‘Yote Notes – Jan. 4, 2006

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

COYOTE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DINNER ON MONDAY: The next Coyote Athletic Association dinner is scheduled for Monday night, January 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the Simplot Dining Hall on the Albertson College of Idaho campus. You don’t have to be a CAA member to attend – all Coyote fans are welcome – with an all-you-can-eat dinner for $8.00 per person. To RSVP, please contact Dave Hahn at 459-5835. Bring a friend and see you at the CAA Dinner on Monday night.

TAILGATE PARTIES: The Albertson College alumni office will be hosting a pair of tailgate parties during the weekend homestand on January 27 and 28. Friday night the 27th (against Northwest) and Saturday night the 28th (against Evergreen State), the tailgate will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. in Blatchley Hall. For more information or to RSVP, contact Mary Bitner at 459-5300.

WINTER / SPRING SPORTS APPROACHING: Action will be fast and furious in the next month, as many Coyote teams get back into the swing of things. Swimming returns to the pool next Saturday (Jan. 14) with a short-course dual at Seattle University; alpine skiing opens the 2006 season on Jan. 21 at the Mount Hood Ski Bowl; indoor track begins a four-meet schedule on Jan. 21 in Nampa at the Hampton Inn Invite; baseball opens its schedule with a twinbill against Lewis & Clark on Feb. 11; softball begins its schedule on Feb. 11 at Utah Valley State.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (5-8, 2-2 CCC): ‘Yotes earn split on road, host weekend games with Cascade and No. 5 Warner Pacific

LAST WEEK: at Evergreen State (W 73-45); at Northwest (L 86-78).

COMING UP: vs. Cascade, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. No. 5 Warner Pacific, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

RADIO: All 27 regular-season men’s basketball games will be broadcast live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM, the “Home of the Coyotes.” Mike Safford Jr. begins his fifth season as the play-by-play man for Albertson basketball, with the pregame show beginning 20 minutes prior to every game. All games can also be heard live on the Albertson Athletic Website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/audio/YoteSports.asx.

CCC AND NATIONAL POLL: The Cascade Conference men’s basketball coaches’ poll was released on Monday and saw some changes. Southern Oregon was picked No. 1, followed by Warner Pacific and Oregon Tech. Concordia remained in the No. 4 slot, followed by Northwest, Albertson and Eastern Oregon. The ‘Yotes were not listed on the available ballot for the NAIA Division II Top-25 poll this week, effectively ending a 23-week tenure in the national poll.

GAME MOVED TO JANUARY 30: The make-up game between Albertson and Concordia (originally scheduled for Dec. 20, but postponed due to travel problems with the Cavaliers) will be played on Monday night, January 30, at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. All tickets for the Dec. 20 contest (Game 7 in the season ticket package) will be honored.

COYOTES CLAM UP E-STATE: Led by a 25-point evening from Ike Stafford (Auburn, Wash. / Salt Lake CC), the Albertson men’s basketball team recorded their best shooting game of the 2005-06 season in a 73-45 victory over Evergreen State on Thursday night. The ‘Yotes opened the game on a 7-0 run and never trailed, ballooning a lead to as many as 30 in the win. Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) went 5-for-7 from outside the arc in scoring 17 points as the visitors won for the eighth-straight time over the Geoducks.

BEST DEFENSIVE EFFORT OF SEASON: Not only did the Coyotes have a solid offensive night, they picked up the defensive pressure. Playing various zone defenses, Albertson held their opponent to season lows in field goals made, field goals attempted, and three-point percentage, all while outrebounding a team for the fourth time in 12 games. The ‘Yotes also forced a season-high 20 turnovers.

NEARLY EVERYONE SCORES: Of the 12 players that made the trip, 11 scored in the game at Evergreen State. A pair of players scored their first-ever collegiate points – sophomore guard Chad Ivie (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) banked in a three late in the game, while freshman Ryan Sinfield (Redwood City, Calif. / St. Francis HS), making his college debut, converted a nifty left-handed post move in the final minute.

NORTHWEST USES THREE-BALL TO KNOCK OFF ‘YOTES: Chris Keller hit five second half three-pointers, helping Northwest University erase a five-point halftime deficit, knocking off Albertson College, 86-78, in the Northwest Pavilion on Friday night. Trailing 44-40 with 17:37 in the second half, the junior transfer canned four consecutive treys, to give the Eagles a 52-49 edge. His fifth three of the period broke a 59-59 tie - giving Northwest the lead for good. Albertson cut the margin to three on a pair of occasions late and had the ball trailing 78-74, but Josh Owen missed an open three and the 'Yotes could not get closer in losing for the second-straight year at Northwest. Brandon Nielsen (Twin Falls, Idaho / Big Bend CC) scored 23 points to lead the 'Yotes.

McFAUL ON A ROLL: Over the last five games, forward Dan McFaul (Moses Lake, Wash. / Big Bend CC) has really asserted himself as an offensive threat for the ‘Yotes. During that period, the senior has averaged 13.5 points and five rebounds per game, including a season-high 19 points in the loss at Northwest. McFaul has also improved his field goal percentage during that period – converting 28 of his last 48 shots (.583 percent), raising his overall percentage from .379 to .464.

