‘Yote Notes – Nov. 15,
2006
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS:
ORANGE SALES: The ACI baseball team has begun
their annual Orange Sales, to help raise funds for the 2007 season. This year, the Yotes are selling not only
oranges, but grapefruits and apples, just in time for the holidays. Cost per box is $18.00. For more information or to purchase a box,
contact Shawn Humberger at 459-5861 or at shumberger@collegeofidaho.edu.
WHITE NAMED REGIONAL PLAYER OF THE
YEAR: Albertson College senior Mitch White earned the highest accolade in Northwest small-college
soccer, as he was named NAIA Region I Player of the Year in ballotting conducted
by regional coaches, released this Sunday afternoon. The Boise
native led the Coyotes with 14 goals and five assists, helping ACI win the
Cascade Conference championship and reach the semifinals of the NAIA Region I
tournament. He previously had been named CCC Player of the Year and was a
three-time All-CCC selection. Joining
him on the All-Region team were sweeper Scott
Fuller and goalkeeper Jay Gentle.
Fuller, from Boise, was the anchor in the
back-third of the Coyote defense, while Gentle, also from Boise, led the region in goals against
average (0.93). All three players are
eligible for NAIA All-America honors, to be announced following the conclusion
of the NAIA Championships, beginning Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Fla.
VOLLEYBALL (29-2): Yotes
win CCC Tourney title, set to host NAIA Region I Championships
COMING
UP: Hosting NAIA Region I Championships – vs. Montana Tech, Thursday, 11:15
a.m.; vs. Carroll, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.; Semifinals on Friday afternoon,
Championship on Saturday at 2 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Hosted Cascade Conference Tournament
– vs. Concordia (W 3-0), vs. Southern Oregon
(W 3-0)
NAIA REGION I TOURNAMENT: For the first time ever, Albertson
College of Idaho will host the NAIA Region I Volleyball Tournament – beginning Thursday
morning in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. The top-six teams in the final NAIA Region I
poll will compete for an automatic berth to the NAIA Championships in Columbia, Mo.
FINAL REGIONAL POLL: ACI went wire-to-wire this season,
as the Yotes occupied the top spot in all 11 polls this season. Moving up into the No. 2 spot was Southern
Oregon, followed by Carroll, Great Falls, and Westminster. Montana Tech moved from No. 9 to No. 6 to nab
the final regional spot, with Oregon Tech, Rocky Mountain,
Concordia, and Northwest rounding out the final poll.
REGIONAL POOLS: The tournament has two three-team
pools that will play a round-robin schedule on Thursday, with the top-two teams
in each pool advancing to the semifinals.
Pool A has No. 1 seed Albertson, No. 3 seed Carroll, and No. 6 seed
Montana Tech, while Pool B has No. 2 seed Southern Oregon, No. 4 seed Great
Falls, and No. 5 seed Westminster.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: Action will begin on Thursday at 9
a.m., with the first of six pool-play matches.
Semifinal games will be held at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, with the
championship game set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. Thursday - Southern Oregon vs. Westminster, 9
a.m.; Albertson vs. Montana Tech, 11:15 a.m.; Great Falls vs. Westminster,
1:30 p.m.; Carroll vs. Montana Tech, 3:45
p.m.; Southern Oregon vs. Great Falls,
6 p.m.; Albertson vs. Carroll, 8:15 p.m.
Friday - Pool B Tiebreaker, 10 a.m.; Pool A
Tiebreaker, 11 a.m.; Semifinals 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday - Championship
Game, 2 p.m.
TICKETS: The tournament will be divided into
three sessions – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Admission will be $8.00 for all adults and $4.00
for students (17-and-under) per session – with an all-tournament pass available
for $15.00. Only NAIA passes will be
accepted, and concessions will be available.
REGIONAL TOURNAMENT WEBSITE: Updated regional tournament
information can be accessed via the Internet at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/2006NAIARegionITourney.htm.
