‘Yote Notes –
Jan. 21, 2004
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL ATHLETIC NEWS:
NEXT C.A.A. DINNER: Special thanks to the 55 people
who attended this past Monday's C.A.A. Dinner and congratulation to those who
won in the monthly raffle. The next Coyote Athletic Association booster
dinner will be at 6:30 p.m., this Feb. 16, in the Simplot Dining Hall.
Cost is $8.00 at the door and RSVP's are being taken by Dave Hahn at 459-5835.
SKIING: Coyote
men and women tied atop Northwest Conference standings
SKI TEAMS SIT ATOP THE NORTHWEST
CONFERENCE: The
2004 Albertson College ski team opened up defense of their Northwest Conference
championships by winning Sunday's slalom team events at Willamette Pass.
After a second-place finish to British Columbia on both the men's and women's
side on Saturday, the Coyotes received individual first-place finishes by
sophomores Justin Rackley (Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Cassie Marcial (Whitefish,
Mont.) on Sunday. The 'Yotes claimed No. 1, 7, and 8 on the women's side
for the team win, and a No. 1, 6, and 7 finish on the men's side.
STANDINGS: In men's competition, Albertson
and British Columbia are tied atop the standings, followed by Gonzaga and
University of Idaho, while Albertson and UBC are tied in the women's standings,
followed by Puget Sound and the University of Oregon.
COMMENTS FROM THE COACH: "It was great to see the team
really grow up this weekend," said Ron Bonneau. "Our sophomore
class really came through for us - making the strides that competitors should
make from their first to second years."
THIS WEEKEND: Albertson travels to Anthony Lakes
in Eastern Oregon for the second Northwest Conference qualifier. Sunday's
event will be on a slalom course, while Monday's will be the first giant slalom
event of the season.
SNOW REPORT: The inversion in the Treasure
Valley means no new snow to report in the hills - however, it also means no
melt off either. At Bogus Basin, the hill reports a 50 inch base, with 59
inches at the top. At Brundage Mountain, site of the 2005 USCSA National
Championships, they report a 52 inch base, with 72 inches at the top.
Both report great groomed runs.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (14-5, 7-1 CCC): Crucial
three-game road trip looms ahead for No. 5 ranked Coyotes
LAST WEEK: defeated Oregon Tech, 79-77 (OT); lost to
Southern Oregon, 78-57.
COMING UP: at Evergreen, Friday, 7:30 p.m. (PST); at
Northwest, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (PST); at Western Baptist, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
(PST)
RADIO: All 29 regular-season contests will be broadcast
live on radio during the 2003-04 season with Mike Safford Jr. calling the
action for the third-consecutive year.
Join him this weekend as the Coyotes head out on the road to meet
Evergreen, Northwest, and Western Baptist.
Catch all of play-by-play on the “Home of the Coyotes”, 1490 KCID-AM.
INTERNET BROADCASTS: This weekend’s games will be simulcast on the
Albertson Athletic Website (www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/profiles/0203/radio.htm). The Friday game will also be heard live on
the internet via the Evergreen radio network (http://www.evergreen.edu/athlete/webstreaming.htm), with
Jim Portune calling the action.
‘YOTES DROP TWO SPOTS IN
NATIONAL POLL: Despite a lopsided loss
on Saturday night, the pollsters still like the Coyotes. Albertson dropped just two spots in the
latest NAIA Division II national poll, ranked No. 5. The squad has been ranked in the national top-ten in each of the
five polling periods this season, peaking last week at No. 3. Jamestown (N.D.) is the unanimous No. 1 team
in the nation, followed by Siena Heights (Mich.), St. Vincent (Pa.), and St.
Ambrose (Iowa). Southern Oregon is the
only other Cascade Conference team in the poll, ranked No. 21, with Concordia,
Western Baptist, and Oregon Tech all receiving votes.
WEIRD WIN OVER OREGON TECH: A raucous crowd in the J.A. Albertson Activities
Center welcomed the Coyotes home for the first time in a month, and witnesses
one of the more stranger finishes in Albertson hoop history in a 79-77 win. After seeing a double-digit second half lead
evaporate and need two late free throws to force overtime, the Coyotes led the
entire extra session, but saw OIT’s Kevin Baker can a trey with 17 seconds left
to tie the score at 77-77. After the ‘Yotes
missed a chance at the win, Tech grabbed the rebound – and a strange whistle
sounded. One of the three officials
witnessed Baker call timeout – a stoppage that the Owls did not have – with just
one tenth of a second remaining. The
resulting technical foul allowed the ‘Yotes to make two free throws and win the
game.
