good measure, the staff intramural volleyball team has compiled a 3-1 record so far this season, including wins over both men's soccer teams.  Leading the charge has been baseball assistant coach Al Mendiola, along with Arn and Brandie Allemand.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL (8-3): 16th-Annual Golden Rule Shoot-Out follows Wednesday meeting with Broncos

 

LAST WEEK: Idle

 

COMING UP: At Boise State, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; host Golden Rule Shoot-Out, Friday – Westminster vs. Menlo, 6 p.m.; Albertson vs. Akron Wingfoots AAU, 8 p.m.; Saturday – Menlo vs. Akron Wingfoots AAU, 6 p.m.; Albertson vs. Westminster, 8 p.m.

 

A RESTFUL WEEK OFF: Assistant coach Garry Matlock was able to catch another big trout, head coach Mark Owen spent time with family and friends, with the majority of the Albertson men’s team traveling to their respective homes – without a game to be played last week.  It was the first true week off for the Coyotes since the season opener on Nov. 1 – and the first time in four weeks that Albertson had not played three times in a week.

 

BRONCO BUSTIN’: The second of two games against NCAA Division I opponents is Wednesday night as Albertson looks to end a 13-game losing streak to Boise State.  The Coyotes have not defeated the Broncos (2-1) since a 91-53 victory over the Broncos during the 1956-57 season, when BSU was just a junior college.  First-year head coach Greg Graham has installed an uptempo offense that is beginning to hit high gear – as BSU stopped previously unbeaten Idaho, 75-67, on Saturday.  It has been a different player each night stepping up for BSU – Aaron Haynes (14.0 ppg) scoring 15 against Eastern Illinois, C.J. Williams (16.7 ppg) scoring 32 versus Idaho State, and Bryan DeFares (12.7 ppg) tallying 17 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in the win over Idaho.  It is the third consecutive season that the two teams have met, with the Broncos winning 96-76 and 80-53.  Boise State holds a 16-3 all-time advantage over the Coyotes.

 

AGAINST A DIVISION I SCHOOL: Despite defeating Idaho State earlier this season, the record is not a pleasant one for the ‘Yotes in games against NCAA Division I opponents.  Albertson was 0-29 against Division I schools (0-11 vs. Boise State, 0-11 vs. Idaho State, 0-1 vs. Montana, 0-4 vs. Nevada-Reno, 0-1 vs. New Mexico State, 0-1 vs. Weber State) before the 72-68 upset over the Bengals on Nov. 12.

 

BOOSTER FUNCTION AND TICKETS TO GAME: A pregame rally is being held at the Boise Smoky Mountain Pizza in the Park Center Plaza at 6 p.m. prior to the game.  To reserve a spot at the function – which includes a reserved ticket to the Boise State-Albertson game, contact the Albertson Alumni Office at 459-5300.  Cost is $15, which includes dinner, a no-host bar, and a reduced ticket price to the game.

 

THE GOLDEN RULE: For the 16th consecutive year, the Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out will occupy the J.A. Albertson Activities Center this weekend.  Touted as “the best small college tournament on the west coast,” the Golden Rule has drawn a trio of solid teams for a classic format tournament in Caldwell.  The lone team Albertson will not meet is Menlo College, from Atherton, Calif., who was ranked No. 19 in the NAIA Division II preseason national poll.  The Oaks (2-2), the defending California Pacific Conference champions, defeated Southern Oregon on Saturday, 82-66, but must meet Oregon Tech and Idaho State before the Golden Rule.  Joining Menlo at the tournament is Westminster College, whom the Coyotes have already met once this season.  The Griffins (6-4) have won four consecutive games, all against NCAA Division II opponents.  Boise native Tommy Connor is in his fourth-year at the Salt Lake City school, a year removed from an NAIA Division I National Tournament appearance.  The Griffins are led by guard Adam Hiatt (17.9 ppg) and post Nick Taggart (11.3 ppg), who were held to just ten points combined in the Albertson 68-62 win on Nov. 9.  Westminster, however, holds a 11-10 advantage in the all-time series.  Albertson will also meet the Akron Wingfoots AAU team in an exhibition game on Friday night.  The Wingfoots (10-12 on their national tour), are a member of the NABL and are one of the premier development teams for basketball internationally.  The squad features a pair of former Coyotes – as 2002 graduates Ty Shaw and Mike Homik return to their college stomping grounds.