ABOUT THE TEAMS: Southern Oregon earned the No. 2 seed - after going 15-1 in the CCC
against teams other than ACI. The Raiders (18-7) won the 2002, 2003,
and 2004 regional titles and are led by All-CCC middle blocker Mia Wortel (4.2
k/g, 1.2 b/g). Four
Frontier Conference teams round out the other seeds in the tournament. Carroll College
earned the No. 3 slot, having won five of their last six matches. The
Saints (22-8) captured the Frontier Tournament title with a come-from-behind
five-game win over the University
of Great Falls. They are led by blocker Tiffany Rochelle (3.8
k/g, 0.9 b/g) and libero Valissa Sneck (6.5 d/g) – who
was a former guard on the ACI women’s basketball team. Great Falls,
the No. 4 team all season in the regional rankings, earned the No. 4 seed into
the regional. The Argonauts (20-8) had a nine-match win streak
during October and are led by hitter Brittany Prater (4.1 k/g) and setter
Jennifer Peterson (12.1 a/g). Westminster College,
ranked No. 25 in last week's NAIA poll and the No. 2 team all season in the
regional poll, is seeded fifth. The Griffins (20-10) lost in the Frontier
Tournament semifinals, but rebounded to take third-place in the tourney. They are led by hitter Angie Johnson (4.7 k/g
and setter Monica Shorts (10.5 a/g). Rounding
out the teams is Montana Tech, the
No. 6 seed. The Orediggers (12-17) are the lone team in the tournament
with a sub-.500 record, but got the nod due to their overall strength of
schedule. The Diggers, who have just one
upper-classman on their squad are led by hitter Maria McNeil (3.5 k/g) and
setter Jodi Hogart (10/2 a/g, 42 aces).
YOTES AGAINST THE TEAMS: ACI is 3-0 this season against
Southern Oregon and is 1-0 against Westminster. The Yotes are 13-0 all-time against Westminster, are 8-4 all-time against Montana Tech, are
5-9 all-time against Carroll, and 14-51 all-time against Southern
Oregon. Great Falls and the Coyotes have never met in
volleyball.
STREAKS GALORE FOR THE YOTES: Impressive numbers dot the landscape
of the 2006 volleyball season for ACI, as the Lady Yotes have multiple streaks
still alive. ACI has won a school-record
16 matches in a row, have won a school-record 21-consecutive matches at home,
dating back to last season, and has won 41-consecutive matches against teams
not ranked in the national poll (or others’ receiving votes).
NATIONAL RANKING: The Yotes were ranked No. 8 in
the final NAIA volleyball poll of the regular-season, released this
afternoon by the national office in Olathe,
Kan.. – equaling the highest ranking in program history. Five
others – No. 1 National American (S.D.), No. 5 Columbia (Mo.),
No. 25 Cedarville (Ohio), along with Southern
Oregon and Lindenwood (Mo.),
are among the ACI opponents this season in the Top-25 and others
receiving votes. This poll will
help determine at-large berths to the NAIA Championships.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: The Coyotes have been ranked in the
Top-25 on 17 occasions in program history – the second (No. 24) and third (No.
19) polls of the 1997 season, the preseason (No. 15) and first poll (No. 19) of
the 2001 season, the final poll during the 2005 season (No. 24), the 2006
preseason poll (No. 16), and all eleven rankings this year.
MENDIOLA ADDS
TO HER WINS RECORD:
With the Lady Yotes victory over Cedarville (Ohio) on Sept. 23, ACI volleyball coach Liz Mendiola became the all-time
winningest volleyball coach in program history.
While at ACI, Mendiola has posted a 128-54 record (.703 win percentage)
- six-straight Cascade Conference tournament appearances, three NAIA Region I
tournament appearances, the 2005 and 2006 CCC tourney titles, the 2005 Region I
tourney title, the 2006 CCC regular-season title, along with a trip to the 2005
NAIA Championships.
HOME SWEET HOME: Under Mendiola, the Lady Yotes are 62-12
in the J.A. Albertson Activities
Center, an .838 winning percentage.
They are even better in CCC play, holding a 45-8 mark (.849 percent)
since the 2001 season.