ACCORDING TO THE RULES: In talking with coaches’ and officials, although
Baker called the timeout, the stoppage should not have been granted. According to inside sources, since Chris
Webber’s infamous snafu against North Carolina in 1993 – officials have been
instructed not to grant a timeout when a team does not have one available. However, as the gym found out on Friday,
anything is possible in the heat of battle.
PERKES REACHES MILESTONE: With a three-pointer late in the game against
Oregon Tech, Tom Perkes (Spokane, Wash. / Big Bend CC) became the
11th Albertson player in the last 25 years to eclipse the 1,000 point mark in
his career. The senior had 25 points
and nine boards in the game – and currently has 1,022 points as a ‘Yote,
tenth-best on the list. Perkes also
ranks sixth all-time in free throws made, eighth in free throws attempts, ninth
in field goals made, and 12th in blocked shots.
WELCOME BACK BIG STEVE: Coyote fans watched junior Steve Humphreys (Reno,
Nev. / Lassen CC) for the first time in Caldwell, and he did not
disappoint. The post scored 18 points,
eight rebounds, and four blocks against OIT – his best performance since
returning from his Nov. 29 knee injury.
GREEN COMES THROUGH IN CLUTCH:
Point-guard Joe Green (Pocatello,
Idaho / BYU-Idaho) hit a huge three to open overtime against OIT – capping a
solid performance. The junior had a
career-high ten assists in the game, pushing him to No. 6 on the all-time list
for dishes. He also had seven points
and two steals – giving him 141 swipes in his career, fifth-best in Albertson
history.
HARPER MONEY AT THE LINE: Senior Andy Harper (Idaho Falls, Idaho /
Columbia Basin CC) was the man on the spot on Friday against OIT – stepping
to the line with one-tenth of a second left to try two free throws. The guard calmly knocked both freebies home
for the win – his second game-winning shot of the season. Harper leads the Cascade Conference, and is
ranked No. 19 in the NAIA, with a .879 free throw percentage, having made 23 of
his last 25 attempts.
WIN STREAK SNAPPED BY
SOUTHERN: A lackluster performance on
Saturday night ended in a Southern Oregon 78-57 victory over the Coyotes,
ending a seven-game winning streak – the longest since an 11-gamer during the
2000-01 season. The win was the worst
home loss for Albertson in six years and was the most lopsided win for Southern
against the ‘Yotes all-time. The
Raiders made over 60-percent of their shots from the floor and from outside the
arc – taking Albertson completely out of the game.
DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN: The domination by the Coyotes over the last 40
years against Southern Oregon in Caldwell did not faze Brian McDermott’s
squad. Previous Raider teams had won
only twice in Caldwell during the regular season – and this was the first time
a McDermott coached team had won in Caldwell (not counting a 103-101 double
overtime win in the 2001 CCC Playoffs).
STILL IN CHARGE OF CONFERENCE
RACE: Despite the loss to Southern
Oregon, Albertson still leads the Cascade Conference – albeit by a half-game
over SOU. One game back are both
Concordia and Western Baptist, with Oregon Tech looming in the distance. With wins this weekend and some help, the
top three teams in the league have the opportunity to become the first to
clinch playoff berths.
TRYING TO KEEP ROAD STREAK
INTACT: Although one win streak has
been snapped, the Coyotes will take a ten-game winning streak on the road
against NAIA competition west of the Cascade Mountains for a trio of
games. An improving Evergreen squad
opens the trip, as the Olympia, Wash. team has won two in a row. The Geoducks (6-16, 3-6 CCC) are one of four
teams battling for the final two playoff spots – even though there is still a
month left in the regular-season. Walter
Tucker (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) leads a balanced scoring team, which has had seven
different leading scorers throughout the season. Albertson won their third straight over Evergreen in December, an
83-73 victory in Caldwell, with the Coyotes leading the all-time series,
6-3. Saturday’s rematch with Northwest
should be a good battle – considering the 77-76 overtime game the two teams
played in Caldwell in December. The
Eagles (8-13, 2-7) have been the most unlucky team in the Cascade Conference,
having lost three loop games in overtime, and a fourth at the final horn. Freshman Aaron Sawyer (13.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
leads a quartet of players averaging in double figures for John Van Dyke’s
club. Albertson has won ten of the 14 previous
meetings between the teams. After two
days of rest in Salem, Ore., the Coyotes will end the road swing against Western
Baptist, the hottest team in the league.
