‘Yote Notes – February 4, 2002

(To subscribe to ‘Yotes Notes, email Mike Safford Jr. at msafford@albertson.edu or call (208) 459-5681)

 

 

GENERAL ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

BUDDY BEAR NIGHT ON SATURDAY: All fans attending Saturday’s men’s basketball game with Oregon Tech are asked to bring a stuffed animal as part of the annual “Buddy Bear” night.  The stuffed animals will be donated to local law enforcement and fire agencies, to be given to children in crisis situations.  Make plans to help out the children of the Treasure Valley on Saturday night – bring a “Buddy Bear.”

 

MICHAELSON NAMED TO VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM: Men’s soccer standout Coe Michaelson (East Wenatchee, Wash. / East Wenatchee HS) continues to rack up the accolades from his outstanding 2001 campaign.  The junior was named to the CoSIDA/Verizon Academic All-America team as a second-team selection.  The team, voted on by sports information directors across the nation, consists of players in the NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA with a 3.5 GPA or higher.  Michaelson has a 3.75 GPA in Spanish.

 

BASEBALL / SOFTBALL PREVIEWS SET FOR NEXT WEEK: With the spring sports season set to begin a week from Friday, the next edition of ‘Yote Notes will include a preview of both the 2002 Coyote baseball team, ranked No. 14 in the NAIA preseason poll, and the first-ever Lady ‘Yote softball team.

 

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL:   18-11, 8-7 in CCC

 

LAST WEEK: lost 87-74 at Cascade; lost 93-87 at Warner Pacific

 

THIS WEEK: vs. Southern Oregon, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. Oregon Tech, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

 

‘YOTES HANDLED ON THE ROAD, FALL TO FIFTH: The rocky second half of the 2001-02 basketball season for the Coyotes took another turn for the worse, as Albertson dropped a pair of games over the weekend, dropping into fifth-place in the Cascade Conference standings.  Albertson is currently a half-game behind fourth-place Warner Pacific for the final home playoff slot in the upcoming conference tournament, set to begin on Feb. 20.

 

RIP CITY RIPS ALBERTSON: Three weeks ago, every bounce in Portland seemed to fall the way of the Coyotes.  Last weekend, there weren’t any bounces.  Conference upstarts Cascade College and Warner Pacific each jumped out to 15-point halftime leads, a deficit the ‘Yotes could not overcome on either occasion.  Against Cascade, Albertson worked the lead down to 71-67 with 90 seconds remaining, but could not get closer, as the T-Birds hit six-straight free throws down the stretch.  At Warner Pacific, a 13-0 second half run saw the Knights extend their lead to 57-30 in the second half, with the ‘Yotes chipping the lead to the final margin of six.

 

MORE ON THE WEEKEND TILTS: With the win on Friday, Cascade completed its first-ever regular season sweep of Albertson.  Coming into the year, the Coyotes had won 25-of-27 meetings between the schools, dating back to 1982.  On Saturday, Warner Pacific ended a ten-game draught against Albertson, with the last Knight win occurring exactly 13 years to the day, back in 1989.

 

ROBERTSON REACHES MILESTONE: With 23 points in the loss to Warner Pacific, Neal Robertson (Richland, Wash. / Columbia Basin CC) became the tenth Albertson player since 1981 to reach the 1,000 point plateau in his career.  The senior sits in ninth-place all-time, moving past Scott Kern (1,005), with 1,018 points.  Next in line for Robertson is Rob Smith with 1,059 points.  He also has moved into second-place behind Kade Wilson for three-pointers made (210) and attempted (522) in a career.

 

WILSON’S RECORD IS SAFE: The consecutive free throw streak of Kade Wilson is still standing with three regular season games remaining.  Tennison Tripple (Pocatello, Idaho / Lane CC) hit his first 46 attempts this season, 47 dating back to last year, but back-ironed a free throw at Cascade, ending his bit to break the record.  The senior has hit 50-of-51 free throws this year (.980 percent), tops in the Cascade Conference, but does not meet the 2.5 made free throws per game to qualify on the national level.

