Yote Notes – January 14, 2009

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

C-TOWN FIGHT NIGHT ON THURSDAY: The fourth-annual C-Town Fight Night amateur boxing event is scheduled for this Thursday, January 15, in the Caldwell Events Center (O'Conner Fieldhouse).  All proceeds for the event, which will pit Caldwell High students vs. Caldwell High Students, and C of I students against C of I students in three one-minute round bouts, will benefit The C of I baseball team and CHS football teams.  For tickets, contact Josh Hegstad at 459-5862 or at jhegstad@collegeofidaho.edu.  Tickets are limited, as the last two events have been capacity crowds.

 

MATLOCK TO BE INDUCTED INTO NNU ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME: C of I head golf coach and former men’s basketball assistant coach Garry Matlock will be inducted Saturday afternoon into the Northwest Nazarene Athletic Hall of Fame.  Matlock attended NNU from 1963 to 1966 - holding the career assists record at NNU with 524 and is also number one in single-season assists with 260 (1965-66), fifth all-time in career steals (206), and ninth in single-season steals with 77 (1965-66). A two-sport athlete for the Crusaders, Garry played baseball in 1964 and 1966, posted a career .338 batting average, and was awarded the Orrin E. Hills Sports Trophy as a senior. Garry returned to NNU in 1981, serving one year as an assistant to Terry Layton and then nine seasons (1982-91) as head coach for the Crusader basketball program. During his tenure he taught in the Department of Kinesiology and served two years as Athletic Director.  The induction will take place at halftime of the NNU men’s basketball game, beginning at 2 p.m., in the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa.

 

IDAHO PRESS TRIBUNE FEATURES C OF I/NNU SPORTS BLOG: Fans of C of I athletics can share their thoughts on the Yotes as part of the Idaho Press Tribune’s College of Idaho/Northwest Nazarene Sports Blog.  Beat writer Mike Stetson shares his thoughts and stories, along with pictures and videos, on both the Yotes and Crusaders, with fans having the ability to leave their thoughts on their favorite team.  The blog is linked on the front of The C of I athletic website or can be visited at http://www.idahopress.com/blogs/?blogid=6.

 

DONATE TO THE COLLEGE OF IDAHO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Click here to make your tax deductible gift to assist the CIAA with post-season championships team travel, scholarships and recruiting - https://www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/_secure/makeagift.asp

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL (9-8, 5-2 CCC): Yotes take four-game win streak into three-game homestand starting Friday vs. Concordia

 

LAST WEEK: at Northwest (W 73-57), at No. 15 Evergreen State (W 71-69)

 

COMING UP: vs. Concordia, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. Corban, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

 

ON THE RADIO:  Both C of I games will be carried live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford calling the action.  The Jackson’s Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m., with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

 

LIVE VIDEO ON THE WEB: All C of I home men’s basketball games will be available for pay-per-view viewing via the Internet, thanks to Penn Atlantic.  To access the games, head to http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php, click College of Idaho on the “Choose School” dropdown bar, and select the game.  The viewing window should be available 15 minutes prior to game-time.  Radio voice, Mike Safford, will provide the play-by-play, of all internet games.

 

LIVE STATS AVAILABLE: All C of I home games will also feature Live Stats online at http://yotestats.i8.com/basketball/xlive.htm.

 

MCGEE NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: C of I forward Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) was honored today as the Cascade Conference men's basketball Player of the Week, announced Monday afternoon by the league office in Portland, Ore.  The redshirt junior had a huge week in helping the Coyotes go 3-0, including wins over No. 15 ranked Evergreen State and No. 19 ranked Eastern Oregon.  McGee had 15 points and six rebounds, including a pair of free throws late in overtime in the 85-81 win over EOU, followed by a 17-point, 12-rebound performance at Northwest on Saturday night.  Sunday, he had 14 points and 12 rebounds, with a lay-up at the buzzer lifting the Yotes to a 71-69 victory.  For the week, McGee averaged 15.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, converting 19 of his 36 field goal attempts.