 

LAST YEAR’S TOURNAMENT: Brad Willden single-handedly brought home the 2001 Golden Rule Shoot-Out crown to Westminster College, as the Griffins stopped Albertson, 82-77 in overtime, in the title game.  Willden buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, then scored seven points in the extra stanza for the Griffins.

 

NO RADIO UNTIL DECEMBER 17:  Between the unavailability of airtime, along with a lack of radio-only sponsors, Coyote games on Dec. 4 at Boise State, along with the Dec. 7 game vs. Westminster will not be broadcast on the radio.  Fans can catch the game vs. BSU on the Bronco Radio Network (670 KBOI-AM).  However, the BSU game along with all four Golden Rule Shoot-Out games will be carried on the Internet on the Albertson Athletic webpage (www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx).  As of today, the plan still is to carry all 18 Cascade Conference men’s games, along with nine CCC women’s road games on 1490 KCID-AM. 

 

MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the official site of Coyote basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE HOTLINE: For up-to-date scores from the Cascade Conference, call the Cascade Conference Hotline at (208) 459-5135.  Each night, scores and updated standings are posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson men’s basketball website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/stats/standings.htm.  

 

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (4-5): Coyotes to host NNU on Tuesday, head to Walla Walla for weekend tournament

 

LAST WEEK: Defeated Great Falls, 61-57; lost to George Fox, 71-58.

 

COMING UP: vs. Northwest Nazarene, Tuesday, 7 p.m.; at Whitman Tournament, Walla Walla, Wash. – vs. Walla Walla, Friday, 2 p.m.; vs. Lewis-Clark State, Saturday, 2 p.m.

 

GEORGE FOX WINS LADY ‘YOTE CLASSIC: Using an inside-outside game, George Fox University showed why it has won 20-or-more games for four straight years, sweeping both games at the Lady ‘Yote Classic, presented by the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites.  The Bruins rode the back of wing Liz Clark in the opening 77-56 win over Eastern Oregon, with the sophomore scoring 24 points, grabbing nine boards, to go along with six assists.  In their 71-58 win over Albertson, post Darby Cave recorded a double-double, with freshman point-guard Kim Leith scoring 15 points.  It was only the second time in the tournament’s history that someone other than Albertson won the “mythical” title.

 

SHOOTING WOES AT HOME: Call it tight rims or hometown jitters – the fact is that the Lady ‘Yotes have struggled shooting the rock in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center this season.  In the six games away from home, Albertson made 144-of-338 shots (.426 percent) from the floor, and 32-of-91 shots (.352 percent) from outside the three-point arc.  At home, the numbers are staggering – just 57-of-182 (.313 percent) from the field, and 10-of-55 (.182 percent) from long range.  The Coyotes average 67 points a game on the road, but just 57 points per game at home.

 

LATHAM SHINES IN WIN: It didn’t take long for Alyssa Latham (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC) to make a transition from the soccer field to the hardwood.  The junior showed why she was an All-NWAACC player last season, scoring 19 points in the Albertson come-from-behind 61-57 win over Great Falls on Friday night.  Latham scored nine of the ‘Yotes final 14 points, including a three-pointer with 1:21 remaining to give Albertson the lead for good. 

 

OFF THE BENCH: In the win over Great Falls, the Lady ‘Yotes got key production from both Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) and Amanda Basañez (Elko, Nev. / College of Southern Idaho) off the bench.  The freshman Strunk, scored six points and a season-high seven rebounds (including five on the offensive end) in the victory, while Basañez scored two points and grabbed six boards.  Strunk had a key basket for Albertson late, cutting the Great Falls lead to 57-55 with a lay-up with less that two minutes remaining.

