Women's Basketball Battles Creighton On Wednesday In WNIT Quarterfinals.
March 24, 2004
OMAHA, Neb. -
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Mar. 24, 2004
Oregon State at Creighton
5 p.m. PST, Omaha, NE
(Omaha Civic Auditorium)
RADIO BROADCAST ON KEJO (1240 am)
OREGON STATE BEAVERS (17-14 overall; 8-10 Pac-10)
G #10 Leilani Estavan, 5-7, Sr., (9.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.0 apg.)
G #24 Mandy Close, 5-11, So., (6.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.8 apg.)
G #33 Shannon Howell, 5-9, Jr., (15.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg.)
F #45 Hollye Chapman, 6-2, Sr., (10.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.7 apg.)
C #42 Brina Chaney, 6-5, Sr., (10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.2 bpg.)
CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (21-9 overall; 15-3 Missouri Valley)
G #21 Laura Spanheimer, 5-9, Jr., (13.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.1 apg.)
G #22 Christy Neneman, 5-10, Sr., (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg.)
G #23 Dayna Finch, 5-6, Sr., (13.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg.)
F #4 Christy Erickson, 6-1, So., (3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 apg.)
F #33 Angie Janis, 6-1, So., (10.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.7 apg.)
BEAVERS IN THE WNIT: Oregon State is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament, and its sixth appearance overall. After defeating University of Nebraska on Monday (74-69), the Beavers have now reached the tournament's third round for the first time since the 1982 season - when Oregon State won the WNIT championship. Oregon State has won the tournament championship in both the 1980 and 1982 seasons. OSU head coach Judy Spoelstra was a member of the 1982 squad that finished with a 20-8 record.
TOURNEY TALK: Oregon State has made six appearances in the WNIT with the Beavers compiling a 10-3 overall record. OSU has never won more than three postseason games in a single year (NCAA or WNIT).
A GLANCE AT CREIGHTON: Creighton University heads into Wednesday's game against Oregon State with a 21-9 overall record. The Bluejays earned a 79-68 victory at Colorado State on Dec. 19 before knocking of University of Washington, 74-69, in Seattle on Mar. 21 in the WNIT second round. Creighton advanced to the final four of the 2003 WNIT and earned a berth in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Four CU players are averaging double figures in scoring with junior guard Laura Spanheimer leading the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds. Senior Dayna Finch is adding 13.2 points per game and has hit 86-of-224 3-point field goal attempts. Six Bluejay players have shot 42 or more treys on the year and as a team Creighton has buried 234 field goals from long range. The Bluejays average 70.0 points per game but shoot only 39-percent from the field and hold a -1.7 rebounding margin. Creighton finished with a 15-3 record in the Missouri Valley Conference and holds a 9-1 record in Omaha on the year.
BEAVERS AND BLUEJAYS SERIES NUMBERS: Oregon State holds a 1-0 all-time record against Creighton University. The Beavers and Bluejays only previous meeting came on Jan. 5, 1985 at the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, where OSU recorded an 82-56 victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: How Oregon State enters Wednesday's game stacked up statistically with Oregon State:
OSU CU Points per game 64.7 70.0 Points allowed per game 64.3 65.8 Field goal percentage 41.4 39.1 3-pt field goal percent 34.6 33.8 Free throw percentage 73.1 72.3 Rebounds per game 36.0 36.8 Assists per game 14.5 14.7 Steals per game 7.5 11.3
LOOKING BACK AT NEBRASKA: Five Oregon State players reached double figures in scoring as the Beavers recorded a 75-67 victory at University of Nebraska on Mar. 22. Sophomore guard Mandy Close finished with 17 points and a career-high six assists and junior guard Shannon Howell, a transfer from Nebraska, added 17 points, including a pair of 3 pointers for the Beavers. OSU shot a scorching 52-percent from the field in the first half, allowing the Beavers to take a 75-67 lead into the locker room. The Huskers fought back to take a 55-52 lead with just under seven minutes left in the game, but the Beavers responded with a 12-2 run and buried 10-of-10 free throws in the final minute to secure the victory. Hollye Chapman recorded her 10th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Brina Chaney added 13 points. Senior guard Leilani Estavan finished with 10 points and a game-high eight assists. The victory propelled OSU into the third round of the WNIT for the first time since OSU won the championship during the 1982 season.