BEST START EVER: The 29-2 start by the Lady Yotes is
the best in program history, dating back to the 1982 season. In recent years, the 1997 and 2005 teams
opened the season with 7-3 marks (best ten-game mark), while the 2005 squad
opened with a 12-3 (best 15-game mark), 16-4 (best 20-game mark), 20-5 (best
25-game mark), and 25-5 (best 30-game mark) start to a season. ACI is a perfect 14-0 at home and a perfect 11-0
on the road this year (not including neutral court matches).
MOST WINS?:
The Lady Yotes are
in position to approach the ACI record for most wins in a season this weekend. The 1981 team, led by ACI Hall of Famer Lerna
Thames and coached by Don Braunecker, went 30-11. Both the 1987 and 2005 teams each won 27
games.
YOTES DOMINATE ALL-CCC AWARDS: Erin Cherrington (Granby,
Colo. / Middle Park HS) became the second Albertson College player to be
named Cascade Conference Player of the Year, as the All-CCC teams were released
Sunday. Cherrington was joined on the
All-CCC team by teammates Katie Hogue
(Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) and Anne Parker (Pocatello,
Idaho / Century HS), while Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho
/ Boise HS) was
named Freshman of the Year and Liz Mendiola was named
Coach of the Year. Cherrington currently
leads the NAIA in assists per game average (13.83), and has recorded 238 digs,
58 blocks, and 42 aces so far this season. She was named CCC Setter
of the Week seven times this season and earned NAIA Setter of the Week during
the final week of September. Cherrington, who holds the ACI school record
with 4,875 assists, joins Kristyn Price as the only Yotes to earn the honor. Hogue, a junior, earns the All-CCC honor for
the second straight season - leading the league in a trio of categories -
hitting percentage, blocks per game, and aces per game. Parker earns the
honor for the first time and is the only right-side hitter on the time.
The junior ranks in the CCC's top-five in both hitting percentage and blocks
per game. Henning is the Yotes second
frosh of the year in the last three seasons (Hogue earned the award in
2004). She ranks second in the CCC in blocks per game and third in hitting
percentage. Mendiola was named coach of
the year for the second time in her six years at ACI (also earned the award in
2003). She led the Yotes to their best five, ten, 15, 20, 25, and 30 game
marks - with the team one win shy of tying the school record for overall wins
in a season (30). Earning honorable mention All-CCC honors was libero, Catherine Everist (Portland, Ore.
/ Chicago State U.).
The junior ranks second on the single-season digs list with 603, and is on pace
to break the school-record for digs per game.
RECORD BOOK: It has already happened, but it is
inevitable that the ACI record books will continue to be rewritten. Currently, five players are already among the
all-time top-ten. Katie Hogue ranks No. 3
all-time with 385 blocks (11 from second-place), No. 6 with 124 aces, and No. 7
with 933 kills. Erin Cherrington holds
the all-time record with 4,874 assists, is third with 183 aces, and is No. 5 in
both games played (432) and 1,047 digs. Also
on the list are Tiffany Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS, who is fifth all-time with 140 aces, Anne
Parker, who is fifth in blocks with 275, and Kathryn Ely, who is No. 9 in kills
with 739.
BACK-TO-BACK, YOTES WIN SECOND
STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TOURNEY CROWN: Last weekend, the Coyote volleyball repeated as Cascade
Conference Tournament champions, sweeping a pair of games in the J.A. Albertson
Activities Center. Friday night, Kathryn Ely recorded a
season-high 21 kills in a 30-21, 30-22, 30-20 victory over Concordia in the tournament
semifinals. The Cavaliers, who upset
four-seeded Northwest earlier in the day, got 11 kills from Erin Murphy, but
hit .068 as a team as the Yotes amassed 11 team blocks.
Anne Parker
had 12 kills and three blocks and Katie
Zillner (Emmett, Idaho
/ Chicago State U.) added nine kills and five blocks in the win.
