‘Yote Notes – Dec. 9, 2004

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETICS NEWS:

VOLLEYBALL EARNS ACADEMIC AWARD: Senior libero Kahli Mann was honored at the NAIA Championships as a two-time NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete.  That brings the total of Coyote "Taco Bell Academic All-Americans" this season to five.

MAKE YOUR NEW YEARS PLANS NOW: The Albertson College basketball teams invite you to spend New Years Eve with them - as the Coyotes and Lady 'Yotes take on Cascade College in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.  It will be a festive night, as Albertson hosts its second-annual "Caldwell Appreciation Night."  We hope to see you there.

SWIMMING:

COYOTES SET FOUR SCHOOL RECORDS AT INVITE: The Albertson College swim team set four school records this weekend at the Northwest Invitational, hosted by Pacific Lutheran University.  The Coyotes, one of eight teams competing in the two-day event, saw the school records in the women's 100-backstroke and 200-medley, along with the men's 100-breaststroke and 100-butterfly fall.  As a team, the Albertson men finished sixth, with the women finishing eighth. Drew Williams knocked over a second off her top-time in the 100-back (1:15.56) and two seconds off her time in the 200-IM.  David Atkins had his best time ever in the 100-breast, with Chris Sherman knocking two seconds off his time in the 100-fly.  Albertson is off until early January with a short-course dual at Lewis & Clark.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL (8-2): No. 8 ranked Coyotes have week off to prepare for Cascade Conference opener

 

LAST WEEK: at Quinn Classic, La Grande, Ore. – vs. No. 10 Montana-Western (W 80-76), vs. Montana Tech (W 85-58)

 

COMING UP: Idle, off until 12/17 at Northwest

 

RADIO AND LIVE STATS: All 29 Albertson men’s basketball games will be broadcast live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the play-by-play, along with a simulcast via the Albertson Athletic Website. 

 

COYOTES REJOIN NAIA TOP-TEN: For the 11th consecutive regular-season polling period, the Albertson College men’s basketball team has been a part of the NAIA Division II top-ten.  Beginning the season ranked No. 21, the ‘Yotes climbed 13 spots to No. 8 in the first poll of the 2004-05 season.  Last year, the Coyotes were ranked No. 9 in the initial national poll, climbing to as high as No. 3, where Albertson spent a total of three weeks.

 

OTHER TEAMS IN THE POLL: Making the biggest jump in the poll was fellow Cascade Conference team, Western Baptist.  The Warriors, one of four unbeaten teams remaining in the NAIA Division II, moved to No. 3 in the poll – the highest ranking in school history.  Western earned four first-place votes from the voters.  Also in the Top-25 was Oregon Tech, whose 6-4 start dropped the defending national champs from No. 1 to No. 19.  In the NAIA Division I poll, two Coyote opponents – Montana-Western and Christian Heritage, were tied for the No. 10 spot.

 

COYOTES VS. NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS: With the two victories over No. 17 Westminster this season, and wins over now No. 10 Christian Heritage and No. 10 Montana-Western, the Coyotes now hold a 32-17 record against NAIA Division I and II nationally ranked teams in Mark Owen’s coaching tenure.  The ‘Yotes dropped their first six games against Top-25 teams during the 2000-01 season, but have rebounded to win 32 of the last 43.  The top marks for Albertson were during the 2002-03 season in which the ‘Yotes went 10-5 against ranked teams, while going 9-2 against ranked teams last season (including three wins against preseason No. 1 ranked Oregon Tech and a win over now No. 2 ranked William Jewell).

 

RECORD ON ROAD UNDER COACH OWEN: Home has not been where the Coyotes have stayed during their non-conference games in the Mark Owen era.  In fact, of the 60 non-conference games played by Albertson during the five-year stretch, 45 have been on the road (a combined 26-19 record).  Since the start of the 2000-01 season, the ‘Yotes have a 12-3 mark in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center against non-Cascade Conference teams (with two of the losses coming to Westminster in the Golden Rule Shoot-Out).  On the road, Albertson has an 11-11 mark, while the ‘Yotes are 15-8 in games played on a neutral court.