 

SPINKS HAS MONSTER WEEK AS WELL: Also deserving of weekly honors was guard Steffen Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union HS), who was instrumental in the three wins, averaging 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.  The junior tied his season-high with 20 points against Evergreen and connected on all four of his three-point efforts on the weekend road trip.  Spinks has now scored at least eight points in 14-straight games.

 

TWO TOP-25 WINS IN SAME WEEK: It had been nearly six years since the Coyotes recorded wins against multiple Top-25 teams in the same week.  During the 2002-03 season, The C of I picked up wins in February against then No. 13 Cascade (Feb. 8) and No. 6 Oregon Tech (Feb. 14).  Later that season, the Yotes would run off wins against three-straight nationally-ranked squads – No. 14 Cascade, No. 20 Concordia, and No. 13 Taylor (Ind.), in winning the CCC Tournament title and winning a first-round game at the NAIA National Tournament.

 

LAST CCC ROAD SWEEP: Prior to last weekend, the last time the Yotes had swept a CCC road trip was Dec. 19-20, 2006 at Concordia and Corban.

 

SHOOTING BETTER DURING THE STREAK: The Yotes have fared well from the field during the current four-game win streak, hitting 47-percent of their field goal attempts and 40-percent of their three-pointers – up from 45-percent from the floor and 31-percent from the arc in the first 13 games of the year.  The team has also out-rebounded their opponents by nearly three boards in the four victories.

 

LAST LAST-SECOND WIN: Craig McGee’s buzzer-beater at Evergreen was the first C of I win at the horn in over six seasons.  Although the Yotes had victories in the final seconds during the 2003-04 season (Tom Perkes vs. Northwest, Andy Harper vs. Cascade), it was during the 2002-03 when the Coyotes last won at the buzzer – as Jon Thomas banked home a game-winner to take home the Golden Rule Shoot-Out championship over Westminster.

 

IT’S HAPPENED BEFORE VS. EVERGREEN: Speaking of late-game heroics, it wasn’t the first time that The C of I has won late at Evergreen State.  The Yotes have won a pair of overtime games in Olympia, while Tennison Tripple hit a three-pointer with one-second left to lift the Yotes to a 75-74 win during the 2000-01 season.

 

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES: It was a total team effort by the Yotes over the weekend – with other players having big nights.  Kelvin Potts (Oakland, Calif. / Chabot CC) had a career-high 26 points at Northwest and averaged six assists per game on the trip, with Jabari McIntosh (Union City, Calif. / West Valley CC) tying a season-high with 11 points at Evergreen and recording two blocked shots in each game.

 

CHAMP KEEPS STREAKS GOING: Guard Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) kept a pair of long streaks going on the road trip, as the senior has recorded a steal in 46 consecutive games, at least two points scored in 64-straight contests. 

 

CAREER RECORDS: Two Coyotes find themselves in the Top-10 on The C of I all-time career record book.  Bryan Champ ranks second all-time in steals (228), while needing 24 assists to crack the Top-10 in the category (205).  Craig McGee ranks fifth all-time in blocked shots (61) and eighth in free throw attempts (368), while closing in on the Top-10 in free throws made (225) and rebounds (408).

 

YOTES RECEIVE VOTES IN NAIA POLL: The fourth regular-season NAIA Top-25 Poll was released on Jan. 12, with OIT retaining the No. 1 spot, with Evergreen State up to No. 13, and Warner Pacific falling to No. 18.  However, the lone other CCC team in the ranking was the Coyotes, who received one voter point – the first time since the preseason poll that The C of I was in the tabulation.  Three other C of I opponents were in the NAIA Division I poll (No. 2 Westminster, No. 8 Fresno Pacific, and No. 14 Westmont).  The Top-25 poll will be released every Monday for the remainder of the season.