Setter Erin Cherrington had 51 assists and eight digs, with Catherine Everist
chipping in 23 digs. Saturday, the Yotes
racked up 16 aces en route to winning their second-consecutive Cascade
Conference Volleyball Tournament title, stopping Southern
Oregon 30-21, 30-26, 30-22 before 425
fans. Game 1 was a see-saw affair,
seeing ACI jump out to a 10-3 edge, on the strength of three kils from Kathryn
Ely. However, the Raiders, who lost to the Yotes in five games in last
season's CCC title match, roared back on Shanna Claflin's serve, winning six
straight points. However, ACI would use a 7-1 push, thanks to three kills
from Katie Hogue, to take control and win the game. Game 2 had Southern take control late in the
match, establishing a 25-21 lead on a Claflin kill. The Yotes, however,
would end the game on a 9-1 run, getting a pair of kills from Anne Parker and
two aces from Erin Cherrington to get the win.
A Richelle Milsap kill tied the score at 16-16 in Game 3, but ACI used a
12-3 push, aided by five Raider hitting errors to complete the sweep and
improve to 14-0 at home this year. Ely
led the Coyotes with 11 kills, with Hogue adding ten. Cherrington
recorded a double-double with 39 assists and ten digs, while Catherine Everist
had a game-high 25 digs.
MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics
on the 2006 volleyball team can be found on ACI volleyball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm. Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can
be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-0): ACI
goes 2-0 in Quinn Classic, Yotes set to host 20th Annual Golden Rule
Shoot-Out
COMING UP: host 20th Annual Duane Wolfe
Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out – vs. Willamette, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. Westminster, Saturday,
9:30 p.m.
LAST
WEEK: at Quinn Classic – vs. Montana-Western (W 129-120 OT), vs. Montana Tech (W 86-74)
RADIO: All 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 have all the action as the Yotes host the Golden Rule
Shoot-Out. The pregame show will begin 20-minutes
prior to tip-off each night, on the Home of the Coyotes, 1490 KCID-AM – America’s Best
Music.
INTERNET BROADCAST: All Coyote games can be heard live
on the Internet at www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/audio/YoteSports.asx., with all games archived online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/2006Radio.htm.
20TH ANNUAL GOLDEN RULE: This weekend marks the 20th edition
of the Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out, tabbed the “Premier
Small-College Tournament in the West.” A
total of 30 different teams have played in the tournament from 1987-2005, which
has seen six different champions.
LAST YEARS GOLDEN RULE TITLE GAME: Back-to-back three-pointers from
Nick Buroker late in the second half gave Westminster College the lead for
good, as the Griffins captured the championship game of the 20th Annual Duane
Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out with a 79-72 victory over Albertson
College. After the host Coyotes erased a 12-point second half deficit to take a
60-59 lead on a Ike Stafford free
throw with 4:55 left, Buroker canned two long three's on successive
possessions, helping the Griffins win their third Golden Rule title in five
years. ACI cut the margin to 69-67 and
looked to have a defensive stop with 29 seconds remaining, but Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho / Eastern Utah CC) was called for a loose ball foul
on the rebound. Nick Booth canned two free throws and the Yotes would not
recover.
PAST
GOLDEN RULE CHAMPIONS:
2005 – Westminster 1998
– Albertson 1991 – Northwest Nazarene
2004 –
Albertson 1997 – NW Nazarene 1990
– College of Idaho
2003 – Westminster 1996 – Northwest Nazarene 1989 – Central
Washington
2002 –
Albertson 1995 – Willamette 1988
– Northwest Nazarene
2001 – Westminster 1994
– Albertson 1987 –
Northwest Nazarene
2000 –
Albertson 1993 – Albertson
1999 –
Albertson 1992 – Central
Washington
THE TEAMS: ACI opens the Golden Rule Friday
night against Willamette,
their longtime rival from the old Northwest Conference days – making their
fifth GRSO appearance, having won the 1995 crown. The Bearcats (17-8 in 2005-06) open the new
season returning just four of 15 players from last season’s team that advanced
to the NWC tournament semifinals.
20th-year head coach Gordie James has to replace leading scorers John
Olinger (18.3 ppg) and C.J. Stuvland (15.9) – with only one player returning
this season who saw considerable playing time, wing Ian Mansfield (6.0 ppg, 4.9
rpg). It is the 110th meeting between
the teams, dating back to 1934, with Willamette
holding a 68-41 all-time series edge.