 

BLOCK PARTY: With eight more blocks this weekend, post Kristen Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah / Snow CC) continues to set swat records.  In her Coyote career, Bailey has now recorded nine games with at least five blocked shots (what was the school record before the 2001-02 season), and is averaging over four blocks per game this season.

 

OFFENSIVE GLASS DOOMS LADY ‘YOTES: The battle on the glass was the key on Saturday night in the Coyotes 71-58 loss to George Fox.  The visitors held a 51-41 rebound advantage, but a more startling 25-14 edge in offensive boards.  Albertson led 32-31 at halftime, but a key 10-2 run in the second half lifted GFU to the victory.  The Lady ‘Yotes were led by 14 points from junior guard Heidi Goicoechea (Burley, Idaho / Burley HS), but post Kristen Bailey was in foul trouble all night, scoring ten points in just 15 minutes of action.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE RANKINGS: With the first regular-season national rankings to be released on Tuesday afternoon, the Cascade Conference has seen the first coaches’ poll come out.  Southern Oregon, which was the lone CCC team to be represented in the preseason national poll sits on top, followed by the Lady ‘Yotes and Concordia.  Then comes upstart Cascade, followed by Western Baptist, Oregon Tech, and Eastern Oregon.  Warner Pacific, Northwest, and Evergreen did not receive votes.

 

REKINDLING A RIVALRY: It has been nearly three years since the Albertson and Northwest Nazarene women’s basketball programs have squared off.  The Crusaders (3-0) have not faced the Lady ‘Yotes since the 1999-2000 season, when NNU stopped Albertson on four separate occasions, the last coming when Staci Kirk-Carter rallied her team from a 31-29 halftime deficit with 24 points to stop the Coyotes 66-55 on Feb. 28, 2000.  Since then, Northwest Nazarene has left the Cascade Conference for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the glamour of the NCAA Division II.  Third-year head coach Kelli Kronberger has a good nucleus – picked to finish fourth in the ten team GNAC.  2001-02 leading scorer Alysson Kollmann (12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) returns to the NNU line-up, flanked by Boise State transfer Jenny Binford (13.0 ppg) and Umpqua CC transfer Heidi Buehler (15.3 ppg).  The Crusaders opened the season with wins over Fort Lewis, Rocky Mountain, and Lewis-Clark State.  NNU holds a 12-2 all-time advantage in the series, dating back to 1995.

 

YES, THEY ARE REALLY HEADED TO WALLA WALLA: The Lady ‘Yotes will try it again this year – last season, Albertson cancelled its trip to Walla Walla when its opponents did not have enough players to field a team.  This season, Albertson will play two of the eight games scheduled for the Whitman Tournament.  In the opener, the Coyotes have their first-ever meeting with Walla Walla College, a Seventh-Day Adventist school from nearby College Place.  The Wolves (0-6), a member of the NCCAA Division I, are in their second season playing a full NCAA/NAIA schedule, which includes eight games against Cascade Conference opponents.  Walla Walla is led by freshman forward Stephanie Jones (13.3 ppg, 12 rpg), who had 16 rebounds in a loss last weekend to Simpson College.  The night-cap for the Coyotes is a battle with the only other NAIA school in Idaho – Lewis-Clark State.  The Warriors (6-2) are once again off to a great start, with losses coming to NCAA Division I Gonzaga and NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene.  Four of Brian Orr’s five starters are averaging in double-figures, led by guard Jessica Foot (14.0 ppg) and forward Kyla Harris (11.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg).  LCSC has never lost to Albertson in six previous meetings, including an 85-70 win in Caldwell last season.

 

INTERNET BROADCAST INFORMATION: Tuesday’s Canyon County clash with Northwest Nazarene will be broadcast live on the  internet at www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx.  Albertson students Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean will call the Lady ‘Yotes action, beginning at 7 p.m.

 

MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the Albertson women’s basketball program, head to the official site of Lady ‘Yote basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.

 

 

 

- ALBERTSON -