 

COYOTES IN THE CCC STATS: As a team, the Yotes rank second in scoring defense (70.7), while ranking third in defensive field goal percentage (.427) and blocks per game (3.6).  The C of I sits No. 5 in opponents rebounds per game (35.8), No. 6 in steals per game (7.9) and turnover margin (+0.7), No. 7 in scoring margin (+1.8) and assists per game (13.1), No. 8 in free throw percentage (.655), field goal percentage (.455), three-point percentage (.330), and rebounds per game (35.2), No. 9 in scoring offense (72.5) and rebound margin (-0.6), and No. 11 in defensive three-point percentage.  Individually, Craig McGee finds himself among the top-ten in the loop stats in five categories – No. 3 in blocks per game (1.1), No. 5 in field goal percentage (.588), No. 6 in rebounds per game (7.6), No. 9 in minutes played per game (30.9), and No. 10 in scoring average (15.8).  Bryan Champ ranks third in both three-point percentage (.467) and steals per game (2.7), along with No. 10 in free throw percentage (.792), with Kelvin Potts No. 5 in assists per game (3.7) and No. 10 in minutes per game (30.7).  Rounding out the group are Jabari McIntosh, who is No. 4 in blocks per game (0.9) and Brian Bergerson (Modesto, Calif. / Modesto CC), who is No. 9 in three-pointers per game (1.8).  In league-only counters, the Yotes as a team lead the CCC in scoring defense (68.4) and opponents field goal percentage (.415).

 

CCC LEADERS: Scoring Average – Nate Menefee (ESC) 23.2, Adam Moore (WP) 20.8, Ben Pawlak (CAS) 19.6, Jguwon Hogges (OIT) 17.7, Steven Vaughan (CU) 17.4; Rebound Average – Kaylone Riley (WP) 11.1, Josh Wetzler (OIT) 9.4, Alex Tiefenthaler (CU) 8.2, Paul Carollo (EOU) 7.9, Ryan Barker (CAS) 7.7; Field Goal Percentage – Wetzler .711, Christian Cavanaugh (OIT) .673, Steve Trotter (ESC) .611, Dylan Perry (NCU) .600, Craig McGee (CI) .588; Assists Average – Justin Parnell (OIT) 5.5, Kao Saelee (CAS) 4.8, Jeremy Templeton (EOU) 4.2, Paul Martin (CRB) 4.1, Kelvin Potts (CI) 3.7.

 

CONCORDIA HEADS TO CALDWELL: The Yotes open up their three-game homestand with a Friday night meeting against Concordia.  The Cavaliers (7-10, 2-6 CCC) opened the season with a 4-1 record, but endured a seven-game losing streak during December.  However, CU rebounded last weekend, stunning then No. 10 ranked Warner Pacific at home.  Steven Vaughan (17.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is the go-to player for the Cavs, while Portland State transfer Alex Tiefenthaler (16.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Desmond Meray (11.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg) each having the ability to take a game over.  The two teams split the season series last year, with the Coyotes holding a commanding 42-10 all-time series edge, dating back to 1980.

 

SURGING CORBAN LOOKS FOR ANOTHER WIN: Saturday night, Corban heads to the Activities Center, hoping to extend a two-game win streak.  The Warriors (6-11, 2-6), who have won just 2-of-8 games away from their home court, have responded after losing eight games in nine outings in December.  Clay Martin (17.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg) leads five players averaging in double-figures, with Ian Logan (12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Ben Potloff (11.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Paul Martin (10.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg), and Wade Douglas (10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) all contributing for the Warriors.  The two teams have met 62 times previously, with the Coyotes holding a 40-22 series edge – however, it was Corban that defeated the Yotes in Caldwell last season.

 

GAME RECAP: C OF I 73, NORTHWEST 57: Kelvin Potts had a career-high 26 points and seven assists, as The C of I went wire-to-wire, ending a five-game losing streak inside Northwest Pavilion, topping Northwest University, 73-57, Friday night.  The win marked the first victory for the Coyotes in Kirkland since the 2003-04 and helped The C of I reach the .500 mark for the first time this season.  The Coyotes held the Eagles without a made field goal for the first five minutes of the game, jumping out to a 15-3 lead.  NU would close within 23-19 on a Lucas Ashe trey, but the visitors would respond with a 15-3 run, capped by a trey by Potts, as The C of I built a 41-26 halftime lead.  Utilizing a 40-28 edge on the glass, the Yotes would never see the lead fall below 12 in the second half, as Craig McGee provided the scoring punch - recording 12 of his 17 points and six of his 11 rebounds after halftime.  Steffen Spinks had ten points and eight rebounds for the victors, while Ashe led the Eagles with 21 points.

