Women's Basketball to Take on No. 22 Utah

Dec. 2, 2003

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Who's Hot: Lauren Shaughnessy (Bellevue, WA) has started the Gaels' first four games as a true freshman and averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds in Saint Mary's two Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic games this past weekend. The 5-4 guard had nine points and tied for a game-high 10 rebounds in a 64-57 overtime loss to the Bradley Braves in the first game of the tourney. Shaughnessy also recorded five steals and three assists in the game. Against Weber State, in Saint Mary's second game of the tourney, Shaughnessy had nine points in a 55-44 victory.

What's On Schedule for the Gaels: Saint Mary's hits the road for the second time this season when they travel to Salt Lake City, UT on Tuesday, December 2 to face the No. 22-ranked Utah Utes at 7 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) at the Huntsman Center. The Gaels return home to face the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m. at McKeon Pavilion. Saturday's game against the Bruins is the first game of a doubleheader. The second game will feature the Saint Mary's men's basketball team against the USC Trojans at 7 p.m.

Saint Mary's Probable Starters:# Name Pos. Ht. Hometown11 Lauren Shaughnessy G 5-4 Bellevue, WA20 Serena Benavente G 5-6 Seaside, CA23 Savannah Williams G 5-10 Vallejo, CA53 Triola Jackson F 6-2 San Diego, CA3 Eghosa Obaiza F 6-2 Sacramento, CA
Key Reserves# Name Pos. Ht. Hometown55 Monica Mertle F 6-0 Windsor, CA5 Lindsay Lopez G 5-9 Antioch, CA22 Evynn Van Burger G 6-0 Bend, OR12 Erika Urmonaite F 6-1 Klaipeda Lithuania30 Katie Ludwick F 6-2 Medina, WA42 Sheridan Arredondo C 6-3 Saugus, CA
Saint Mary's on the Web: Gael fans can access all the latest news and notes about Saint Mary's athletics on the web at www.SMCGaels.com. The official website offers the most up to date information and results of the Gaels' 15 intercollegiate sports plus much more.
Fourth-Year Head Coach Michelle Jacoby: Michelle Jacoby (Pacific, 1989) is 56-37 as the head coach of the Saint Mary's women's basketball program. Hired on April 28, 2000, Jacoby enters her fourth season at the helm of the women's basketball program. The Gaels finished 11-17 in her third season as head coach and led the Gaels to an unpredicted eighth place West Coast Conference finish. SMC struggled to start the season but soon Jacoby had the team running on all cylinders, showing potential for the season to come. In Jacoby's second season, the Gaels continued to impress, going to the WNIT for the second time in school history and fourth straight postseason appearance. Included in the team's 16-13 record was a 9-5 West Coast Conference record and a second place finish during the WCC regular season. Saint Mary's defeated Portland in the first round of WCC Tournament action, sending the Pilots home after round one for the first time in its school history. In her first season as the Gaels' head coach, Jacoby guided the team to a 26-6 overall record and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She also guided the team to a WCC championship and a WCC Tournament championship. Saint Mary's continued to be impressive at home, posting a 15-1 (.937) record in McKeon Pavilion, the best in school history. The biggest win was Jacoby's first game when she guided the Gaels to a 74-63 victory over 10th ranked Stanford. Jacoby also guided the Gaels to its first ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 65-62 victory over Texas. A 1989 graduate of the University of the Pacific with a degree in Sports Management, Jacoby was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers. She left the school as the all-time assist leader with 431, third-best in Big West Conference history. Jacoby and her husband, Steve, were married on August 26, 2000 at Saint Mary's College. They currently reside in Pleasant Hill, CA with their daughters, Jenna and Kailey. Steve is the Assistant Director of Athletics for Game Operations and Summer Camps at SMC. A California native, Jacoby was a three sport standout in basketball, volleyball, and track at Lodi High School. She was named the San Joaquin Athletic Association Player of the Year as a senior in 1985 and is a member of the Lodi Hall of Fame.

Probable Starters For Utah:#   Name    Pos.    Ht. Hometown14  Kelsy Stireman  G   5-10    Ogden, UT10  Shona Thorburn  G   5-10    Hamilton, Ontario4   Kim Smith   F   6-1 Mission, British Columbia30  Mandie Little   C   6-0 Independence, OR45  Carley Marshall F   6-2 Eugene, OR

Scouting the Utes:    Utah comes into the game with a 3-1 record, a No. 22 ranking, and are coming off a Fresno State Tournament championship. The Utes beat Fresno State in the championship game and beat Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the two-day tournament. The Utes have been led by Kim Smith and Shona Thorburn so far this season. Smith is averaging 16.3 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Thorburn is averaging 15.7 points, six rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. The Utes were picked in the preseason to win the Mountain West Conference championship and Smith and Thorburn were also preseason all-conference selections. Utah comes into the game with a 17-game home winning streak dating back to last year.
Saint Mary's vs. Utah the Series:    The Gaels have faced the Utes twice in school history, losing each time. The last meeting was January 6, 2000 when the Utes beat Saint Mary's 50-48 at McKeon Pavilion.

