Yote Notes – Dec. 18, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

C-TOWN FIGHT NIGHT RETURNS IN JANUARY: On January 17, The College of Idaho baseball team will join forces with the Caldwell High School football team in the Third-Annual C-Town Fight Night at O’Connor Field House.  The amateur boxing event pits C of I students against each other, along with CHS students against each other – all before a capacity crowd.  Tickets will go fast ($30 for ringside seats, $12 for floor seats, $8 general admission) – as last year’s event was a complete sellout.  To reserve your spot for C-Town Fight Night, contact Josh Hegstad, C of I associate head baseball coach, at 459-5862.

 

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Coyotes lose at Stanford, set for games at Warner Pacific and Cascade

 

COMING UP: at No. 13 Warner Pacific, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (PST); at Cascade, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. (PST)

 

LAST WEEK: Exhibition at Stanford (L 81-53)

 

RADIO/INTERNET: All 30 regular-season games and both exhibition games will be broadcast live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM, the Home of the Coyotes.  Sports information director Mike Safford returns for his seventh-year as Voice of the Coyotes, with the pregame show begining 20-minutes prior to tip-off each night. 

 

LIVE STATS: Live statistics will be available for The C of I-Warner Pacific game on Tuesday, via the WP athletic website at www.wpcknights.com and click on the Live Stats icon.

 

YOTES PLAY WELL AT STANFORD: The score might indicate a rout, but the Coyotes played some of their best basketball of the season in an 81-53 exhibition loss Sunday night at Stanford.  Playing against a Pac-10 opponent for the first time, The C of I found themselves in an 8-0 hole just 90 seconds into the game.  However, the Yotes would force the Cardinal into an 0-for-10 shooting stretch, getting a pair of Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) treys, a pair of J.R. Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) free throws, and a Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) baseline jumper to cap a 10-0 run to take the lead.  A Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho / Eastern Utah CC) three-pointer with just over ten minutes left in the first half gave the Yotes a 16-14 edge – with the Purple and Gold trailing just 26-23 with four minutes left.  Unfortunately, Stanford would close the half on a 13-2 run and were never threatened again.  Owen led the Coyotes with 12 points, with freshman Andy Maxwell (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) coming off the bench to score nine points.

 

SIZE MATTERS: Standing courtside at Maples Pavilion, it at times looked like men among boys, as eight of the 14 players on Stanford’s roster stand taller than the Yotes biggest player in uniform.  The size advanced proved big dividends for the 15-time NCAA Tournament team, as the Cardinal held a 39-18 edge on the glass - and led the way to three slam dunks in the game.

 

LARGEST CROWD: Although there were many no-shows on Sunday night, the announced paid attendance of 7,009 could be the largest crowd a C of I basketball team has played in front of in school history.

 

NIELSON TRIES TO OUT-DO ROCKY BALBOA: Lost in the loss at Stanford was a freak injury to forward Kurt Nielson.  Midway through the second half, Nielson caught an inadvertent elbow underneath his left eye – requiring three stitches from the Stanford medical staff.  When the junior awoke for Monday’s plane trip to Portland, he looked as if he was an extra in the movie Rocky, with the eye nearly swollen shut.  Luckily for the Yotes, the swelling has subsided and Nielson should be in action Tuesday night against Warner Pacific.

 

PORTLAND WELCOMES COYOTES TO START FOUR GAME TRIP: With all of the non-conference games and exhibitions out of the way, the Coyotes will end the season with the remaining 18 games on the Cascade Conference slate.  Not returning home for nearly three weeks, the Yotes will play a pair of games in Portland, then after the Holiday Break, travel to both Northwest Christian and Eastern Oregon, before hosting Northwest and Evergreen State the second weekend of January.

 

WARNER WAITS FOR YOTES: The Yotes will open up the CCC portion of the trip with a battle against Warner Pacific.  The Knights (5-3, 1-0 CCC) are currently ranked No. 13 in the NAIA Division II national poll after starting the season at No. 3 – and are coming off back-to-back appearances at the NAIA Tournament.  Warner returns all five starters from last season, including CCC Player of the Year, Scott O’Gallagher (22.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg), All-CCC guard Josh Jackson (17.3 ppg 3.0 spg), and CCC Newcomer of the Year Jalonta Martin (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg).  The Knights average 87 points a game, but have gone 0-3 against Frontier Conference opponents – losing games to Westminster, Carroll, and Montana State-Northern.  The two teams split a pair of games last year, WP winning in Portland, with the Yotes winning in Caldwell.  It is the 40th meeting between the teams since 1972, with the Coyotes holding a 28-11 series edge.