 

GAME RECAP: C OF I 71, EVERGREEN STATE 69: Craig McGee was the hero for The C of I, as his lay-up at the final horn lifted the Coyotes to a 71-69 upset victory over No. 15 ranked Evergreen State in the CRC Gymnasium.  After Nick Moore made the second of two free throws with 24 seconds remaining to tie the score at 69-69, the Yotes milked the clock, with Kelvin Potts driving in the paint with three seconds left.  Potts found McGee alone under the basket, with his uncontested lay-up setting off a Purple and Gold celebration – as the Yotes moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season and extended a winning streak to four.  The Yotes trailed early 5-3, but a 10-0 run helped The C of I build a nine-point first half lead, with the visitors leading 40-33 at the break.  The Geoducks would rally in the second half, as a pair of Moore free throws gave Evergreen their lone lead in the second half at 45-44.  McGee would answer with a lay-up of his own, and the Yotes would not relinquish the lead until the waning seconds.  Steffen Spinks led the Yotes with 20 points and six rebounds, while McGee registered his second-straight double-double, scoring 14 points with 12 boards.   Nate Menefee led all scorers with 21 points, but hit only 6-of-17 shots from the field.  Moore had 14 points in only 19 minutes of action for the Geoducks, who lost at home for the first time this season.

 

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

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (16-1, 7-0 CCC): Win streaks on line as No. 11 Lady Yotes host No. 17 Concordia on Friday night

 

LAST WEEK: at Northwest (W 80-52), at Evergreen State (W 83-67)

 

COMING UP: vs. No. 17 Concordia, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Corban, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

 

LIVE VIDEO ON THE WEB: All C of  I home women’s basketball games will be available for pay-per-view viewing via the Internet, thanks to Penn Atlantic.  To access the games, head to http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php, click College of Idaho on the “Choose School” dropdown bar, and select the game.  The viewing window should be available 15 minutes prior to game-time.  Radio voice, Mike Safford, will provide the play-by-play, of all internet games.

 

LIVE STATS AVAILABLE: All C of I home games will also feature Live Stats online at http://yotestats.i8.com/basketball/xlive.htm.

 

YOTES CLIMB TO NO. 11 IN NAIA POLL: The C of I climbed four spots to No. 11 in the latest NAIA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll, released Monday afternoon by the national office in Kansas City. Mo.  The Lady Yotes notched their highest national ranking since the 2000-01 season, when they elevated to No. 4 and lost in the national title game.  Concordia jumped three spots this week to No. 17, while Southern Oregon was the first team listed in the Others Receiving Votes category.  The three unbeaten teams remaining in the NAIA Division II sit atop the poll - Morningside (Iowa), Shawnee State (Ohio), and Davenport (Mich.), followed by College of the Ozarks (Mo.) and Jamestown (N.D.).  The poll will be released each Monday for the remainder of the season.

 

LADY YOTES AT NO. 4 IN CFSN POLL: The Lady Yotes also find themselves among the Top-5 in an unofficial poll, released by the College Fanz Sports Network.  The C of I is ranked No. 4 in the poll – trailing just the three unbeaten teams in the NAIA.  Concordia (No. 5) and Southern Oregon (No. 21) are in the CFSN NAIA poll.

 

BATTLE OF TOP-25 TEAMS: For the first time since the 1999-00 season, the Lady Yotes will host a game with both teams ranked in the NAIA Division II Top-25, as No. 17 Concordia meets 11th-ranked C of I.  The last time that this occurred was in February of 2000, when No. 3 Northwest Nazarene met the then No. 14 ranked Lady Yotes.

