This Week in Saint Mary's Basketball: The Gaels begin West Coast Conference play this weekend, as they face two Bay Area rivals in Santa Clara and San Francisco. Opening against the Santa Clara Broncos for the third straight year, Saint Mary's will make a road trip to the Leavey Center on Thursday, January 8, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 PM. The Gaels are 12-9 in WCC openers, and 2-2 when beginning conference play against Santa Clara. After a day of rest Saint Mary's will host the San Francisco Dons in McKeon Pavilion on Saturday, January 10 at 2:00 PM.

Live stats, video, and radio will be available for both competitions through www.SMCGaels.com. Access the radio coverage by clicking on the Gael Vision button on the front page. To view coverage of the team against Santa Clara on the road, click on the icons next to the specified game on the women's basketball schedule. The icons will redirect fans to the Broncos' athletic website, where live video and statistics are available.

This is Why I'm Hot...Fifth year senior Maija Lahde had a stellar week of play, averaging a double-double with 18.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. Lahde totaled 37 points in two games of action, while also picking up 22 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. The forward shot 42.1 percent from the floor, while leading the Gaels in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

Quite possibly the best performance of Lahde's career came in the Gaels' win against the Pacific Tigers on Saturday afternoon, as the senior recorded career-highs in points and rebounds. Lahde finished the evening with 28 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 31 minutes of action. Two clutch free throws by Lahde with three seconds on the clock sealed the game for the Gaels, as the senior was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in the game.
In the Gaels' loss to No. 9 California Lahde totaled nine points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Gaels at a Glance: Saint Mary's women's basketball posted 4-11 overall record in non-conference action...the Gaels won their last competition, defeating Pacific 71-70 in the last three seconds...senior Maija Lahde tabbed a career-high 28 points and 17 rebounds in the contest...sophomore Louella Tomlinson was named the WCC player of the week for December 29 following a triple-double performance against Boise State (26-13-11)...Tomlinson currently ranks second in the country in blocks per game, averaging a WCC best 5.4 per contest...the Gaels are averaging 69.2 points, 43.1 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 7.1 blocks, and 7.5 steals per game...the team is shooting 40.7 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from three-point land, and 58.9 percent from the free throw line.

Triple-Double=WCC Player of the Week: Sophomore Louella Tomlinson had an incredible performance against the Boise State Broncos on December 22, recording her first career triple-double in points, rebounds, and blocks. For her efforts Tomlinson earned the second WCC Player of the Week recognition of her career, finishing with game-highs in each category, with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 blocked shots.

The Aussie had the triple-double in hand with over five minutes to play in the contest, and also added three assists and one steal. From the floor Tomlinson went 10-of-22, knocking down the only three she took, and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Eleven blocks ties the forward's career-high, as she posted 11 last season against Loyola Marymount.

Scouting Santa Clara: The Broncos are currently 2-13, posting the worst non-conference record in the WCC. Santa Clara's only two wins came against Chicago State and San Jose State. There have been six common opponents between the Gaels and the Broncos, with all six of those teams handing both squads losses. Those teams include; CS Fullerton, Minnesota, UC Davis, CS Bakersfield, Nevada, and Boise State.

In their most recent game Santa Clara topped the Spartans 56-39 while playing on the road. As a team Santa Clara posted a 34.6 shooting percentage, and 25.0 percent mark from long-range. Bronco defense forced 30 Spartan turnovers in the game, while only committing 14 of their own.

Four different players recorded double-digits for the Broncos, including Kathy Willinsky's team-high 14 points. Joining Willinsky in double figures was Elizabeth Doran and Sara Majors with 12 points apiece, and Lena Gipson with 10. Willinsky also led the team on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds.

On the season Santa Clara is only averaging 51.7 points per game, while shooting 36.9 percent from the floor. The Broncos have edged their opponents in rebounds on the season, grabbing 36.9 per contest. Santa Clara has committed 100 more turnovers than their opponents this season, totaling 353 for a 23.5 average per game.

Offensively the Broncos are led by Gipson, as she is the only player to average double-digit points with 12.9 per contest. Gipson is currently second on the team in shooting percentage with a 51.4 mark, and is averaging a double-double with 10.5 rebounds. Next best for Santa Clara is Elizabeth Doran, averaging 9.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Running the offense is Sara Majors, dishing out a team-high 49 assists on the season.

The Series, SMC vs. Santa Clara: The Gaels are 20-26 all-time versus the Broncos, but swept the series last season. Saint Mary's has won the last three straight, with their most recent win coming on February 9 in McKeon Pavilion.

The Gaels defeated Santa Clara, 65-54, as Sierra Chambers paced the Gaels with 19 points and eight rebounds. Louella Tomlinson chipped in 11 points in the ball game, while Jontelle Smith added 10. In their first WCC contest of the season last year, Saint Mary's defeated Santa Clara 74-71 at the Leavey Center. Tomlinson earned her first WCC player of the week following the contest, finishing the night with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists.