 

LID ON THE BASKET?: Albertson is noted for its outside shooting, considering the 2000-01 team set a school record for treys in a season.  However, the touch has eluded the men over the last five games, as the team has hit just 34-of-117 attempts (.294 percent) from outside the arc.  What is even more concerning is their first half percentage over the same period – the team has made just 7-of-43 attempts (.163 percent).  In 15 conference games, Albertson has held the lead at halftime just twice (vs. Western Baptist, at Concordia), and has trailed by at least ten points in five separate games.

 

BIG HALF FOR THOMAS: The season-high 60 point second half for the Coyotes on Saturday was helped by a big effort from Jon Thomas (Nampa, Idaho / Gem State Academy).  The junior scored all 18 of his points in the half, including four treys.  The 18 points was a career-high for the Treasure Valley native.

 

THE RETURN OF “E”: After struggling for much of the last three weeks, transfer Eric Hare (San Miguel de Alleude, Mexico / West Valley College) asserted himself at his forward position this weekend.  The junior averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds in the two games, much better than the five points and rebounds during the previous six outings.

 

TWO BIGGIES AT HOME: A final push for home dates in the post-season tournament begin this weekend, as Albertson starts a three-game homestand to round out the regular season.  Friday night, Southern Oregon comes to town, a team that has given the ‘Yotes fits this year.  The Raiders (10-14, 6-8) have defeated Albertson twice this season, holding the Coyotes under 70 points on each occasion.  A win by Brian McDermott’s club would clinch a playoff berth for the Raiders, and forward Jeff Tachney (16.1 in CCC play) will try and make it 3-for-3 against the ‘Yotes.  Saturday night, the Oregon Tech-Albertson rivalry makes its annual Caldwell stop.  The Hustlin’ Owls (20-7, 10-4) are tied for second in the CCC, and saw the return of guard Elliott Marshall (13.3 ppg), who has been plagued by ankle problems, in a 66-60 win over Southern Oregon on Saturday.  Head coach Danny Miles surpassed Ralph Miller as the dean of all Oregon college basketball coaches, picking up win number 675 in his career.  OIT stopped Albertson 102-95 in January.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Team - Scoring Average (80.7 4th in CCC), Scoring Defense (76.7 – 7th), Field Goal Percentage (.456 - 7th), Three-Point Percentage (.366 – 4th), Free Throw Percentage (.763 – 1st), Rebounds (35.0 – 4th), Rebound Margin –2.5 – 7th), Turnovers (12.9 – 1st).  Individual: Scoring Average (Neal Robertson– 17.4), Field Goal Percentage (Mike Homik (Hamilton, N.Z. / West Valley College) - .588), Three-Point Percentage (Jon Thomas - .416), Free Throw Percentage (Tennison Tripple – .980), Rebound Average (Eric Hare – 7.0), Assists (Kris Cox - 93), Steals (Kris Cox - 43), Blocked Shots (Mike Homik - 34).

 

CONFERENCE STANDINGS:

 

 

Conference

 

Overall

TEAM

W

L

PCT

 

W

L

* Evergreen

14

1

.933

 

20

5

* Western Baptist

10

4

.714

 

21

6

* Oregon Tech

10

4

.714

 

20

7

* Warner Pacific

8

6

.571

 

16

12

* Albertson

8

7

.538

 

18

11

Cascade

7

7

.500

 

16

12

Southern Oregon

6

8

.429

 

10

14

Concordia

4

10

.286

 

10

17

Northwest

3

12

.200

 

6

21

Eastern Oregon

2

13

.133

 

5

17

 

* Have Clinched Post-Season Berth

 

ON THE AIR AND INTERNET: All 32 regular season men’s basketball games can be heard live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the play-by-play.  Catch both games this week on the ‘Home of the Coyotes.’  If you cannot find a radio or are outside of the KCID listening area, log on your computer to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/profiles/0102/AthleticsLive.asx to listen to the game live via the internet.

 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.