 

MUCH IMPROVED CASCADE TEAM: Wednesday, the Coyotes put their longest win streak against a single opponent on the line, traveling to Cascade.  The new-look Thunderbirds (5-5, 0-1) have dropped 16-straight games to The C of I, but only one player, post Tayo Cotton (12.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), has faced the Yotes.  Led by Eric Taylor (19.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Erving Adams (10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Cascade has seen six of their nine games this season decided by three points or less – going 3-3 in those games.  The T-Birds are among the top rebounding teams in the league (+8.2), but averaged 20 turnovers a game.  It is the 43rd meeting between the schools, with the Coyotes holding a commanding 40-2 series edge.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE TOP-SIX:  The final Cascade Conference Top-6 Coaches Poll of 2007 was released last Monday – with a shake-up at the top.  Eastern Oregon took over the No. 1 spot, while Warner Pacific fell to No. 2.  Oregon Tech remained at No. 3, followed by Evergreen State, Northwest, and Concordia.  In the latest NAIA Top-25 poll, Eastern Oregon is ranked No. 6, Warner Pacific is ranked No. 13, and Oregon Tech is No. 17 – with Evergreen State receiving votes.  The C of I has a streak of 15 consecutive years of Top-25 rankings on the line in 2007-08.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE STATS: The Coyotes continue to lead the CCC as a team in turnover margin (+4.7), while ranking third in the loop in steals per game (9.7), and fifth in both assist-to-turnover ratio (+0.9) and three-pointers made per game (7.0).  Individually, Bryan Champ leads the league in steals per game (3.3), with Josh Owen ranks third in three-pointers made per game (1.9) and tenth in free throw percentage (.824).

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average –Scott O’Gallagher (WP) 22.4, Wade Douglas (CRB) 20.4, Eric Taylor (CAS) 19.4, Nate Menafee (ESC) 19.4, Josh Jarrett (NCC) 19.3; Rebound Average –Ryan Barker (CAS) 8.4, Christian Cavanaugh (OIT) 8.3, Jarrett 7.8, Joshua Wetzler (OIT) 7.8, Julio Feliciano (ESC) 7.6; Field Goal Percentage – Wetzler .722, Kyle Janke (EOU) .619, Douglas .615, Cavanaugh .602, Feliciano .591; Assist Average – Ryan Fiegi (OIT) 6.8, Jesse Alvarez (CU) 5.3, Jeremy Templeton (EOU) 5.2, Luke Hammond (NU) 4.4, Jgowon Hogges (OIT) 4.2.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyotes, head to the official homepage of The C of I men’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Finals over, Lady Yotes head to Portland for CCC games at Warner Pacific and Cascade

 

COMING UP: at Warner Pacific, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. (PST); at Cascade, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (PST)

 

LAST WEEK: Idle

 

INTERNET/RADIO: All ten College of Idaho women’s basketball Cascade Conference road games will be carried live on radio in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.  In addition, the remaining eight home games will be carried live on the World Wide Web at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm.   Currently road games are not available via The C of I internet.

 

LIVE STATS: Live stats will be available for Tuesday’s game at Warner Pacific, via the WP athletic website at www.wpcknights.com.  Click on the “Live Stats” icon on the top of the homepage.

 

FINALS OVER, BACK TO BASKETBALL: After completing final examinations last week, the Lady Yotes continue on their seven-game road trip, making the first of two trips to the Willamette Valley.  Following their conference games, The C of I will play their final non-conference game on New Years Eve at Northwest Nazarene, then head to Northwest Christian and Eastern Oregon, before finally returning home on Jan. 11 against Northwest.

 

WARNER LOOKING FOR OFFENSE: The Lady Yotes open up Tuesday at Warner Pacific, whom The C of I defeated in the CCC Tournament last season.  The Knights (2-7, 0-1 CCC), who are 2-1 at home this year, have struggled offensively of late, scoring 56-or-fewer points in their last five games – including a pair of sub-40 outputs, while ranking last in the conference in scoring average (49.8), scoring margin, and free throw percentage (.568).  WP returns three starters from last season – post Danica Wilson (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg), and guards Lindsey Wells (7.7 ppg, 4.3 turnovers a game) and Jacque Barton (7.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg).  It is the 18th meeting between the clubs, with the Yotes holding a 11-6 series edge.

 

WHICH CASCADE WILL WE SEE: Wednesday’s game looks to be an uptempo affair, as the Yotes meet up with a much-improved Cascade squad, who is averaging 78 points a game.  The Thunderbirds (7-4, 0-1) are a perfect 3-0 at home and are outscoring their opponents (Walla Walla, Simpson, Multnomah Bible) by 38 points in their seven wins.  However, Cascade has struggled in their four losses (Central Washington, Whitman, Northwest Christian, Seattle), dropping the four games by an average of 29 points a night.  The T-Birds are the most prolific three-point shooting team in the loop – making an average of eight treys a night and taking 25 shots a night.  They have three players averaging in double figures – Raquel Morin (17.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Robin Swain (11.1 ppg, 3.9 apg), and Te Awhina Aranui (10.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg).  The Yotes put a five-game win streak against the T-Birds on the line and hold an 11-3 series edge.