 

LAST TIME FACING A RANKED TEAM AS A RANKED TEAM: Friday marks the first time under head coach Reagan Rossi that the Lady Yotes have played a game as a ranked squad against another ranked NAIA opponent (The C of I met Whitman of the NCAA Division III, who was No. 24 in the nation, earlier this year).  The last time this occurred was during the 2001 NAIA Division II national tournament, where in the span of four days, the Lady Yotes defeated No. 1 ranked Shawnee State (Ohio) and No. 3 Briar Cliff (Iowa), before losing in the title game to No. 2 ranked Northwestern (Iowa).

 

NEW WIN STREAK RECORD: With victories on the road at Northwest and Evergreen State, the Lady Yotes extended the school record for consecutive wins, recording 16-straight victories in a row.  It has eclipsed the former mark of 13 in a row set during the 1996-97 season.

 

ANOTHER WIN STREAK RECORD TIED: The win last Tuesday over Eastern Oregon also tied the most consecutive home wins in a row with 11.  The Lady Yotes have not lost at home this season (8-0) and equaled the mark set from Feb. 5, 1999 to Feb. 12, 2000.

 

ALL-TIME CASCADE CONFERENCE WIN STREAKS: With the Lady Yotes sitting at 16 wins in a row and Concordia heading to Caldwell having won 15-straight, both programs are closing in on some of the top win streaks in CCC history.  Northwest Nazarene holds the longest CCC win streak, winning 23-straight during the 1999-00 season, while Western Oregon won 20 in a row during the 1995-96 season, on their way to the NAIA title.  Of the current CCC teams, Eastern Oregon holds the longest streak, winning 19-straight during the 2003-04 campaign.

 

BEST START EVER: The 16-1 start pushes the Lady Yotes into elite status, as The C of I has recorded their best  ten and 15-game start to a season.  The squad has surged past the 1997-98 team that opened with an 13-2 record.  That 1997-98 team also holds the school record for best 20-game start, recording a 17-3 record.

 

GALL NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the second time this season, guard Nicole Gall (Boise, Idaho / Santa Clara U.) was named CCC Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday.  The sophomore averaged nearly 25 points per game in the Lady Yotes three wins, to go along with six rebounds, four steals, and three assists per game.  Gall scored at least 20 points in all three wins, while hitting 15-of-30 shots from outside the arc.  She currently leads the CCC in scoring in league-only contests at 19.7 points per game, while connecting on 49-percent of her three-point attempts and making over four triples per game in conference action.

 

BREWER HAS BIG NIGHT: Shrugging off a tough start to the season from the field, guard Katee Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) stepped up in a big way Sunday at Evergreen State, scoring 12 points in the win.  The junior, who had hit just 4-of-23 shots from outside the arc prior to Sunday, connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts, recording her highest point total since a 15-point outburst as a freshman against Whitworth.  Brewer also recorded a rebound in both games this weekend, and has now registered a board in each of her last eight games played.

 

VANDER ESCH ADDS A ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Forward Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) recorded her fourth double-double of the season on Sunday, scoring 13 points with 12 rebounds at Evergreen.  It was the ninth time in her three-year career that she had a double-double and is the lone player in program history to have a triple-double.  Vander Esch also extended a pair of long streaks over the weekend – she has now scored at least one point in 56-straight games, recorded a rebound in 66-straight games, and a steal in 34-straight games.  She is No. 1 on The C of I career steals list (215), is second on the all-time blocked shots list (127), sixth all-time in free throws attempted (315), seventh all-time in free throws made (212), eighth in field goal attempts (725), ninth in both rebounds (548) and points scored (811), and tenth field goals made (278) – while closing in on the list in both three-pointers made (43), and three-point attempts (139).