LOOKING BACK AT GONZAGA: Senior guard Leilani Estavan recorded her first career double-double with a season-high 10 assists and 20 points to help Oregon State to a 69-64 victory against Gonzaga University in the Mar. 19 first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Estavan buried 5-of-12 field goals and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line as the Beavers were a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe in the final minutes to secure the victory. Gonzaga scored the first eight points of the game, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Hollye Chapman in the middle of the first half spurred a 23-4 Oregon State run and gave the Beavers a 38-29 lead at intermission. Chapman, Brina Chaney and Shannon Howell all scored 10 points for OSU and Chapman matched her career-best with four steals. Ashley Burke led three Bulldog players in double figures with 17 points on the night.
EVERY WIN COUNTS: Oregon State enters Wednesday's game at Creighton University with a 17-14 record. The Beavers finished the 2001-02 season with a 17-15 record but have not recorded 18 or more wins since going 19-9 during the 1995-96 campaign - head coach Judy Spoelstra's first year at the helm.
IT'S A CLOSE GAME: Oregon State holds a 6-1 record on the season when sophomore guard Mandy Close reaches double figures in scoring.
SHE'S HOT: Senior post Hollye Chapman is averaging 13.5 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game over the last seven outings. Chapman has reached double figures in scoring during seven of the last eight games. Chapman tallied her 10th career double-double when she finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds at University of Nebraska on Mar. 22.
BALANCE IS BEAUTIFUL: Oregon State had five players reach double figures in scoring for the second time this season (UCLA; Jan. 2) when all five starters scored 10 points or more against Nebraska on Mar. 22. The starting five combined to score 71 of OSU's 75 points against the Huskers. The Beavers are 14-4 on the year when at least three players score in double figures.
DONE IT ALL: Senior guard Leilani Estavan recorded her first career double-double against Gonzaga University on Mar. 19 in the opening round of the WNIT. Estavan buried 5-of-12 field goals and 8-of-8 free throws for a game-high 20 points and dished out a season-best 10 assists against the Zags. Oregon State's all-time assist leader and 12th best scorer, Estavan recorded her inaugural double-double while playing the 119th came of her career.
LEAD US TO VICTORY - AGAIN: Senior guard Leilani Estavan is averaging 11.5 points and 6.0 assists in seven postseason games with the Beavers. Estavan has buried 26-of-62 (.419) field goals and has hit 19-of-20 free throws during WNIT outings. The Los Angeles native has reached double figures in scoring during four straight WNIT games, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 49-percent (22-of-45) from the field. She has also dished out 29 assists during the stretch.
PAC-10 PRESENCE: Oregon State and Stanford University are the only Pacific-10 Conference teams still competing in 2004 postseason action. The Pac-10 sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament (Stanford, Arizona, UCLA) and three teams to the WNIT (Oregon State, Washington, Arizona State).
SWATTING SUCCESS: Senior post Brina Chaney's 68 blocked shots on the year rank 4th in the Oregon State single season record book. Oregon State's 4.1 blocked shots per game rank 1st in the Pacific-10 Conference.
ALL-PAC-10 HONORS: Oregon State had three players earn honorable mention All-Pacific-10 Conference accolades on the season. Senior guard Leilani Estavan was recognized for the fourth time in her career, while senior post Brina Chaney and junior guard Shannon Howell were honored for the first time. Estavan leads the Beavers with 101 assists on the year to go along with 9.4 points per game. Her 557 career dishes rank in 8th place in Pac-10 history. Chaney, OSU's all-time blocked shots leader, ranks 4th in Pac-10 history with 206 swats and is second on the team with 10.6 points per game. Howell leads the Beavers in scoring with 15.8 points per outing and amassed a career-high 40 points at Washington earlier this season. OSU did not have a player selected First Team All-Conference for the first time since 1999.
WALKING TALL: Senior post Brina Chaney has started more games than any other player in Oregon State history. Chaney enters Wednesday's game at Creighton University with 118 career starts over the course of her four years at OSU. In four seasons the 6-5 post has started 117 of 121 career games.
ADDING TO THE LIST: Senior posts Brina Chaney and Hollye Chapman have seen action in a school record 122 games for the Beavers heading into Wednesday's contest at Creighton. The two seniors have never missed a game during their four-year career at OSU
THIS COULD BE THE YEAR: Oregon State is currently shooting .731 from the free throw line on the season. The Beavers have never finished a season shooting greater than .685 (2001-02) from the charity stripe.
TWO OF THE BEST: Oregon State is the only Pacific-10 Conference team to have a pair of current players rank in the Top-10 in two different Pac-10 career statistical categories - Brina Chaney ranks 4th with 208 career blocks; Leilani Estavan ranks 8th with 575 career assists.