Scouting the Dons: The Dons are currently 4-10 on the season, and have posted 1-5 mark on the road. San Francisco's four wins have come against Academy of Art, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State, and Stephen F. Austin. The Gaels and Dons have only shared two common opponents this preseason, in CS Fullerton and UC Davis, as both games resulting in losses for the WCC schools.

In their most recent competition San Francisco fell to the Wyoming Cowgirls, dropping the road game, 60-82. Shay Rollins paced the Dons with 19 points on 8-of-22 shooting, while also picking up three steals and two assists. The only other Don in double-digits was Necolia Simmons, finishing the night with 12 points and six rebounds. San Francisco shot 34.4 percent from the field, while Wyoming shot a scorching 53.8 percent from the floor.

On the season the Dons average 64.1 points per game, and have allowed 69.1 points. The team is shooting 37.9 percent from the floor on the season, and 33.4 percent from long range. As a team San Francisco averages 35.6 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 16.1 turnovers, 7.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks per contest.

Pacing the Dons is Shay Rollins, recording 18 points per game, good enough for third in the WCC. Rollins is shooting 33.9 percent from the floor, and has knocked down 43 three-pointers already this season. Down low it is the work of Necolia Simmons that gets the job done, pulling down a team-high 9.5 rebounds, while averaging 14.0 points per game. Two other players average double-digits for San Francisco, as Rheina Ale and Danesha Wright have recorded 10.9 and 10 points respectively. Wright also orchestrates the Dons' offense, dishing out a team-high 45 assists this season.

The Series, SMC vs. San Francisco: The Gaels hold the edge in the series between the two Bay Area schools, posting a 24-21 all-time mark against the Dons. Last season Saint Mary's split with San Francisco, winning on the road and falling at home. In the most recent match-up the Gaels defeated San Francisco 86-73 at War Memorial Gym on February 21, 2008. Jontelle Smith led the Gaels with 30 points in the ball game, while Sierra Chambers and Louella Tomlinson added 16 and 13 respectively.

Prior to the win the Gaels lost to San Francisco in McKeon Pavilion, 68-80, on January 24, 2008.

Block Watch 2008-09: After a record breaking freshman campaign sophomore Louella Tomlinson returns to the Gaels as the nation's leading shot blocker. After posting 4.9 blocks per game last season, Tomlinson is on pace to break her own record, totaling 81 blocks for a 5.4 average. Tomlinson currently ranks second in the nation and first in the West Coast Conference in blocks per game, averaging almost three more blocks per game than any other WCC player.
Against Boise State Tomlinson tied her career-high with 11 blocks, helping the forward to her first career-triple double.

SMC Block Party: It is no surprise that the Gaels rank first in the WCC in blocks per game with a 7.1 mark. Louella Tomlinson's 5.4 block per game average is good enough to rank first all alone, as San Diego is the next best squad with a 5.29 average. Joining Tomlinson in the block party is freshman Amber Coatney, totaling 13 blocks thus far. Rounding out the deflections are Sierra Chambers (3), Lindsay Ellis (3), Ashlee Smith (3), and multiple players with one block apiece.

All Around Game: Sophomore Louella Tomlinson has displayed her all-around ability to play the game, as she ranks first on the team and is among the conference's best in multiple categories. Tomlinson currently leads the team in points (13.8), rebounds (7.9), blocks (5.4), and assists (32). In the WCC the Aussie is in the top-10 of multiple categories, including points (9), rebounds (6), free throw percentage (8), blocks (1), offensive rebounds (6), and defensive rebounds (5).

Points on the Board: The Gaels' fast pace offense has definitely helped put points on the board, with Saint Mary's ranking third in the WCC in scoring offense. The team averages 69.2 points per contest, just five points shy of Gonzaga's conference best 74.3. Saint Mary's is also third in field goal percentage, posting a 40.7 mark, while San Diego leads at 40.8. Helping the cause are the Gaels' efforts on the offensive glass, pulling down 16.2 offensive boards per game, ranking second in the WCC.

A Little Help: Saint Mary's has improved their passing game tremendously this season, dishing out 12.4 assists per game. The number is good enough for second in the conference behind Gonzaga (15.94). Three different players have dished out 30 or more assists for Saint Mary's, including Louella Tomlinson (32), Maija Lahde (32), and Sierra Chambers (31).

Roaming Charge: Saint Mary's currently ranks first in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage, posting a 39.7 mark from beyond the arc. The next best squad is Portland at 35.1 percent. The Gaels have taken 146 attempts from three-point land, knocking down 58 thus far. Four different Gaels are shooting above 40 percent from three, including Kira Kojola's 45.5 percent mark (20-of-44), which ranks second in the WCC.