 

LADY YOTES IN THE CCC STATS:  As a team, the Lady Yotes lead the CCC in four different categories – defensive three-point percentage (.263), total rebounds (46.9), blocked shots (5.7), and steals per game (18.1) – leading the nation in steals per game.  The squad ranks second in the loop in scoring offense (80.6), defensive field goal percentage (.369), and turnover margin (+7.1), is third in scoring margin (+14.7) and assists per game (16.4), fifth in three-point percentage (.353), sixth in field goal percentage (.409), free throw percentage (.674), and rebound margin (+2.1), eighth in scoring defense (65.9), and 11th in opponents rebounds (44.9).  Individually, Christon Vander Esch leads the loop in blocked shots per game (2.1), is second in steals per game (3.8), fourth in rebounds per game (8.4), and eighth in scoring average (14.0).  Nicole Bruce (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) is fifth in blocked shots per game (1.5) and ninth in free throw percentage (.768), while Nicole Gall ranks third in three-pointers per game (2.5), sixth in steals per game (2.6) and three-point percentage (.412), and is ninth in scoring average (13.5).  Katie Strunk (Shoshone, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.525), with Meghan Hughes (Eagle, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) seventh in the league in field goal percentage (.491).

 

CCC LEADERS: Scoring Average – Kristina Schumacher (CAS) 22.6, Robin Swain (CAS) 17.6, Katie Steigleman (CRB) 16.1, Jacki Speer (SOU) 15.6, Emily Gray (NCU) 15.1; Rebound Average – Speer (SOU) 9.7, Maya Gross (CAS) 9.2, Gray 8.7, Christon Vander Esch (CI)  8.4, Amy Russell (CAS) 8.0; Field Goal Percentage –Danielle Clauson (CU) .554, Ann Snodderly (CU) .540, Amanda Johnston (OIT) .532, Katie Strunk (CI) .525, Brianna Smith (EOU) .517; Assist Average – Meagan Miyasaka (OIT) 6.9, Jenny Fiso (EOU) 5.0, Kailey Bostwick (CRB) 5.0, Swain 4.6, Whitney Scott (SOU) 4.4.

 

RED HOT CONCORDIA READY TO END SKID VS. C OF I: It should be an exciting game Friday night, as No. 17 ranked Concordia visits Caldwell, as the Cavaliers (15-1, 8-0 CCC) put their 15-game win streak on the line.  CU moved into the NAIA poll last week for the first time since 2001-02 – thanks to a balanced attack (eight different leading scorers) that hits 45-percent of their field goal attempts, a stellar rebounding squad (+7.1 per game), and a defense that allows just 58 points a night.  The Cavs are paced by returners Danielle Clauson (10.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Ann Snodderly (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg), along twin sister transfers Rebecca Gimeno (11.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg) and Angela Gimeno (9.9 ppg, 4.0 apg).  CU looks to end a 13-game losing streak to the Yotes, dating back to 2002, as The C of I holds a 23-4 series edge.

 

YOUNG CORBAN TEAM POISED FOR UPSET: The Lady Yotes cannot overlook Saturday’s opponent, Corban, who head eastward winners of two-straight.  The Warriors (8-8, 4-4) are among the top scoring teams in the loop, averaging 71 points a night – however, allow 70 a game, commit 20 turnovers a game, and allow four more rebounds per game than their opponent.  True freshman Katie Steigleman (16.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) has been fabulous this season for Terry Williams’ bunch, complementing Jennesa Miller (12.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Kailey Bostwick (10.7 ppg, 5.0 apg).  It is the 32nd meeting between the teams, with the Yotes holding an 18-13 series lead.

 

GAME RECAP – C OF I 80, NORTHWEST 52: Nicole Gall had a game-high 20 points, as the Lady Yotes extended their school-record win streak to 15, defeating Northwest University, 80-52, tonight in the Northwest Pavilion.  Gall had 17 points in the first half, including five three-pointers in a 20-3 run by the Coyotes, turning a tight game into a 39-22 lead.  She added six rebounds and four steals in the victory.  ShaNae Horner (West Jordan, Utah / Snow CC) had 15 points in the win, as The C of I forced the Eagles into 31 turnovers and 22-percent shooting on the night.  Seven different Lady Yote players had five rebounds or more in the victory.  No Northwest player scored in double-figures, as Dani Drivstuen and Brittany Bowsher each tallied nine points in the loss.