Probable Starters For UCLA:#   Name    Pos.    Ht. Hometown32  Nikki Blue  G   5-8 Bakersfield, CA40  Lisa Willis G   5-11    Long Beach, CA45  Noelle Quinn    G   6-0 Torrance, CA11  Julia Pitts F   6-2 Torrance, CA35  Jamila Veasley  F   6-1 Cerritos, CA

Scouting the Bruins: UCLA comes into the week with a 2-1 record after beating Illinois on Sunday. The Bruins also have a victory over UNLV and a loss to No. 2-ranked Texas. Both of the Bruins wins have been at home, and their lone loss was at Texas. So far this season the Bruins have been led by guard Nikki Blue. Blue is averaging 13 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. UCLA's Lisa Willis is averaging 12.3 points per game and four rebounds per game and Noelle Quinn is averaging 10.3 points per game and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game. Saturday's game against the Gaels will be their only game of the week.
Saint Mary's vs. UCLA the Series: Saint Mary's and UCLA have squared off four times, with UCLA leading the all-time series 3-1. The last meeting between the two teams was December 3, 2002 when the Bruins won 72-60 at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Game 3: Bradley 64, Saint Mary's 57 (ot) The Saint Mary's women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, a 64-57 overtime defeat to the Bradley Braves in the opening round of the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic from McKeon Pavilion on Friday. The Gaels were led by freshman forward Eghosa Obaiza as she recorded her first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Saint Mary's scored the opening basket of the game and never trailed until the overtime period. In the five-minute overtime session, Bradley took its first lead of the game three seconds period. A basket by Alex Liberatore gave the Braves a 54-52 lead. Bradley extended its lead to 58-52, before SMC ran off five straight points to cut the lead to 58-57 with 2:36 left. Bradley stepped up its defense and hold on for its first win of the season. The loss dropped Saint Mary's to 2-1 and Bradley improved the 1-2 with the win. Freshmen were key to the early success for the Gaels. Following Obaiza's double-double, Serena Benavente scored 10 points and had six steals and Lauren Shaughnessy had nine points, 10 rebounds and five steals. Triola Jackson added 11 points in 27 minutes. The Gaels opened a 22-6 lead midway through the opening half. Leading 5-4, Saint Mary's used a 17-2 run to open a 16-point advantage following two free throws by Serena Benavente. Benavente finished the game with 10 points and added a game-high six steals. The remaining 10 minutes of the first half, Bradley chipped away at the Gaels' lead, and cut the deficit to 24-19 with 3:07 left until the intermission. Saint Mary' scored the final three points of the half for a double-digit lead (29-19) at halftime.
Game 4: Saint Mary's 55, Weber State 44 Triola Jackson scored 12 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Saint Mary's women's basketball team to a 55-44 victory over Weber State in the consolation game of the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic from McKeon Pavilion on Saturday. With the win Saint Mary's improved to 3-1 on the season and Weber State fell to 0-4 overall. The Gaels got off to a slow start, but out rebounded the Wildcats 47-27 to pull out the 11-point victory. Weber State held leads of four points twice and five points once, in the first half before Saint Mary's evened the score at 22-22 on a Monica Mertle three and a jumper by Serena Benavente with 1:41 left in the first half. A Wildcat free throw late in the first half gave WSU a 23-22 lead at halftime. After shooting just 27 percent in the first half, the Gaels looked like a different team over the final 20 minutes of the game. SMC shot 43 percent in the second half, while limiting the Wildcats to 31 percent shooting in the final half. Saint Mary's opened the second stanza with a 6-0 run to take a 28-23 lead at the 18:02 mark of the second half. Saint Mary's never trailed again after that early second half run. After Weber State cut the lead to 30-23 with 12:38 remaining, SMC used an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to extend its lead to 12 points. Weber State got as close at 46-42 with 1:37 remaining, but the Gaels hit 9-of-13 free throws in the final 1:36 to keep the game out of reach. Saint Mary's held the Wildcats to 28 percent shooting in the game as WSU made just 14-of-49 shots from the field. Weber State connected on 9-of-20 attempts from three-point range.
Hilton Concord All-Tournament Team: Triola Jackson made the 2003 Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament to go along with Melissa Knight (Miami) who was named Most Valuable Player. Miami's Shaquana Wilkins, Bradley's Amy Fuller and Amy Peters, and Weber State's Lindsey Hille were also named to the All-Tournament team.