 

CCC TOP-6: The second weekly CCC Top-6 Coaches Poll was released last week, with unbeaten Eastern Oregon continuing to record all 11 first-place votes.  They were followed by Southern Oregon, the Lady Yotes, Oregon Tech, Northwest Christian, and Corban.  EOU remains the lone team in the NAIA Division II Top-25, sitting at No. 22, while Southern received 11 votes in the poll.  The next polls will not be conducted until after the New Year.

 

CONFERENCE STATS: As a team, the Lady Yotes continue to lead the CCC in steals per game (15.5), while ranking in the top-four in six other categories – No. 2 in turnover margin (+5.1), No. 3 in scoring average (76.1), three-point percentage (.360), three-pointers made per game (6.8), and free throw percentage (.686), and rank No. 4 in field goal percentage (.428).  On the opposite end of the spectrum, The C of I ranks dead last in the 11-team CCC in scoring defense (74.9) and opponents three-point percentage (.398).

 

INDIVIDUAL CASCADE CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Four Lady Yotes remain in the CCC top-ten in their latest statistical report, led by Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.), who is in four different categories – No. 4 in field goal percentage (.563), No. 6 in scoring average (16.9) and in steals (2.1), and No. 9 in rebounds (7.5).  Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) leads the league in steals (3.5), is fourth in blocked shots (1.3), and No. 9 in free throw percentage (.750), with Whitney Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) sixth in steals (2.1) and Kayla Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) fourth in three-point percentage (.478).

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL TOP-FIVE: Scoring Average – Emily Gray (NCC) 20.5, Crystal Idrogo (OIT) 17.3, Raquel Morin (CAS) 17.3, Brittany Bowsher (NU) 17.1, Jessica Steigleman (CRB) 17.1,; Rebound Average – Cora McVey (OIT) 10.0, Te Awinha Aranui (CAS) 9.9, Jennifer Solberg (ESC) 9.6, Sheena Henderson (EOU) 9.6, Jackie Speer (SOU) 9.4; Field Goal Percentage – Emily Goette (CRB) .604, Ann Snodderly (CU) .585, Tiffanie Ulmer (EOU) .574, Hill .563, Idrogo .529; Assist Average – Meagan Miyasaka (OIT) 5.4, Jenny Fiso (EOU) 4.7, Amy Croll (NCC) 4.5, Jenny Fiso (EOU) 4.4, Kailey Bostwick (CRB) 4.3.

 

ABOUT THE COACH: Reagan Rossi is in her seventh season as head coach of the Lady Yotes. During her tenure at The College of Idaho, the native of Mukwonago, Wisc. has compiled a 101-89 overall record, with six consecutive appearances in the Cascade Conference Tournament.  The 35-year-old took a 2001-02 team that had only one returning starter and only four players with extensive collegiate experience, and brought the Lady Yotes to within one game of the national tournament.  During the 2004-05 season, she did it again.  The squad, which had just two players with considerable experience with the Coyotes, won 20 games, and dropped the CCC Tournament title game to Western Baptist, 60-57.  This past season, she took a squad with one returning starter and five true freshmen and won 19 games, earning an NAIA Top-25 ranking, and advancing to the CCC semifinals.  Rossi was no stranger to The C of I, as she was a member of Todd Corman's inaugural coaching staff for two seasons, and was on the bench when the Coyotes took to the floor for the first time on Nov. 4, 1995 against Carroll College, ending an 18-year hiatus of women's basketball at the school.  Rossi has an extensive background in coaching -  having been an assistant coach at Georgetown (Ky.), a fellow NAIA institution, along with Morehead State (Ky.), an NCAA Division I program.   Before coming to The C of I in 1995, Rossi was an assistant coach with the Skagway High School boys' varsity team in Skagway, Alaska.   A 1994 graduate of Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, Rossi played four years of college basketball for the Queen Bees.  Two of her teams qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, including the 1993-94 squad which advanced into the "Sweet Sixteen."  She was the starting point-guard for two seasons, averaging ten points and six assists per game during her senior season.  In 2006, she was inducted into the Mukwonago High School Hall of Fame.  She and husband Rudy live in Caldwell - and have three-year-old twin daughters, Maggie and Darby.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Lady Yotes, head to the official homepage of The C of I women’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.

 

 

- C of I -