 

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL:     16-8, 9-3 in CCC

 

LAST WEEK: lost 81-79 to Eastern Oregon, defeated Warner Pacific 67-46

 

THIS WEEK: at Western Baptist, Thursday, 8:30 p.m.; at Southern Oregon, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

 

LADY ‘YOTES CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH, DROP TO THIRD-PLACE: Despite clinching a berth in the Cascade Conference post-season tournament, the Albertson women’s basketball team dropped a spot in the CCC race, via the tough two-point loss to front-running Eastern Oregon.  The Lady ‘Yotes are tied with Southern Oregon in third-place, a game and a half behind second-place Western Baptist, and a full two games back of EOU.  However, this is the make-or-break week for the squad, as they travel to both Western and Southern for big matchups.

TOUGH LOSS TO EASTERN: Rachelle Stockman nailed a trey with 39-seconds left, giving Eastern Oregon a 78-74 cushion, leading the Mountaineers to a key 81-79 victory over Albertson College, in a first-place Cascade Conference women's basketball battle last Wednesday night.  The junior from Spokane, Wash. hit her first four shots from the field, scoring a career-high 17 points, leading the 16th-ranked Mountaineers to their first-ever regular season sweep of Albertson, since the Treasure Valley school reinstated women's hoop in 1995.  Eastern jumped out to an early lead, thanks in part to hot shooting - the Mountaineers hit 11 of their first 14 shots.  However, the Lady 'Yotes fought back, taking a 47-46 lead on a Heidi Goicoechea (Burley, Idaho / Burley HS) jumper with 15 minutes left.  However, Mountaineer guard Tricia Haddock nailed a three on the ensuing possession, and EOU led the rest of the way, albeit by no more than six points.

REBOUNDING THE KEY IN WIN AGAINST WARNER: The Lady ‘Yotes rebounded, literally, on Friday night in the 67-46 win over Warner Pacific.  Albertson held a 57-26 rebound advantage over the Knights, but more impressive was the 30 offensive rebounds by the Coyotes – more than the combined total for WPC.  A balanced scoring attack, led by a 14 point night from Jeannie Thompson (Everett, Wash. / Everett HS) sparked the win. 

 

HENRICHS SETS PERSONAL MARK: It was a good week for forward Megan Henrichs (Preston, Idaho / Preston HS), as she scored a career-high 25 points in the loss to Eastern Oregon.  The junior also recorded her seventh double-double of the year against Warner Pacific, scoring 11 points and pulling down ten rebounds.

 

BAILEY BREAKS CAREER MARK: For the second straight week, center Kristen Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah / Snow CC) established a new Albertson school record.  With three blocks against Eastern Oregon, the junior transfer became the most prolific shot blocker in school history, moving past Linsi Sloan on the career swat list.  Bailey now has 65 blocks on the season, tops in the Cascade Conference.  She also recorded her ninth double-double of the season, scoring ten points, with 11 rebounds against WPC, and continues to lead the CCC on the boards.

 

MORE RECORD FODDER: Not only has Jeannie Thompson already set career records for games started, steals, and assists, she is closing fast on a pair of other marks.  The senior needs 56 points to become the fourth women’s basketball player at Albertson to score 1,000 points in her career.  She also needs 41 rebounds to surpass Alyson Pincock as the top rebounder in school history.  

 

THACKER BACK: Good news on the health of guard Krystal Thacker (Elko, Nev. / BYU-Idaho).  After missing three games due to illness, the sophomore returned to action against Warner Pacific, playing nine minutes in a reserve role.

 