The Warriors (14-6, 6-2) have won eight-in-a-row, and 9-of-10, and are
perfect in the month of January.
Western has the top one-two punch in the league – as post Eric Fiegi (26.4
ppg, 8.8 rpg), who ranks No. 3 in the NAIA in scoring average, and Jeff Dunn
(19.8 ppg) combine for more than 45 points a night. The Warriors average nearly 90 points a game and have topped the
100-point barrier on five occasions.
Albertson split its two meetings with WB last season, and holds a 33-18
all-time series lead.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the
official site Coyote Basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (7-8, 5-3 CCC): Three-game
road trip awaits Lady ‘Yotes after successful sweep of OIT and Southern
LAST WEEK: defeated No. 24 Oregon Tech, 58-55; defeated
Southern Oregon, 70-46.
COMING UP: at Evergreen, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (PST); at
Northwest, Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (PST); at Western Baptist, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
(PST)
INTERNET BROADCASTS: Eleven Albertson women’s basketball games will be
broadcast live via the Albertson athletic website this winter. Join Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean for all
of the play-by-play at this weekend at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wbasketball/2003RADIO.htm - the internet home of Lady ‘Yote
Basketball. The next scheduled game is
set for Jan. 30 when the Coyotes host Cascade College. You can listen to Friday’s game on the
internet, however, on the Evergreen Sports Network (http://www.evergreen.edu/athlete/webstreaming.htm),
with Jim Portune calling the action.
There will be no broadcasts of the games at Northwest or Western
Baptist.
TWO GAMES BACK OF FIRST: With the Albertson women’s basketball team riding
a three-game winning streak and wins in four of their last five outings, the
Lady ‘Yotes currently sit just two games out of first place in the wild Cascade
Conference standings. Eastern Oregon
jumped into the top spot after sweeping Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon, while
Northwest, who was tied with OIT coming into the weekend, lost at
Evergreen. Any combination of three
Albertson wins and three losses by Cascade and Concordia would clinch a playoff
spot for the Coyotes for the fifth-straight year.
BIGGEST WIN EVER AGAINST
SOUTHERN: Southern Oregon has been one
of three teams (Northwest Nazarene, Lewis-Clark State) that Albertson has
struggled with in the last decade.
Saturday night, however, was no struggle, as the Lady ‘Yotes handed the
visiting Raiders their worst loss in the series, a 70-46 blasting in the J.A.
Albertson Activities Center. An early
8-0 run gave Albertson a 12-5 lead in the first five minutes, then used a 14-0
run spanning the final two minutes of the first half and the first two minutes
of the second half to pull away from the defending league champs.
TOTAL DOMINATION: How lopsided was the game? The Coyote lead in the
second half was at least 20-or-more points for 18 of the 20 minutes, while
Southern made two more field goals in the game (17), than Albertson converted
in the opening half (15). Kim Strunk
(Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) scored ten of the 20 points by
the Lady ‘Yote bench, and also added seven rebounds. The team also outrebounded its opponent for the eighth time in
nine contests.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES: One of the most futile halves of basketball in the
history of the Lady ‘Yotes served as an inspiration for one of the more
dramatic comebacks – as Albertson upset No. 24 ranked Oregon Tech, 58-55. The Lady ‘Yotes managed just four field
goals (on 34 attempts) in the opening period – yet only trailed 28-14 at the
break. However, a full-court defensive
scheme took OIT out of its comfort zone, as Albertson held the Owls to just two
field goals over the final 12 minutes of the game, erasing a 42-26
deficit. Heidi Goicoechea (Burley,
Idaho / Burley HS) scored all of her game-high 18 points in the second
half, while Alyssa Latham (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC) hit
a trey to tie the score at 55-55, and put the ‘Yotes up for good with a driving
bucket with 27 seconds left.
ABOUT THE COMEBACK: Trailing by 16, Albertson
held OIT without a field goal attempt over a five-minute stretch midway through
the half – forcing six turnovers, cutting the lead to single-digits. Senior Carley Williams (Boise,
Idaho / Boise HS) grabbed six boards during during the second half, and
took a charge inside the final minute that gave Albertson a chance to set up
Alyssa Latham’s game-winner. Albertson
also held OIT to 0-for-12 shooting from outside the arc in the period.
BIGGEST CROWD EVER?: Many who were in attendance on Friday night thought
it was the biggest crowd to see a women’s game at Albertson. Not true.