RECORD BREAKER: Senior post Brina Chaney's perfect 15-for-15 performance from the free throw line on Feb. 7 against University of Oregon tied the Pacific-10 Conference record set by All-American Maylana Martin in 1999. Chaney's 15 free throws also matched the OSU record for free throws made in a single game, set earlier this season by Shannon Howell (15-for-19) against USC. As a team, Oregon State was a perfect 17-for-17 from the free throw line against Washington State on Feb. 14, setting a new school record for free throw percentage in a single game. The Beavers were a perfect 13-for-13 from the line against University of Washington on Jan. 17.
CHANEY CHAT: Senior post Brina Chaney has reached double figures in scoring in 13 of Oregon State's last 20 games and her 17 double figure scoring outings on the season are the most of any Beaver player. The Bothell, WA native ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 10.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. After registering a career-high 31 points against Oregon on Feb. 7, Chaney became just the 14th player in Oregon State history to break the 30-point barrier in scoring. Chaney recorded her 12th career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Feb. 28 regular season finale against No. 10 Stanford. The 6-5 post has made 76 consecutive appearances in OSU's starting line-up and has started 118 of 122 career games.
LEI IS THE LEADER: With two assists against No. 9 Stanford on Dec. 27, senior guard Leilani Estavan became the first player in Oregon State history to dish out 500 assists and score 900 points in her career. Fittingly, Estavan broke the OSU career assists record with three dishes against No. 10 Stanford on Feb. 28 in the regular season finale. Estavan broke the 1,000-point scoring barrier after leading the squad with 22 points, including four 3-pointers, against Arizona State on Feb. 21. Estavan was forced to miss the first game of her career (Arizona - 2/19) after suffering a slight tear in her meniscus. She enters Wednesday's game at Creighton with a school record 575 career assists and 1,063 points scored. The Los Angeles native has played 3,857 minutes over the course of her career - an average of 32 minutes per game. Prior to missing the Arizona game, Estavan had never played fewer than 17 minutes (vs. Oregon; 1/5/01) in a single game.
NAS NUMBERS: Senior Krystal Turner leads Oregon State in field goal percentage with a .565 clip from the floor - ranking 8th in the OSU single season record book. The 6-2 post is averaging 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and has matched the team-lead with three double-doubles on the year. Turner finished the 2002-03 campaign with a team-best .494 clip from the floor.
CHAPMAN ON THE CHARTS: Senior post Hollye Chapman is one of just seven players in Oregon State history to score 1,000 points and pull down 500 rebounds in her career. Chapman enters Wednesday's game with 1,134 points and 638 boards - ranking 10th for career scoring and 6th for career rebounding. The 6-2 forward ranks 5th on the OSU all-time 3-point chart with 91 makes from long range.
A GOOD SIGN: If two of the "Big Three" - seniors Leilani Estavan, Brina Chaney and Hollye Chapman - reach double figures in scoring in the same game, Oregon State boasts an 12-3 record on the season.
HOT SHOTS: Oregon State is 15-2 on the season when it shoots better than its opponent.
INJURY UPDATE: Senior guard Leilani Estavan has been cleared to play after suffering a slight tear to the meniscus in her right knee against Washington State on Feb. 14. Sophomore guard Ebony Young will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during the second half of the Dec. 19 game at Cincinnati. Sophomore guard Casey Bunn missed 26 games on the season with a stress reaction in her foot - she is in the process of petitioning for a medical redshirt.
SUPER SENIORS: Senior posts Hollye Chapman and Brina Chaney have both moved into the Oregon State Top-10 for career rebounds. Chapman currently ranks in 6th place with 638 rebounds, while Chaney is in the 7th spot with 620 boards. Just 9 players have pulled down 600 or more rebounds in their career at OSU.
QUICK HITS: Shannon Howell is the fifth player in OSU history and just the 13th player in Pac-10 history to score 40 points in a single game...Hollye Chapman is the 13th player in Oregon State history to reach the 1,000 point scoring plateau...Leilani Estavan is the only player in school history to score 1,000 points and dish out 500 assists in her career...Hollye Chapman has reached double figures in scoring during seven of the last eight games....Five different Beaver players have scored 20-plus points on the year...OSU is 4-0 when Brina Chaney leads the team in scoring...Oregon State is 14-4 when at least three Beaver players reach double figures in scoring.
1,000 POINT CLUB: Senior post Hollye Chapman became the 13th player in Oregon State history to score 1,000 points in her career when she poured in 12 points against USC on Jan. 29. Chapman enters Wednesday's game at Creighton with 1,134 career points. Fellow senior Leilani Estavan became the 14th player in school history to break the 1,000-point scoring barrier after pouring in 22 points at Arizona State on Feb. 21. The Los Angeles native is the only player in school history to score 1,000 points (1,063) and dish out 500 assists (575).