PLAYOFF BYE, HOME DATES ON THE LINE: The most important road trip of the season takes place this weekend, as the Lady ‘Yotes meet two teams vying for the same prize – home court dates in the conference tournament.  Thursday night, Albertson meets the hottest team in the CCC, Western Baptist.  The Warriors (11-2, 21-8) have won 11-games in a row, and boast a perfect 10-0 mark in the C.E. Jeffers Center.  Despite the lofty numbers, Albertson did defeat the Warriors 55-51 in January.  With a lack of size, Western likes to pop the three, living-and-dying by the outside shot.  Guards Chelsey Ward (12.0 ppg), Tati Gallardo (11.8 ppg), and Tara Schmidgall (10.6 ppg) each average in double figures.  Saturday, Southern Oregon hopes for a much better performance against the Lady ‘Yotes than the 66-44 debacle in Caldwell.  The Raiders (9-3, 13-9) have won five straight and 7-of-8, averaging over 84 points a game in the wins.  Sara Marks (16.4 ppg) is the go-to player for first-year head coach Kevin Wilson.  Southern shot just 16-of-75 in the loss to Albertson, their lowest scoring output of the season.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Team - Scoring Average (67.6 - 5th in CCC), Scoring Defense (60.2 – 1st), Field Goal Percentage (.402 - 4th), Three-Point Percentage (.283 - 7th), Free Throw Percentage (.679 - 5th), Rebounds (46.2 - 1st), Rebound Margin (+7.3 - 1st), Blocked Shots (100 - 1st), Turnovers (20.2 – 3rd).  Individual: Scoring Average (Jeannie Thompson – 14.1), Field Goal Percentage (Kristen Bailey - .482), Three-Point Percentage (Megan Henrichs - .391), Free Throw Percentage (Heidi Goicoechea - .773), Rebound Average (Kristen Bailey - 9.3), Assists (Krystal Thacker - 48), Steals (Andra Peterson (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) - 35), Blocked Shots (Kristen Bailey - 65).

 

CONFERENCE STANDINGS:

 

 

Conference

 

Overall

TEAM

W

L

PCT

 

W

L

* Eastern Oregon

11

1

.916

 

18

2

* Western Baptist

11

2

.846

 

21

8

* Albertson

9

3

.750

 

16

8

* Southern Oregon

9

3

.750

 

13

9

* Concordia

7

4

.636

 

15

9

Northwest

3

9

.250

 

5

21

Cascade

2

9

.182

 

3

21

Warner Pacific

1

10

.091

 

4

21

Evergreen

0

12

.000

 

2

24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Clinched Post-Season Tournament Berth

 

INTERNET GAMES A SUCCESS: Both women’s games last week were broadcast live on the internet and deemed a success.  Although the road games this weekend will not be on the web, tune in to hear the final two home games on Feb. 15 and 16 when the Lady ‘Yotes entertain Cascade and Concordia.  Albertson women’s basketball can be heard at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/asx/womenBBall.asx.

 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm

 

 

ALPINE SKIING: (Men – 2nd in NWCSC, Women – 3rd)

 

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: at Northwest Conference Qualifier #3 at Mount Hood Meadows – Men (2nd and 3rd place finishes in the giant slalom), Women (3rd and 4th place finishes in the giant slalom)

 

THIS WEEK: at Northwest Conference Qualifier #4, Saturday-Sunday, Schweitzer Mountain, Sandpoint, Idaho

 

INJURY PLAGUED ‘YOTES SURVIVE: The injury bug has swept the alpine program off its feet in the last two weeks, but thanks to great individual efforts, the Coyotes remain one of the teams to beat in the Northwest.  With Logan Thurber and Sandi Betters out on the women’s side, and Tyler Maxwell, Harlan Sangrey, and Tom Beebe battling injuries on the men’s side, both teams still remained entrenched the top-three in the Northwest Conference standings.

 

TOP PERFORMERS: Sam Elias had the best times of the weekend for the Coyote men, taking home an eighth-place finish on Saturday, and improving four spots on Sunday’s run.  Logan Thurber had an outstanding Saturday run for the ladies, placing fifth, but did not finish Sunday’s race do to injury.  Kira Marsh had a pair of tenth-place finishes for the women’s team.

 

FINAL QUALIFIER THIS WEEKEND: The fourth and final Northwest Conference Qualifier takes place this weekend at Schweitzer Mountain in the Idaho panhandle, as the 13 team vie for positioning for the upcoming Western Region Championship, Feb. 21-23.  Schweitzer is reporting three inches of new snow, with an 86-138 base.

 

SNOW REPORT AT BOGUS BASIN: No new snow, 62-63 inch base, operating at 85-percent.

 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/ski/default.htm