Jan. 27, 2004
San Diego (6-12; 1-4 WCC) will be trying to defeat the Pilots in Portland Thursday night for the first time since the 1999-2000 season- a year USD won the West Coast Conference Tournament and made its most recent trip to the NCAA's field of 64. Under the leadership of two-time WCC Coach of the Year Kathy Marpe, San Diego fields a team led by 6-foot-1 senior center Marta Menuez (14.7ppg/7.7rpg), one of the league's most dominant post players. Surrounding Menuez, sophomore guard Lindsay Helvey (8.6ppg/3.8rpg) is emerging as a potent threat from the outside- shooting 41% from three-point range this season, while connecting on 11-of-18 treys (61%) in USD's last five outings. Following Thursday's 5pm game against Portland (7-11; 2-3 WCC), which will be televised live on Fox Sports, the Toreros visit Spokane, Washington to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday at 7pm. The Zags entered the week tied for first place in the WCC standings with a league record of 4-1.
THE VERY LATEST... Behind a double-double performance from Marta Menuez (14-points & 10-rebounds) San Diego picked up its first conference win, defeating then-league leading St. Mary's 53-45 in USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion last Thursday night. The Torero defense played some of its best basketball of the year, holding SMC's All-WCC forward Triola Jackson to just 10 points, well below her season average. Two nights later, San Francisco was able to come away from its annual trip to San Diego 83-74 winners over USD despite allowing the Toreros to knock down 9-of-14 three-point baskets and shoot 42% overall from the floor.
MENUEZ JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB! ECLIPSES 500-REBOUND PLATEAU! Senior center Marta Menuez (Bodega, CA) became just the eighth player in San Diego school history to score 1,000-points in a career. Menuez reached the milestone in the first half of USD's loss to Loyola Marymount on January 15th. More recently Menuez cleared her 500th career rebound! Menuez matched a career-high with 12 rebounds on Saturday against San Francisco. Only seven other players in USD history have scored 1,000 points, with current pro Erin Malich and first-year San Diego assistant Kerri Nakamoto joining the club last season. USD great and current usdtoreros.com analyst Susie Erpelding holds the all-time scoring record at USD with 1,510 career points.
USD LOOKS TO CURB ROAD WOES The Toreros are attempting to put an end to an eight-game road losing streak in conference play dating back to last season. The Toreros last WCC road win came against San Francisco (61-57) on January 24, 2003. USD is 1-7 overall in road contests this season, defeating city rival's San Diego State (65-60) on December 10th.
DONG LEADS WCC IN ASSISTS San Diego's sophomore point guard Polly Dong leads the West Coast Conference in assists per game at 4.78. Dong has amassed 86 dimes this season, needing just 14 more to reach 100 and break into San Diego's all-time single-season top 10 list. On two different occasions this season Dong has dished out nine assists (a career high) most recently against Oral Roberts on December 22nd.
HELVEY MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME 5-foot-10 guard Lindsay Helvey (Anaheim, CA) sat out the majority of her freshman season a year ago with an injury but is making up for the lost time in a big way as a sophomore. Helvey has had the hot hand for USD over the first five WCC games, with her three-point accuracy ringing in at (61%; 11-for-18). Helvey is averaging 10.2 points per game and two long balls over the first five conference games. Helvey is also perfect from the free throw line (14-of-14) in league play. Setting career-high's in virtually every offensive category this season, Helvey put up 16-points in arguably USD's biggest win this season, a 65-58 victory over Georgetown on December 28th. In San Diego's last win, a 53-45 triumph over St. Mary's on Thursday, Helvey cleared a career-high eight rebounds.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP Two-time WCC Coach of the Year Kathy Marpe fields a team led by two outstanding seniors in 6-1 forward Melissa Padgett (Reno, NV) and 6-1 center Marta Menuez (Bodega, CA).
MENUEZ LEADS THE WCC IN OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING (3.5 orpg)... averages a team-high 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds each night. Menuez continues to establish herself as one of the best post players on the West Coast- equaling a career-high with a 26-point performance against New Mexico State earlier this season. She has put up three double-doubles, missed double figures in scoring just twice and has scored 20 or more points on three different occasions this season. Menuez is the WCC's third leading scorer (14.7 ppg), ranks second in rebounding (7.7 rpg) and fifth in field goal percentage (48%).
PADGETT LEADS THE TEAM IN BLOCKED SHOTS... Melissa Padgett is having a stellar senior season. She has emerged as one of San Diego's leading rebounders, clearing 6.9 boards per game. Her rebounding numbers are among the best in the West Coast Conference and she ranks 7th in the league in blocked shots (.89 bpg). Padgett pulled down 14-rebounds, setting a career-high, against New Mexico State last week. Padgett has recorded a pair of double-doubles and has turned in season and career-high performances in both scoring and rebounding.