It was, however, the biggest Lady ‘Yote crowd since the 1999-2000
season, when 708 fans watched Albertson meet Western Baptist. The hayday of women’s basketball was
1997-98, when six crowds of over 600 fans watched the Coyotes. In the nine years of women’s hoop, the
largest crowd to see Albertson play was 1,750 fans, who saw the Lady ‘Yotes
defeat Southern Oregon, 80-71.
WHEN WAS THE LAST UPSET?: Albertson had not defeated a nationally ranked
team since February of 2001, when the Lady ‘Yotes topped Eastern Oregon, 92-71,
in the Cascade Conference tournament.
At the time, Eastern was ranked No. 17.
COYOTE PREVALENT IN NAIA
STATS: Albertson leads the Cascade
Conference as a team in blocks per game (3.5) and rebound margin (+7.3), while
ranking third in three-point percentage (.339) and fourth in opponents scoring
average (64.3). However, the Lady
‘Yotes lead the loop in conference-only games – giving up just 60 points a
night. The team ranks No. 6 in the NAIA
in rebound margin, and No. 20 in blocks per game. Individually, Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla
CC) still rules the roost in field goal percentage (.667), and continues to
be ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in that category.
She also is fourth in the league in rebounds per game (8.8). Dani Cotterell (Nampa, Idaho /
Nampa HS) leads the league in three-pointers per game (3.1) – which is No.
9 in the NAIA, and is second in the CCC in three-point percentage (.422). Michelle Dyreng (Fruit Heights,
Utah / Snow CC) leads the CCC in blocks per game (1.9), which is No. 16 in
the NAIA. Heidi Goicoechea is No. 3 in
the league in free throw percentage (.800) and No. 9 in assists per game, while
Krystal Thacker (Elko, Nev. / BYU-Idaho) is No. 5 in the league
in assists per game (3.9).
CAREER RECORD WATCH: Heidi Goicoechea continues to close in on the
all-time scoring crown, having become the third player in school history to
surpass the 1,200-point barrier. With
ten regular-season games left, the senior needs 94 points to move past her
current assistant coach, Michelle Taylor, who scored 1,295 points from
1996-98. She also is eight
three-pointers away from taking over that category, having already taken the
all-time lead in field goal and three-point attempts. Goicoechea is in the top-five all-time in nine separate
categories. Krystal Thacker has also
moved into the top-five all-time in three categories – three pointers made,
assists, and steals, while Dani Cotterell ranks fourth all-time in three’s made
and attempted.
BACK OUT ON THE BUS: The little respite at home got the Lady ‘Yotes
battery recharged for a crucial three-game, six-day road trip to the west side
of the Cascade Mountains. Friday night,
Albertson heads to Evergreen, who set a new school record for wins in a
season with a victory over Cascade on Tuesday night. The Geoducks (6-16, 4-5 CCC) have won three of their last four,
and have scored 70-or-more points in six of their last eight games. Kristin Zompetti (15.1 ppg) has been the
catalyst for the team after spending last season as a redshirt, with freshman
Jenny Olson (7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) coming on strong as of late. Albertson handed Evergreen their worst CCC
loss to date, a 73-49 pounding in December, as the Coyotes have never lost to
the Geoducks in 12 previous meetings.
Game 2 and Day 3 of the trip has the Lady ‘Yotes heading one hour north
to face Northwest, the surprise team in the Cascade Conference. The Eagles (11-9, 7-2) boast a squad that is
small in numbers, yet packs one big wallop.
Freshman Jenny DeYoung (18.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg) leads the lead in scoring
and is second in rebounds – have scored 30-or-more points on three occasions
this season. Transfer guard Kristin
Boyd (12.0 ppg, 3.9 stl) leads the league in steals per game. The Eagles defeated Albertson, 77-65, in
December – their third win in 18 tries against the Lady ‘Yotes. After two more days in Salem, Ore. (due to
the quirky scheduling of the CCC), the Coyotes end the trip with their first
meeting of the season against Western Baptist. The Warriors (9-9, 3-5) have advanced to two of the last three
NAIA Tournaments – including last season under now second-year head coach Dave
Bale. Wing Lindsy Brownell (14.0 ppg)
leads the team in scoring, while post Toran Lundgren (12.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is
among the top players in the paint in the league. Albertson has swept the season series with Western each of the
last two season and holds a 14-5 all-time advantage with the Warriors.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For up-to-date statistics, stories, and
information about the Albertson women’s basketball team, head to the official
website for the Lady ‘Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm. For updated scores and standings from the
Cascade Conference women’s basketball season, head to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wbasketball/stats/standings.htm.
- ALBERTSON -