 

ALBERTSON HANDLING NAIA DIVISION I FOES: Over the last four seasons, the Coyotes have had amazing success against teams from the Frontier Conference and the NAIA Division I.  Including the 6-0 mark this season, Albertson is an astounding 23-3 against NAIA Division I clubs since the 2001-02 season.  An even more startling number is the ‘Yotes record away from Caldwell against the same group – as Albertson boasts a 16-1 road mark against the higher-caliber teams.

 

FOUR TOURNAMENTS, FOUR TITLES: It has been a clean sweep of the hardware this season for the Albertson College men’s basketball team.  A championship at the Point Loma Collegiate Classic, the title of the Golden Rule Shoot-Out, the title in the Westminster College Classic, and last week, the title of the Quinn Classic.  In all, the Coyotes have a perfect 8-0 record in tournament play during the 2004-05 season.

 

FRIED NAMED MVP OF QUINN CLASSIC: It was a breakout weekend of sorts for Coyote post Richard Fried (Middleton, Idaho / Boise State Univ.), as the transfer was named Most Valuable Player of the 6th-Annual Quinn Classic.  The senior, thrust into the starting line-up due to an eye injury to Steve Humphreys (Reno, Nev. / Lassen CC), averaged 18 points and nine rebounds in the ‘Yotes two weekend wins.  Fried hit 62-percent of his shots, while blocking eight shots.

 

DEFENSE CARRIES COYOTES TO WIN OVER WESTERN: Defense was the key for Albertson on Friday night, as the ‘Yotes forced 23 Montana-Western turnovers in an 80-76 win at Quinn Coliseum.  Juniors Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS) and Dan McFaul (Moses Lake, Wash. / Big Bend CC) helped the Coyotes to a 45-40 lead at the break with big first halves – Brown scoring 18 of his game-high 23, with McFaul adding 14 of his 18 points.  Albertson held the Bulldogs without a field goal for a five-minutes stretch in the second half, using a 13-0 run, keyed by back-to-back three-pointers from freshman Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS), to take a 77-67 lead with three minutes left.  Western would cut the lead to three in the final minute, but would not get closer.   

 

TECH NO MATCH FOR ALBERTSON:  Thanks to a career night from Richard Fried, the Coyotes sprinted to their most lopsided victory of the 2004-05 season, topping Montana Tech, 85-58.  Fried recorded his first collegiate double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the win.  Albertson held Tech to just two field goals over the final nine minutes of the first half – building a 41-23 edge at the break.  E.J. Costello (Pleasanton, Calif. / Chabot CC) had 17 points to help the Coyotes to an identical win over the Diggers – as Albertson defeated Tech 85-58 last season in Butte.

 

RECORD WATCH: Point-guard Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) continues to move up the all-time assist ladder.  With 15 more dishes over the weekend, the senior now has 367 assists in his career, No. 3 all-time.  He already holds the single-season and career steals mark at the school – and is currently leading the NAIA with a 5.0 steals per game average.  Two other Coyotes are moving up the career list – E.J. Costello ranks 11th all-time in three-pointers made with 114, while Steve Humphreys ranks fifth all-time in blocked shots with 55.

 

CONFERENCE AND NATIONAL NUMBERS: As a team, the Coyotes lead the Cascade Conference in a pair of statistical categories – steals per game (12.1) and turnover margin (+ 7.6), while ranking last in rebounds per game (29.0) and rebound margin (-8.0).  In the two positive categories, Albertson ranks No. 3 in the NAIA Division II in turnover margin and No. 8 in steals per game.  Individually, Joe Green leads the league and the NAIA in steals per game, while ranking third in the CCC and 12th nationally in assists per game (5.5).  Also among the nation’s elite is E.J. Costello, who ranks third in the league and 25th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.7), with Dan McFaul ranking third in the loop and 29th in the NAIA in steals per game (2.3).  Rich Fried is third in the CCC in blocks per game (1.3), fourth in field goal percentage (.629), and tenth in rebounds per game (5.9), with Steve Humphreys second in both blocks per game (1.42) and offensive rebounds per game (3.3).  Rounding out the group is Derek Brown, who sits in eighth-place in both assists per game (3.9) and steals per game (2.0).

