ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ

March 8, 2004
By Ted Rossman, Student Assistant

?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />HAMILTON, N.Y. – The ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ women’s basketball team (20-9) hosts its first ever Patriot League Championship Game this Wednesday night at Cotterell Court. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The top-seeded Raiders host second-seeded American (16-13) with the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament at stake. Neither ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ nor American has ever reached the NCAA Tournament. ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />

The two clubs emerged from preliminary round action at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. over the weekend. ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ used strong defensive efforts to knock off eighth-seeded Lafayette (73-57) and fifth-seeded Bucknell (61-57), while American used hot shooting – 52 percent from the floor – to defeat Navy (85-73) and Lehigh (71-58).

ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ and American split their season series, with both clubs winning on the road. On January 23 at Cotterell Court, American battled back from a 14-point first half deficit to win, 58-57, on a baseline jumper by Chanel Hunt with 0.5 seconds remaining. Foul trouble on the Raiders’ side played a huge role in the American comeback effort, as ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ’s Leandra Fuller (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Milaina Lagzdins (Burlington, Ont.) both fouled out late in the second half. Lagzdins fouled out at the 5:56 mark with ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ clinging to a three-point lead, 47-44. After Fuller fouled out with 3:17 left, American finished the game on a 12-4 run, capped by Hunt’s buzzer-beater.

The two teams met again on February 22, with ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ posting a resounding 79-61 victory at Bender Arena. The result kept ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ’s regular season title hopes alive, and created a four-way tie atop the Patriot League standings between ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ, American, Lehigh, and Holy Cross.

The Raiders used a 12-0 run late in the first half to open up an 11-point halftime lead. Senior guard and tri-captain Malissa Burke (Traverse City, Mich.) keyed the run with two of her game-high five three pointers. Burke finished with 19 points, tying for the game-lead with ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ’s Emily Braseth (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) and American’s Chanel Hunt. Lagzdins added a double-double for ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ with 14 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.

Combined totals from the two games:

                                    ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ         American

Points Per Game                 68.0              59.5

Field Goal Percentage         44.6              40.5

Three Point Percentage       46.7              15.8

Rebounds Per Game           41.0              34.5

Assists Per Game               17.5              12.5

Turnovers Per Game           23.0              21.0

Steals Per Game                11.5              13.0

If the first two games between the clubs in 2003-04 are any indication, Wednesday night’s game figures to be very physical. ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ has employed a three forward starting line up (Braseth, Fuller, and Lagzdins) since starting point guard Molly Patterson (Euclid, Ohio) was sidelined for the season with a stress fracture suffered during the first ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ-American game. The Raiders are 11-2 since that date, with Lagzdins recording five double-doubles. Burke has eclipsed the 20-point plateau on six occasions since Patterson went down. Burke earned second team all-Patriot League honors for her efforts this season.

For the season, Emily Braseth – a first team all-league selection – leads ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ in scoring at 17.0 ppg. Her 6.4 rebounds per game rank second on the club to Lagzdins’ 7.2.

Junior guard Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) leads the club with 2.8 steals per game, a figure that ranks second in the Patriot League. Ozor, Burke, Braseth, and Fuller have started each of the Raiders’ 29 games this season, and have been joined by Lagzdins in the past 13 games. Off the bench, Meghan Curtin (Bronx, N.Y.) is a solid three-point shooter who knocks down 36 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc. Guards Megan Ballard (Atlanta, Ga.) and Emily Damuth (Saginaw, Mich.), both known for their strong defense, round out ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ’s eight player rotation.

Chanel Hunt is American’s scoring leader at 11.3 points per game. Chanel Spriggs (10.4) and Kaitlin Schuyler (10.2) are also in double figures. Hunt leads the club in boards with 7.0, which ranks fifth in the Patriot League.

Kim Salem and Joanna Barnes have combined to post solid numbers for the Eagles in the paint, totaling 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The probable American starting five of Hunt, Spriggs, Schuyler, Salem, and Barnes has started 19 of the team’s 29 games this season. Off the bench, Jenyce Woodruff brings a strong physical presence to the floor, grabbing 3.1 rebounds in 15.5 minutes of action per game. Fellow reserve Angel McNatt looks to counter Curtin’s strong outside shooting, as she hits 36 percent of her treys.

 Season statistics:         ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ         American

Points Per Game                 72.0              61.4

Points Allowed Per Game    64.7              59.6

Field Goal Percentage         42.3              38.3

Three Point Percentage       34.2              29.4

Rebounds Per Game           39.5              36.5

Assists Per Game               14.6              12.2

Turnovers Per Game           17.9              19.7

Steals Per Game                11.7              12.4

Other notes:

ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ head coach Beth Combs was recently named Patriot League Coach of the Year for the second time in her three-year ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ career.

ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ is 11-2 at Cotterell Court this season.

American is 6-8 on the road.

ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ boasts the Patriot League’s highest scoring offense.

American’s scoring defense leads the league.

When outrebounding their opponent, the Raiders are 14-1.

American is 8-5 when they outrebound the opposition.

ÏãÃÛÓ°ÊÓ is 14-3 when scoring 70 points or more.

American has only allowed 70 points or more on eight occasions this season.