NOT TRYING TO OVERLOOK CASCADE: As the ‘Yotes return home on Friday night, Cascade College awaits the squad – looking for their first conference win of the season. The Thunderbirds (3-12, 0-5 CCC) are a far cry from the 2002-03 team that shared the league title and advanced to their lone national tournament – as Matt Greenleaf’s club has dropped 32-consecutive Cascade Conference games and has a 14-63 record during that period. Despite the woes, however, Cascade has not played as bad as the record might indicate – including a one-point loss to Lewis-Clark State, an eight-point loss at Holy Names, two losses by a combined nine points to Pacific, and most recently, an 85-78 loss at home to Oregon Tech. The T-Birds are led by All-CCC guard Joshua Garrett (18.6 ppg, 4.5 apg), who tallied 38 points in a win over Northwest Christian, and top-defender Jin Voeks (10.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg), who caused Albertson fits when he was a starter at Southern Oregon. It is the 39^th meeting all-time between the teams, with the ‘Yotes holding a 36-2 edge, including winners of 12-straight (including two forfeit wins).

TOP-TEN WARNER PACIFIC HEADS TO TOWN: Year in and year out, head coach Mark Owen reiterates that he feels that Warner Pacific head coach Bart Valentine is one of the top brain trusts in the Cascade Conference. This year, the Knights (13-3, 4-1) have a quality club to go with their quality coach, having won their first nine games in a row, and bursting on the national scene as the No. 5 ranked team in the NAIA Division II. Led by All-Conference guard Donny Woods (16.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.1 apg), WPC utilizes a small, but potent rotation that averages 85 points a game. Newcomer Nate Menafee (16.1 ppg), a transplant from Evergreen State, sophomore Josh Jackson (14.9 ppg), and shooter Scott Gallagher (14.8 ppg, .489 3FG%) all are deadly weapons in the Knights arsenal. The group is coming off their biggest victory in school history – an 81-72 win over then No. 1 ranked Southern Oregon. Albertson holds a 26-9 all-time series lead with WPC, including winning the past seven games in a row.

BROWN CLOSING IN: Guard Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS) is closing in on a special milestone his is playing career. The four-year member of the Coyotes has played in 115 career games, ranking him No. 6 on the all-time list. Brown is just six games played behind the mark of 121 that Justin McCarthy (2001-04) and Dan Hardee (1987-90) established in their careers. He is also one point shy of eclipsing the 800 point mark in his career.

LEAGUE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Eric Fiegi (COR) 28.6, Michael Lay (CU) 19.6, Joshua Garrett (CAS) 18.6, Shea Washington (SOU) 18.5, Ike Stafford (ACI) 17.4; Rebound Average – Fiegi 12.2, Jeff Williams (SOU) 8.8, Washington 8.1, Andre Lawrence (OIT) 7.6, Aaron Sawyer (NW) 7.6; Field Goal Percentage – Tanner McIntosh (EOU) .653, Thomas Cook (ESC) .644, Washington .631, Bobby Lester (CU) .627, Lay .607; Assist Average – Lay 6.7, Woods 6.2, Levell Hesia (OIT) 5.7, Lawrence 4.7, Steve Farley (SOU) 4.6.

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 (8-7, 2-2 CCC): Clark named CCC Player of the Week, ‘Yotes set to host Cascade and Warner Pacific

LAST WEEK: at Evergreen State (W 63-44), at Northwest (W 67-63).

COMING UP: vs. Cascade, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Warner Pacific, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

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. All women’s home games will be broadcast via the Albertson Athletic Website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/audio/YoteSports.asx with Jake McClean at the mike.

CCC POLL: The Cascade Conference women’s basketball coaches’ poll was released on Monday and saw some changes. Corban was ranked No. 1 for the third-straight week, followed by Eastern Oregon. Warner Pacific jumped to No. 3, followed by the Lady ‘Yotes, Oregon Tech, and Northwest.

CLARK NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For her efforts in the Albertson College weekend wins at Evergreen State and Northwest, Whitney Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest Nazarene U.) was named Cascade Conference Player of the Week. The sophomore came off the bench to average 20 points per game, converting 50-percent of her field goal attempts and knock down 5-of-9 shots from outside the arc. Clark scored a career-high 24 points in the win Friday night at Northwest. It is the second Lady ‘Yote to receive the honor, as Jori Grady (Roseburg, Ore. / Umpqua CC) earned the award in December.

LADY ‘YOTES COMPLETE ROAD SWEEP: The trip to the Puget Sound region has become one of the more difficult road swings in the Cascade Conference over the past few years – as both Evergreen State and Northwest University have improved their women’s basketball programs. With that in mind, it makes the Lady ‘Yotes weekend sweep in the Seattle suburbs a big boost to the Albertson program – considering no Coyote squad had completed the feat since the 2001-02 season. In fact, only five of the last 20 teams to complete the Evergreen-Northwest trip have recorded a perfect record (Eastern and OIT during the 2003-04 season, Eastern and Western Baptist during the 2004-05 season, Albertson so far this year).