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Eric Fiegi (WB) 29.6, Shea Washington (SOU) 22.6, Chris Lynn (EOU) 22.2, Jeff Dunn (WB) 18.5, Jared Alsup (CC) 18.1.  Rebound Average – Washington 11.0, Fiegi 9.5, Chad Fairbanks (EOU) 8.7, Alex Carlson (OIT) 7.7, Brandon Erlandson (CU) 7.0.  Field Goal Percentage –  Stephen Ishmael (NU) .740, Tyson Dodd (NU) .737, Washington .635, Rich Fried (ACI) .629, Fiegi .625.  Assists Average – Joshua Garrett (CC) 8.4, Andrew Gard (NU) 6.0, Joe Green (ACI) 5.5, Donny Woods (WP) 5.4, Matt Larson (WB) 5.3.

 

A MUCH DESERVED WEEK OF REST: With finals coming up in the next few days, the Coyotes will take this weekend off from competition in preparation for the opening of the 18-game Cascade Conference slate.  After an opening road swing to Northwest and Evergreen, Albertson will play seven of their next nine games over a five-week stretch in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.

 

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 (4-6): Coyotes earn split at Whitman Classic, Boudreaux & Strunk named to All-Tourney Team

 

LAST WEEK: at Whitman Classic, Walla Walla, Wash. – vs. Walla Walla (W 84-53), vs. Whitman (L 69-46)

 

COMING UP: at Aramark Holiday Classic, La Grande, Ore. – vs. Walla Walla, Friday, 2 p.m. (PST); vs. Whitworth, Saturday, 6 p.m. (PST)

 

RADIO AND INTERNET: All nine women’s CCC road games will be broadcast live this season on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.  In addition, all home games (along with the nine CCC road tilts) will be broadcast live on the internet, courtesy of the Albertson Athetic Website, with students Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean calling the play-by-play.  All three games next week (12/14 vs. NNU, 12/17 at Northwest, 12/18 at Evergreen) will be carried live on radio and the internet.

 

LIVE STATS: Live statistics of all games at the Aramark Holiday Classic can be accessed via the Eastern Oregon University athletic website at www.eou.edu/athletics.

 

COYOTES TAKE SECOND IN TOURNAMENT: Last weekend’s trip to Walla Walla for the Whitman Classic was a successful three halves of hoop for the Albertson College women’s basketball team.  Unfortunately, the final 20 minutes of action put a damper on the trip.  The Lady ‘Yotes methodically took apart Walla Walla College on Friday, 84-53, then held a three-point halftime lead at defending Northwest Conference champ, Whitman.  However, a lackluster second half performance doomed the Coyotes, as Albertson took second in the tourney after a 69-46 loss to the Missionaries.

 

STRUNK AND BOUDREAUX EARN HONORS: For their part in the Whitman Classic, Coyote juniors Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) and Desirae Boudreaux (Provo, Utah / Western Wyoming CC) were named to the All-Tournament Team.  Strunk had a solid weekend, averaging 15 points and six rebounds, while hitting 10-of-15 shots from the floor.  Boudreaux averaged 13.5 points and eight rebounds, including her second double-double of the season against Walla Walla, and a career-high 16 points against Whitman.

 

WALLA WALLA NO MATCH: A long early-morning bus ride, which include delays due to road conditions, hampered the Coyotes early in their game with Walla Walla – but it did not hurt in the win column, as Albertson notched their most lopsided win of the year.  The Lady ‘Yotes were sluggish early, as the Wolves pulled even with Albertson at 20-20 with 9:11 left in the first half.  However, a 22-5 run to close the half gave the Coyotes a comfortable margin – one that grew to as many as 34 in the second half.  It was the biggest win for Albertson since a 99-36 victory over the same Walla Walla club during the 2002-03 season.

 

BALANCED SCORING ATTACK: Nearly every Coyote got into the scoring act against Walla Walla.  Point-guard Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) scored 17 points and had eight assists, post Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) had 17 points and seven rebounds, with Desirae Boudreaux registering ten points and 11 boards, and Kim Strunk having 13 points and five boards.  Off the bench, Libby Baker (Dillon, Mont. / Beaverhead County HS) scored nine points and had a career-high 11 rebounds, while Melissa Murray (Eugene, Ore. / SW Oregon CC) had eight points.