Saturday, the Yotes will battle Westminster –
their intermountain NAIA rival, and three-time tourney
champ. Tommy Connor’s Griffins (3-2)
were ranked No. 13 in the NAIA Division I preseason poll – and were picked by
the coaches’ to win the Frontier Conference title. Westminster
opened the season with two home wins, but went 1-2 on a trip to Southern California – losing games at Concordia-Irvine
and Azusa Pacific, while winning a 59-57 contest against Hope
International. Frontier Conference
Player of the Year, Danny Reeder (11.5 ppg, 5.5 apg), returns to run the point,
while posts Nick Booth (11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Nate
Sanchez (9.0 ppg, 4.5) are a load in the paint.
The Griffins swept the season series last year, but ACI holds the
all-time series edge, 15-13, dating back to 1943. The fourth team in the tournament, and not
meeting ACI in the classic format, is Eastern Oregon, making their GRSO debut. The Mountaineers (5-0) are ranked No. 23 in
the NAIA Division II preseason poll and are paced by brothers Mark Carollo
(19.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Paul Carollo (14.0 ppg, 10.2
rpg).
WILD NIGHT VS. WESTERN:
Ike Stafford scored 29 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer in
overtime, as the Coyotes
opened up the regular-season with a wild 129-120 victory over
Montana-Western in the opening game of the Quinn Classic in La Grande, Ore. In a game that saw the Yotes establish five
school-records, and which there were 14 ties and 16 lead changes, it was junior
J.R. Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) that canned a pair of free throws
with four seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.
It was there where Stafford canned a trey on
the first possession of the extra session, and the Yotes never trailed again. Stafford hit
nine three's as part of his 29 point, seven rebound night. Five other
Coyotes were in double-figures - Josh
Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) had
26 points and four steals, freshmen Steffen
Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union
HS) and Anton Coleman (Las Vegas, Nev. / Eldorado HS) each had
15 points, Maggard had 11 points and five boards, and Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) had ten points
and five assists. Western lost despite
converting a school-record 71-percent of their field goals, including a
21-for-27 clip in the opening half, as the Bulldogs led 60-58 going into the
locker room. Tyler Palmer led all scorers with 37 points, with Zach Pitts
chipping in with 19 points and six assists.
RECORDS BROKE: A total of five school records were
set in the game. The Yotes broke the
record of three-pointers made by connecting on 22 treys, topping the mark of 19
set against Evergreen State in 2001. ACI also attempted 46 three-pointers made,
seven more than the previous mark, set twice, the last in 2001 against Westminster. Records also fell for most turnovers (33) and
most turnovers forced (53). Rounding out
the records was most combined points in a game with 249, eclipsing the former
mark of 242 points, set against Northwest Nazarene in 1985.
POINTS IN A GAME: The 129 points scored by ACI was
the most by a Coyote team in 15 years, and just two points off the school
record. The 1990-91 club scored 130 and
131 points in victories against Warner Pacific, two of seven 100-point games
scored by the Yotes that season. The 120
points scored by Western was the most by a Coyote opponent in 60 years – since British Columbia topped
the Yotes 124-33 during the 1945-46 season.
BIG WIN VS. TECH: ACI
forced 32 turnovers and used a late 8-0 run to stop Montana Tech, 86-74, Saturday
at the Quinn Classic in La Grande, Ore. The Coyotes, playing without Brandon Nielsen (Twin Falls, Idaho
/ Big Bend CC) - who injured his shoulder
in Friday's 129-120 victory over Montana-Western, used every player on their
bench in the win. ACI used an 11-0 run
late in the opening half to grab a 42-28 lead at the break. However, the
Orediggers opened the second stanza on an 16-3 run to
close within 45-44. Tech would get the deficit to one on five occasions,
but were unable to get over the top. Two buckets each by Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho
/ Centennial HS) and Donnel Garner
(Scottsdale,
Ariz. / Chaparral HS) gave
ACI a 71-62 lead with three minutes to go, and the Yotes were able to coast to
the win. Ike Stafford led the way with
24 points, including 10-of-11 shooting from the foul line, with Josh Owen
scoring 18 points, despite having a 1-for-8 night from outside.