 

GAME RECAP – C OF I 83, EVERGREEN STATE 67: Nicole Gall led five C of I players in double figures with 27 points, as the Lady Yotes ran their school record win streak to 16 games with an 83-67 victory at Evergreen State, Sunday in the CRC Gymnasium.  The Lady Yotes battled the turnover bug in the first half, committing 14 miscues and held a 44-38 lead at the break.  However a 7-0 run to open the second half got The C of I rolling, helping the visitors coast to the win.  Gall connected on five three-point baskets in the victory, while adding six rebounds.  Christon Vander Esch had a double-double, 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Coyotes.  Katee Brewer scored a season-high 12, with Whitney Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) and Meghan Hughes each tallying ten.  Kristi Auckland had 16 points and 15 rebounds in the loss for the Geoducks, with Jeannette Owens leading Evergreen with a season-high 17 points.

 

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

 

SKIING: Season Preview

 

COMING UP: Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference Qualifier #1 (Giant Slalom), Mount Hood Ski Bowl, Saturday-Sunday.

 

LAST SEASON: The College of Idaho alpine ski teams once again were tops in the Northwest, as the men and women both captured their fifth-straight NWCSC title and advanced to the USCSA National Championships in Maine – where the Lady Yotes placed 11th and the Coyotes finished 12th.  The Coyote men graduated just two skiers – senior All-NWCSC selections Aaron Flynn and Matt Weaver, while the Lady Yotes did not lose a starter to graduation.

 

SCOUTING THE COYOTE MEN: The Yotes will not be a deep squad in 2009, however, they will be a very talented crew that has the ability for extremely fast times each race.  Junior Dewey Moss leads the group, a year after winning his second-straight NWCSC individual crown and earning Second-Team All-America honors in slalom, giant slalom, and alpine combined at the USCSA Championships.  Sophomores Eric Ostrand and Mats Boehnke look to be key contributors in The C of I’s success, as will freshman Wes Beougher and sophomores Sam Finch and Travis Morris.  “The men will need to step up their game and be solid,” said head coach Ron Bonneau.  “If we pull together as a team, this could be a special year.”

 

SCOUTING THE LADY YOTES: Bonneau is extremely excited for the women’s alpine program this season, as five All-NWCSC performers are on the roster.  Sophomore Lara Mann had a phenomenal rookie season, claiming four individual titles in winning the NWCSC individual crown, while earning USCSA Second-Team All-America honors in the alpine combined.  Sophomore Katie Kernan looks to have a big year, as do a trio of seniors with loads of experience – Nicki Maxwell, Jessica Wise, and transfer Katie Sawaya.  Add transfer Gabrielle Gould and freshman Kelly Fitzpatrick into the mix, along with returners Becky Anderson and LaRue Seitz, and the Lady Yotes look to be a force to be reckoned with.  “This is by far the most talented team with the most depth that I have had in my tenure at The C of I,” said Bonneau.  “We have lots of experience with our great senior group and loads of talent with our underclassmen – it is a great mix.”

 

THE NWCSC: The Yotes will be contested this year in the Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference by British Columbia, who finished ahead of both C of I teams at the USCSA Championships last March.  Both Gonzaga and Central Oregon College join the usual cast of characters in the league – Idaho, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, and Puget Sound.

 

FREESTYLE TEAM ALSO LOOKS FOR SUCCESS: The NWCSC will also be holding freestyle skiing/snowboarding competitions this season, with the Yotes expected to fare well in these disciplines.  Both the men and women lost All-Americans to graduation, as four-time National Champion Evan Williams, and five-time All-American Kaylie Aaker have completed their eligibility.

 

COACHING STAFF: Bonneau enters his 19th season with the Coyote ski programs, guiding The C of I men to the national championships on 11 occasions, with the women earning berths 14 times – including 11 in a row.  He is joined by two assistants this winter – Dave Bryan and former Yote All-American Matt Sylvester.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I ski program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.htm.