 

SECOND HALF WOES VS. WHITMAN: Looking at the final box score in the loss to Whitman, one thing stands out – the Lady ‘Yotes led at halftime and lost by 23.  Leading 28-25 at the break, Albertson knocked home just 23-percent of their shots in the second half and made just 1-of-10 three-pointers in the game.  Kim Strunk had 17 points to lead all Albertson scorers, while Desirae Boudreaux added 16 points.

 

SNECK TIES DUBIOUS MARK: In the loss to Whitman, Albertson guard Valissa Sneck (Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan, Wyo.) tied a school-record with 11 turnovers.  The junior equaled the mark of 11, set by Krystal Thacker during the 2002-03.

 

KNOCKING HOME THE FREEBIES: As a team, the Lady ‘Yotes are hitting nearly 70-percent of their free throws on the season.  Leading the way for Albertson is Angie Gribble, who has converted 32-of-39 free throws (83-percent).  However, it has been junior Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) who has been the opponents’ nightmare at the stripe – averaging over six trips to the line a game.  Strunk has made the most of her opportunities, hitting 51-of-59 free throws this season, good for 86-percent.

 

INJURY BUG: Albertson is without the services of freshman guard Magen Dufurrena (Denio, Nev. / Lowry HS), who is nursing a chronic ankle injury.  The Lady ‘Yotes have also lost transfer guard Merliee Caldwell (Pocatello, Idaho / Boise State Univ.) for the season with a knee injury.

 

CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Katie Atkins (CU) 18.7, Nikki McElligott (OIT) 18.0, Heidi Horobioski (EOU) 18.0, Christie Weaver (EOU) 17.8, Sammy Smith (CU) 15.8.  Rebound Average – McElligott 11.3, Kasey Hooter (ACI) 11.1, Atkins 9.0, Kalie Short (SOU) 7.4, Smith 7.0. Field Goal Percentage – Smith .684, Sarah Smith (EOU) .630, Hooter .587, Bekah Proctor (NU) .552, Darcy Madison (CU) .545.  Assists Average – Andra Peterson (EOU) 5.8, Shara Brazzle (CC) 5.3, Angie Gribble (ACI) 5.2, Vanessa Shelton (EOU) 5.2, Tosha Wilson (WB) 4.7.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Cascade Conference Player of the Week award was announced on Tuesday, with Western Baptist guard Jessica Steigleman getting the nod.  Weaver averaged 17 points and seven rebounds during the week, helping the Warriors to wins over Willamette, Lewis-Clark State, and Linfield.

 

TOUGH GAMES IN LA GRANDE: The Lady ‘Yotes return to the road to play in their fifth and final tournament of the 2004-05 preseason, as the take part in the Aramark Holiday Classic, hosted by Eastern Oregon University.  Game 1 is a rematch of Friday’s game in Walla Walla, as Albertson gets a second crack at Walla Walla College.  The Wolves (0-8) shot a season-high 45-percent in the loss to the Coyotes last week.  Incidentally, former Albertson soccer standout and three-sport athlete, Alyssa Latham, is the top assistant for head coach Tim Windemuth.  Albertson has won both previous meetings with the school.  Saturday will be a stiff challenge, as the Coyotes meet Whitworth for the first time since 1998.  The Pirates (5-0) are currently ranked No. 30 in the NCAA Division III – coming off a championship at the Thrivent Classic, hosted by Pacific Lutheran.  Forward Tiffany Speer (21.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg) may be the best small-college women’s player in the Northwest, having garnered back-to-back Northwest Conference Player of the Year awards and a First-Team All-America honor last season.  Spark-plug Sarah Shogren (19.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg) is a tough match-up problem, standing at 5-9.  Another former ‘Yote, Heidi Goicoechea, is a student-assistant for the Bucs.  Albertson won the only meeting with Whitworth six years ago, a 75-65 decision in Spokane.

 

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 -