SULTAN OF SWAT: Senior post Brina Chaney's two blocked shots at Washington State on Jan. 15 helped her become Oregon State's all-time blocked shots leader. The 6-5 center moved past Sissel Pierce (1997-00) who finished her four-year OSU career with 176 rejections. Chaney, a native of Bothell, WA, currently ranks in a fourth place on the Pacific-10 Conference all-time blocked shots list with 208 in her career. Chaney is one of just five players (Stefanie Kasperski, Lisa Leslie, Jenny Mowe, Val Whiting) in Pac-10 history to record more than 200 blocked shots in their career.
THE BIG THREE: Seniors Hollye Chapman and Brina Chaney have seen action in a school record 122 games for the Beavers, while Leilani Estavan has played in 121 games in her career (missed the Arizona game on Feb. 19 due to a knee injury). Here is a quick look at records that have been broken this season by the big three:
*Brina Chaney recorded two blocked shots at Washington State on Jan. 15 to become Oregon State's all-time leader.
1. Brina Chaney (2001-present) - 208 blocks
2. Sissel Pierce (1997-00) - 176 blocks
*Leilani Estavan's three assists against No. 10 Stanford in the Feb. 28 regular season finale allowed the senior guard to become OSU's all-time assists leader.
1. Leilani Estavan (2001-present) - 575 assists
2. Boky Vidic (1994-96) - 548 assists
*Hollye Chapman's 12 points against USC on Jan. 29 helped her become just the 13th player in Oregon State program history to surpass the 1,000-point barrier. Leilani Estavan joined Chapman on the 1,000-point list after scoring 22 points at Arizona State on Feb. 21.
1. Tanja Kostic (1993-96) - 2,349
2. Carol Menken (1979-81) - 2,243
3. Chelle Flamoe (1986-89) - 1,851
4. Juli Coleman (1982-85) - 1,840
5. Felicia Ragland (1999-02) - 1,803
6. Annette Mollerstrom (1993-95) - 1,582
7. Tina Lelas (1994-97) - 1,313
8. Judy Shannon (1991-92) - 1,148
9. Jan Martin (1980-83) - 1,145
10. Hollye Chapman (2001-present) - 1,134
11. Brenda Arbuckle (1984-87) - 1,085
12. Leilani Estavan (2001-present) - 1,063
13. Sonjiha Fleming (1990-93) - 1,060
14. Robyn Clark (1980-83) - 1,009
PRESEASON PAC-10 POLLS: Oregon State was tabbed to finish in eighth place in both the Pac-10 Preseason Coaches Poll and Media Poll. Stanford was picked to repeat as conference champion. The Beavers have finished in the Pac-10's top-5 the past two years - despite being picked to finish seventh in the preseason polls. OSU has finished higher than selected in the preseason polls the past four seasons.
PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: The Pacific-10 Conference played the third annual State Farm Women's Basketball Tournament March 5-8, 2004, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Stanford University won its second consecutive tournament title after knocking off University of Arizona by a 51-46 margin. Arizona State University won the inaugural Pac-10 Tournament in 2002, upsetting second-ranked Stanford in the event, which was held at McArthur Court in Eugene, Ore., while the Cardinal won the tournament last year in San Jose. A total of nine games were played in the Pac-10 Tournament with the champion earning the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
ON THE BENCH: Assistant coach Todd Corman enters his third year on the Beaver bench after spending 10 seasons as the head coach at Loyola Marymount University and more recently, six years at the helm of Albertson College. Jualeah Woods holds the longest tenure on staff, returning for her fourth year at OSU and serving as director of recruiting. Heath Alexander enters his second year as an assistant coach after spending the 2001-02 season as director of operations. Mary Kincaid, a 14-year coaching veteran, returns for her second year as operations director.
HEAD COACH Judy Spoelstra: Judy Spoelstra has a record of 126-135 in her nine seasons at the helm for Oregon State. Spoelstra has recorded a 224-203 overall record in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach, her first six being at Montana State. She picked up career win No. 200 against USC on Dec. 27, 2002. Spoelstra has led the Beavers to three consecutive postseason tournament appearances in the WNIT. At the conclusion of the 1999-00 season, Spoelstra was named Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year. In September, Spoelstra was inducted into the Montana State University Hall of Fame as part of the 1992-93 MSU women's basketball team that won the Big Sky Championship.
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