Off to a Fast Start: With road victories over San Diego State and Cal State Northridge, and a home victory against Weber State, the Gaels are off to their best start (3-1) since the 2000-01 season when they started 6-0. The Gaels narrowly missed a 4-0 started after losing to Bradley in overtime.Triola Jackson Returns: Saint Mary's junior forward Triola Jackson is back for her junior season after having a breakout sophomore campaign. Jackson was named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team after averaging 16.1 points per game and a conference-leading 9.5 rebounds per game.
Experienced Guards: The Gaels return senior Lindsay Lopez and sophomore Evynn Van Burger, who are coming off solid years in 2002-03. Van Burger started 12 games as a freshman last season and gained valuable experience,while averaging 5.1 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game. Van Burger also led the team in 3-point shooting with a .467 percentage. Van Burger, from Bend, OR, is a guard with size and athleticism who can score in a lot of ways. Lopez, from Antioch, CA, recorded 51 assists and 18 steals last season while playing both guard positions. Lopez also brings experience and leadership and will help set the bar for the younger players. Another guard fighting for playing time is transfer Brianna Winn. Winn, a transfer from UCLA, has the ability to play all three guard positions for the Gaels. Winn is a great athlete and has exceptional ball skills. Winn has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, and is able to take the jump shot over smaller guards as well.
Adding Size: After struggling on the defensive boards and defending the post positions last season, the Gaels solidified their weaknesses by heavily recruiting strong players up front. With four new players, Saint Mary's will add to their depth with returning players Triola Jackson, Katie Ludwick and Erika Urmonaite. Jackson was a huge bright spot in the 2002-03 season for the Gaels. As a sophomore, Jackson, from San Diego, CA, was second in the WCC in scoring with 16.1 points per game and led the conference in rebounding with 9.5 per game, earning First Team All-WCC honors. Jackson sat out the 2001-02 season while recovering from a torn ACL in her right knee. Jackson started all 28 games for the Gaels, logged a team-high 894 minutes and added 33 steals and 20 blocks. "It says a lot about Triola coming back from an ACL injury and making the all-conference first team. It takes a lot of hard work to come back the way she did and I think she will start where she left off. She has some unfinished business to take care of," Jacoby said. The Gaels' freshman class includes Monica Mertle, from Windsor, CA, who is quickly becoming a consistent and versatile player for Saint Mary's. Mertle brings the passion for the game, is head strong and has impressed the coaches this season.
Talented Freshmen: The Gaels lost last season's point guard Danielle Ferris to graduation, so Jacoby and staff recruited two point guards for the upcoming season. Despite being true freshmen, the Gaels are extremely excited about the talented combination of Lauren Shaughnessy and Serena Benavente. Shaughnessy, from Bellevue, WA, has a combination of speed and athleticism that fits the mold of a point guard. Jacoby feels Shaughnessy can run the floor, get the team into the offense and is a great leader Saint Mary's has a very talented and deep wing position for this year's team.
McKeon Pavilion is Top Site for Women's Basketball: The past four seasons, Saint Mary's McKeon Pavilion has been the number one venue for women's basketball in the West Coast Conference, averaging more than 1,200 fans per game. In 2002-03, despite the dismal record, the Gaels continued that trait averaging a conference best 1,149 fans per event. The next closest is San Francisco, who averages 876 fans per home game.
West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll: The Saint Mary's women's basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the West Coast Conference according to the preseason coaches poll. The Gaels earned 10 points. Pepperdine was picked to finish first with 48 points, including six first place votes. The Waves were followed by Gonzaga (40 points), Loyola Marymount (38), San Francisco (31), Santa Clara (26), San Diego (17), and Portland (14).
Coming Up Next For the Gaels: The Saint Mary's women's basketball team is back on the road again, this time the team will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to participate in the University of Hawaii at Manoa Invitational. The Gaels will open the invite against the University of Hawaii at 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 14 and will play the University of Texas-Arlington on Monday, December 15 at 4:30 p.m. Both games will be played at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of Hawaii.

Schedule

Women's Basketball to Take on No. 22 Utah

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

Footer

Upcoming Events

Women's Basketball to Take on No. 22 Utah

Related News

Related Videos

Pillars Slideshow

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

Footer