 

SWIMMING: Yotes notch two more “A” marks in home duals with Pacific Lutheran

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Pacific Lutheran (short course) – Men (L 130-56), Women (L 141-58); vs. Pacific Lutheran (long course) – Men (L 126-46), Women (L 116-64)

 

COMING UP: Idle until Jan. 23 at Willamette, 6 p.m. (PT); Jan. 24 at Pacific, 11 a.m. (PT)

 

LADY YOTES ADD TWO MORE AUTO MARKS AGAINST PLU: Push the number of NAIA Automatic Qualifying times for The College of Idaho women’s swim team to 13 following this weekend’s double dual with Pacific Lutheran, as the Lady Yotes hit two more NAIA “A” marks in the meet.  Sunday, Ashlee Byrnes (Vancouver, Wash. / Columbia River HS) broke her own school record in winning the 200-butterfly (2:32.27) – shaving five seconds off her seasonal-best time, meeting the NAIA “A” mark by over two seconds.  Same can be said about Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS), who hit her fourth NAIA “A” time of the season, breaking her own school record in the 400-IM (5:09.49).  Hitting an NAIA “B” mark in the meet was sophomore Auriana Clapp (Eagle, Idaho / Meridian HS) in the 200-breaststroke.

 

SAVELL HAS SOLID WEEKEND: The win by Savell in the 400-IM was one of four victories by the senior over the course of the two-day meet.  She picked up wins on Saturday in the 100-breast and 200-IM, followed Sunday by her wins in the 200-breast and 400-IM.

 

GREEN LEADS COYOTE MEN: Leading an overmatched C of I men’s team this weekend was sprinter John Green (Pleasanton, Calif. / Foothill HS), who won three individual races against PLU.  The senior won both the 50-free and 100-free in Saturday’s meet, the picked up a second win in the 100-free on Sunday.

 

NAIA TOP TIMES: Two C of I swimmers have recorded times among the NAIA Top-20 through December 16 – John Green and Forrest Shoemaker (University Place, Wash. / Curtis HS).  Green holds the No. 10 time in the 100-free and the No. 12 time in the 50-free, while Shoemaker has the 20th-fastest time in the nation in the 1,000-free.  Both the men and women have four relay teams in the Top-20 – the men’s 400-free (No. 8); men’s 400-medley and women’s 800-free (No. 13); men’s 200-free, 200-medley, and women’s 400-free (No. 14); women’s 200-free (No. 17), and women’s 400-medley (No. 18).  The next update from the NAIA National Office is set for January 20.

 

NATIONAL MARKS PILING UP: Plane tickets to St. Louis and the NAIA Swimming and Diving National Championships can already be secured for the Coyotes, as The C of I men have recorded nine NAIA “A” and eight NAIA “B” marks, with the Lady Yotes recording 13 NAIA “A” times and six NAIA “B” times over the two months of the season.  NAIA "A" - John Green (50-free, 100-free), Forrest Shoemaker (100-free, 100-fly, 500-free), Men's 200-medley relay, Men’s 200-free relay, Men’s 400-medley relay, Men’s 400-free relay, Alphonsina Savell  (100-free, 100-breast, 200-breast, 400-IM), Auriana Clapp (100-breast), Ellen Judd (Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS) (200-breast), Annie Younggren (Island City, Ore. / La Grande HS) (1,650-free), Ashlee Byrnes (200-fly), Women's 200-free relay, Women’s 200-medley relay, Women’s 400-free relay, Women’s 400-medley relay, Women’s 800-free relay; NAIA "B" - Jeremy Younggren (Island City, Ore. / La Grande HS) (50-free), John Green (200-free), Forrest Shoemaker (200-free), James Rutter (Bakersfield, Calif. / Stockdale HS) (100-back), Scott Mikelonis (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS)  (100-breast, 200-breast, 200-IM), Kemp Smith (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) (100-back), Alphonsina Savell (200-IM), Annie Younggren (200-free, 500-free), Ellen Judd (100-breast), Kayley Pitzele (Sammamish, Wash. / Skyline HS) (1650-free), Auriana Clapp (200-breast).

 

WEEK TO PREPARE: The Coyotes will take this week off from competition, training for the final two regular-season duals of the year – at Willamette and Pacific in Oregon.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I swim program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.