NEVER IN DOUBT VS. GREENERS: Led by a stifling defense and solid foul shooting, the Albertson College women's basketball team notched their first Cascade Conference win of the season, a 63-44 victory over Evergreen State, Thursday in the CRC Gymnasium. The Lady 'Yotes trailed only once in the game and used a 10-2 run early in the contest, keyed by treys from Whitney Clark and Merilee Caldwell (Pocatello, Idaho / Boise State U.) to take a 15-7 edge. Albertson took a 29-18 lead at the break and watched it balloon to as many as 23 in the second half. Clark scored 16 points off the bench for the Coyotes, including 8-of-10 shooting from the line. Desirae Smoot (Provo, Utah / Western Wyoming CC) had 11 points and seven boards, with Magen Dufurrena (Denio, Nev. / Lowry HS) adding seven points and nine rebounds in the win. Albertson was 27-of-39 from the stripe tonight and forced Evergreen into 24 turnovers.

BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON: In the win over Evergreen State, the Lady ‘Yotes played their top defensive game of the season. Albertson held the Geoducks to just 24-percent shooting from the field, while allowing just 14 made field goals all night. The 44 points allowed was the first time this year that an opponent had scored less than 60 points in a game.

HEX FINALLY LIFTED AT NORTHWEST’S PAVILION: Whitney Clark scored a career-high 24 points as the Albertson College women's basketball team won at Northwest University for the first time since the 2001-02 season, a 67-63 decision Friday night in the Northwest Pavilion. The Lady 'Yotes closed the first half on an 11-2 run to take a 34-28 lead at the break and never trailed again. Albertson built a 57-45 edge with six minutes left on the final of four Clark three-pointers, only to watch Northwest rattle off eight-straight points to make it a game. The Eagles would close to 66-63 with ten seconds left on an Emilee Eisinger three-point play, but Clark canned a free throw with nine ticks left to put the game out of reach. Jori Grady added 15 points in the win for the Coyotes, with Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) contributing nine points and eight rebounds. Eisinger led Northwest with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

CAN’T LET DOWN VS. CASCADE: Last season, the Lady ‘Yotes were playing very good basketball down the stretch, but overlooked Cascade College in a 73-57 defeat – the most lopsided CCC road loss for Albertson during the 2004-05 season. This year, the Thunderbirds (1-14, 0-5 CCC) have struggled (managing a win over Walla Walla College), but have the potential to play the spoiler (evident of a 72-64 overtime loss on Tuesday at Willamette). Gerry Nixon’s squad ranks last among the ten CCC teams in 12 of the 20 statistical categories – including a 52 point per game scoring average and a .339 field goal percentage, mirroring their numbers in their five league tilts (53.0 ppg, .341 FG%). Jubilee Cristel (12.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg) has been a bright spot for the T-Birds, having scored in double figures in 13-of-15 games. Albertson has a 7-3 all-time mark against the Portland school.

SURGING WARNER PACIFIC INVADES CALDWELL: Possibly the hottest Cascade Conference team will be arriving in Caldwell on Saturday night, as Warner Pacific makes their yearly trek to the east. The Knights (9-5, 4-1) have pulled into a first-place tie in the league standings by winning their last four games in a row, including a sweep of Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon in Portland. WPC is the top-scoring team in the loop this season (70.4 ppg) – and have failed to score 60 points on only two occasions (both losses). All-CCC guard Angie Sun (14.7 ppg) scored a career-high 34 points in a road win at Northwest last month, while post Becky VanTine (11.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg) has fully recovered from a knee injury. The Knights also added former CCC Player of the Year Nicole Brown (11.6 ppg) during the offseason, bolstering their backcourt. Albertson swept the season series last year and holds an 8-4 all-time series edge.

RECORD WATCH: Kim Strunk and Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) continue to move up the charts on the ACI career record book. Strunk now is tied for second all-time for free throws made (263), ranks No. 4 in free throw attempts (334), is sixth in blocked shots (41), seventh in games played (99), eighth in steals (103) and points scored (789), and ranks tenth in field goals made (248) and rebounds (477). Gribble ranks sixth on the all-time three-point field goals made list (64), while ranking seventh in three-point attempts (208), assists (212), and steals (122).

CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Emilee Eisinger (NW) 17.7, Jori Grady (ACI) 17.3, Heidi Horobiowski (EOU) 14.9, Angie Sun (WPC) 14.7, Jenny Olson (ESC) 13.8; Rebound Average – Ashley DuBrey (OIT) 10.6, Becky VanTine (WPC) 9.1,Joyce Oniah (CU) 9.0, Jenny Olson (ESC) 8.4, Rachel Ross (ESC) 8.3; Field Goal Percentage – Eisinger .536, Sheena Henderson (EOU) .531, Adria Layne (EOU) .505, VanTine .500, Grady .497; Assist Average – Tosha Wilson (COR) 6.1, Chelsey Zimmerman (SOU) 4.4, Samantha Gilbert (OIT) 4.4, Kelsey Haylett (OIT) 4.2, Angie Gribble (ACI) 3.4.

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.

- ALBERTSON -