Media Coverage: Gael fans are in luck this season, as they will be able to follow the women's basketball team throughout the season. There are multiple ways to track the team's success, including live stats, live internet radio, and live video streaming.

To access all of these tools, visit www.SMCGaels.com. For live stats click on the Live Stats button on the top right corner of the front page, and for video and radio broadcasts click on the Gael Vision button, also located on the front page. Live Stats are free of charge for any Gael fan, while radio and video broadcast will be available for $7.95 per month or $49.95 for the 2008-09 athletic season.

All three of these features will be available for every home game, while radio broadcasts will be provided for all road games as well. Jordan Greif, a senior at Saint Mary's, will return this season as the voice of the Gaels in McKeon Pavilion, while Mandy Bible, the Media Relations Director and women's basketball contact, will dust off the headphones and provide the play-by-play on all road trips.

New Kids on the Block: Coach Thomas has had to rely on his young players this season, as 62.5 percent of the Gaels' scoring has come from freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore Louella Tomlinson leads the Gaels with a 13.8 points per game average, while four freshman have seen significant minutes. Freshmen Ashlee Smith, Katie Batlin, Alex Carbonel, and Amber Coatney make up 34.1 percent of the Gaels points this season, combining for 354 points.

Gaels Picked Fourth in WCC: The Saint Mary's women's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference this upcoming season. The poll is decided on by the eight conference head coaches, with Saint Mary's finishing with 29 points. Maija Lahde, Jontelle Smith, and Louella Tomlinson were all named to the top returning players list, as the Gaels garnered the most players of any team.

The Gaels, who registered a first round win in last year's conference tournament, returns the nation's leading shot blocker in sophomore Louella Tomlinson and a healthy Majia Lahde, who returns after missing the year with a knee injury. Jontelle Smith, a two-time All-WCC selection also returns for the Gaels, as these three players will combine for the perfect triple threat. Three players on the top-returning players list was the most of any team, as Gonzaga was next best with two Bulldogs.

Gonzaga was chosen as the favorite to claim the WCC women's basketball title, as the Zags try to defend their WCC regular season title. The Bulldogs, who received seven first place votes for a total of 49 points, lost in the finals of last year's WCC tournament to host San Diego, and ended up hosting their first round match up in the WNIT, where they beat UC Davis.

1,000 Point Mile Mark: Jontelle Smith reached the 1,000 point mile mark as a junior, posting 22 points against Pepperdine on February 16. The guard had recorded 994 points in her career prior to the game, and tabbed 22 points to top 1,000 points.

In her first two seasons Smith recorded 660 total points. Last season Smith increased her scoring capabilities, totaling 469 points. The Pinole native has scored 1,131 total points in her career, becoming just the ninth player in Saint Mary's history to reach 1,000 points. Smith ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list, while assistant coach Tracy Johnston tops the list with 1,807 career points.

Smith also ranks fifth in career scoring average (13.4 points per game), seventh in field goal attempts (944), first in three-point field goals (190), and first in three-point field goals attempted (492).

Return to Sender: Sophomore Louella Tomlinson broke every Saint Mary's record for blocks, two West Coast Conference records, and two NCAA records, in just her freshman season. Last year the forward accumulated 156 blocks in 32 games, and 68 blocks in conference play (14 games). Tomlinson broke the NCAA record for blocks in a season, and the NCAA record for blocks by a freshman. Within the WCC season Tomlinson destroyed the record for blocks in a season and blocks in WCC play, while rewriting the Saint Mary's record books. Not only did Tomlinson break every SMC individual block record, but the 6-4 long-armed Aussie totaled more blocks on her own than a Saint Mary's team had done in a single season.

Smith For Three!!! Junior guard Jontelle Smith has been a threat from long range throughout her career at Saint Mary's. The guard totaled 106 made three pointers after her first two seasons as a Gael, and has remained on target from beyond the arc. Last season she knocked down 84 threes, with a 38.9 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Her 84 threes boosted her total count to 190 threes in her career, surpassing the Saint Mary's record for three pointers in a career. The junior broke the record against Gonzaga on March 1, knocking down three three-pointers in the game. Smith passed Anja Bordt's (‘91) record of 185.
Jontelle Smith broke the Saint Mary's record for three pointers made in a single season, recording three treys against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 1, boosting her season count to 80. Smith finished with 84 three pointers, breaking the previous record of 78, held by Kim Rubenstein during the 1994-95 season.

COMING UP NEXT: The Gaels head south following their two Bay Area conference competitions, as they face Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine on the road. Saint Mary's will first face the Lions in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, January 15, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 PM. Their next outing will take place in Malibu, CA against the Waves of Pepperdine on Saturday, January 17 at 2:00 PM.