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Eastern Oregon forward Paul Carollo was named
Quinn Classic MVP, after the Mounties swept Western and Tech. Joining him on the All-Tournament team were
Coyotes Ike Stafford and Josh Owen, Western’s Tyler Palmer, and Montana Tech’s
Shea Bradshaw.
ADDITIONS TO THE ROSTER: Last week, head coach Mark Owen announced that two players
were added to the ACI roster. Wearing
No. 22 for the remainder of the season is Chad
Ivie (Arco,
Idaho / Butte County
HS), who was a
reserve for the Yotes last year. The
junior hit 2-of-3 shots in 17 minutes of action last weekend at the Quinn
Classic. Also joining the Coyotes is Casey Oliver (Pocatello, Idaho / Coll. of Southern Idaho), who is playing his
first year of college basketball, after earning All-State honors at Pocatello
High during his prep career. Oliver is
also a member of the ACI baseball team, where he was an NAIA All-American last
season as the Yotes shortstop.
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 (0-3): Lady
Yotes set to open five-game homestand Saturday against Great Falls
COMING
UP: vs. University
of Great Falls, Saturday,
5:30 p.m.
LAST
WEEK: at Holiday Inn Classic, Salt Lake City, Utah – vs. No. 6 Montana-Western (L 82-72), vs. Westminster (L 73-71), vs. No. 10 Lewis-Clark State
(L 110-68)
OPENING
UP THE HOME SEASON: The Lady Yotes open up the home portion of their
2006-07 schedule this weekend with a 5:30 tilt
Saturday against the University
of Great Falls (the game
was originally schedule for 3 p.m., but was pushed back due to the NAIA Region
I Volleyball Tournament being hosted by ACI).
It is the first of five consecutive home dates for the Coyotes – as ACI
hosts the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Lady Yote Classic next weekend,
opens Cascade Conference play at home vs. Eastern Oregon, the meets rival
Northwest Nazarene on the J.A. Albertson Activities Center floor, before
hitting the road the second weekend in December.
ANOTHER FRONTIER CONFERENCE
SCHOOL: After
playing three NAIA Division I Frontier Conference schools last weekend in Salt Lake City, the Yotes will play another on Saturday,
as Great Falls heads to Caldwell. The Lady Argonauts (0-7) have dropped
seven-straight games to open the season under new head coach Shawn Claffin, but
have been in all seven games. Three
guards lead the UGF attack – senior Meghan Schwantes (13.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg), junior Laura Keaster (18.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.3 apg), and
freshman Sarah Stubbs (10.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
It is the eighth meeting between the two teams since 2001, with the
Yotes holding a 5-2 edge, despite losing the last two games to the Argos.
TOUGH
TRIP TO UTAH: The Lady
Yotes played three games in three nights in Salt Lake City and despite losing all three
games, improved as the weekend rolled on.
“I felt we improved dramatically as a team throughout the tournament,”
said head coach Reagan Rossi. “We
are improving on our defense every game – and it is very fulfilling to see that
against the outstanding competition we’ve faced.”
THE
HIGHS AND LOWS: The biggest key in the opening weekend was the Yotes
defense which forced 27 turnovers a game – recording nearly 17 steals a
night. Senior Jori Grady (Roseburg, Ore. / Umpqua CC)
leads a group of seven players with at least five steals, recording 11 steals
on the weekend. On the flip side, ACI is
allowing 88 points a game, with opponents connecting on 54-percent of their
field goal attempts.
YOTES HANG WITH WESTERN: Four ACI players scored in
double-figures, but it wasn't enough, as Montana-Western topped the Lady Yotes,
82-72, on Thursday night. Facing the No.
6 ranked team in the NAIA Division I, the Coyotes played strong - forcing 23
turnovers, recording 15 steals, and holding an advantage on the boards - but it
did not translate into a victory. ACI
used an 8-0 run early in the first half to build a 13-6 lead, but watched as
the Bulldogs countered with a 14-2 run to take a 26-18 edge. After
trailing by seven at the break, the Yotes clawed to within 49-48 on a Savannah Ames (Skagway, Alaska
/ Skagway HS) bucket
with 16:23 to play, but could not get closer.
"We played extremely hard tonight," said head coach Reagan
Rossi. "Getting 15 steals against a very good team tonight is
outstanding. We battled hard to the very end - I am proud of the
team." Christon Vander Esch (Grangeville,
Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) led the ACI attack with 13 points and eight
rebounds in her Coyote debut, with Whitney
Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest
Nazarene U.) adding 12. Freshman Allie
Dreadfulwater (Grangeville, Idaho /
Grangeville HS) and junior transfer Denise
Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.) each
had ten points, with Ames and Jori Grady chipping in with nine.
TOUGH LOSS TO WESTMINSTER: The Lady Yotes forced 31 turnovers
and recorded 19 steals on Friday night, but came up just short, as Westminster College
rallied for a 73-71 victory at the Eccles
Center in Salt Lake City. The host Griffins connected on 7-of-9 shots
from outside the arc in the final 20 minutes to erase a 39-31 halftime
deficit. Elisa Leader had 19 points and four assists in the win. The Lady Yotes had four players in double
figures, led by Denise Hill, who scored 17 points before fouling out.
Christon Vander Esch notched a double-double with 12 points and ten boards,
while both Jori Grady and Whitney Clark each scored 12. ACI was their own
worst enemy, connecting on just 22-of-35 shots from the free throw line.
L-C RUNS
AWAY WITH WIN: Saturday afternoon, Lewis-Clark State
hit 24-of-34 shots in the second half, including 13 of their final 14
attempted, to run away with a 110-68 victory over ACI. The Lady Yotes jumped out to an early 17-9
lead, but the Warriors used a considerable rebounding edge to rally and take a
46-35 lead at halftime. They then hit
seven second-half treys, including four in a row, to notch the win. The Coyotes were led by freshman Whitney
Owen (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Vallivue HS), who scored 16 points, while Jori Grady added 13.
NEW
RECORD: The 110 points scored by LC-State was the first time that a team had
scored 100 points against the ACI women’s team.
The previous high mark with 95, set by Carroll College, in the first game played by the
Lady Yotes in 1995.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION: For
up-to-date statistics, stories, and information about the ACI women’s
basketball team, head to the official website for the Lady Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.
SWIMMING: Yotes win
eight races at Lewis & Clark
COMING UP:
Idle until
Northwest Invitational, Dec. 1-2
LAST WEEK:
at Lewis & Clark College (Men L 120-58, Women L 134-61)
SAVELL BREAKS OWN SCHOOL RECORD: Sophomore Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell,
Idaho / Caldwell HS) broke
her own school record in winning the 100-breaststroke at Lewis & Clark on
Saturday, going under the 1:13 mark for the first time in her Coyote career
(1:12.91). The sophomore currently is the school record holder in four
individual events and is a member of both school record holding relay teams.
EVANS ALSO BREAKS RECORDS: Two other school records fell in Portland, both in distance events, as Amber Evans (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) broke her own marks in the 200 and
500-freestyle events. The freshman
knocked two seconds off her 200-free time (2:24.83) and shaved two seconds off
her 500-free time (6:42.18).
RELAYS COMPLETE SWEEP: ACI continued to dominate the
relays, as the men’s 200-medley and 200-free squads completed a sweep for the
third-consecutive dual meet. The women’s
relays also notched victories – although there was no improvement on NAIA
qualifying times.
OTHER WINNERS: Three other individuals won events at Lewis &
Clark – Elizabeth Peters (Woodburn, Ore. / Woodburn HS) won the 50-free (25.96), John Green (Pleasanton, Calif. /
Foothill HS) took
the 100-free (51.65), with Jeremy
Younggren (Island City, Ore.
/ La Grande HS) was
victorious in the 100-backstroke (1:01.94).
NATIONAL
QUALIFIERS: The
Coyote men have two relays (200-free, 200-medley) that have qualified for the
NAIA Championships, while the Coyote women have two individuals (Alphonsina
Savell - 100-breast, Elizabeth Peters - 50-free) and two relays (200-free,
200-medley) that are headed to Nationals in San Antonio, Texas.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION: For
more information on the ACI swim program head to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm, the official homepage of
the Coyotes.
