Feb. 19, 2004
SAN DIEGO TRAVELS TO BAY AREA
SAN DIEGO (6-17; 1-9 WCC) will try to pick up its first road win in conference play when USD takes a two-game road trip to the Bay Area this weekend. USD is set to play Santa Clara (7-16; 3-8 WCC) Thursday night at 7pm at SCU's Leavey Center. Two-time WCC Coach of the Year Kathy Marpe is armed with arguably the league's top post player in senior Marta Menuez (14.7 ppg/7.9 rpg). Menuez is the West Coast Conference leader in rebounds during WCC play, averaging 9.3 boards per contest; along with the league's fourth-best scoring average of 13.7. Menuez and the Toreros will also face San Francisco (9-14; 2-8 WCC) this weekend, a game scheduled for Saturday at 7pm at USF's War Memorial Gym.
THE OPPONENTS
SANTA CLARA (7-16; 3-7 WCC)... The Broncos and Toreros have split the regular season series in each of the past five seasons. The Broncos defeated San Diego 60-52 at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion earlier this month (February 5). SCU suffered a six-game losing streak in December and into early January and have managed to win 3-of-10 since WCC play began on January 6th. Like San Diego, Santa Clara was swept last week at home by Loyola Marymount (53-58) and Pepperdine (53-73). Offensively 5-foot-9 junior guard Quinn Thomas (Kent, WA) is the team's leading scorer at 10.6 ppg. Thomas led a balanced Bronco attack, scoring a team-high 14 points, during Santa Clara's victory over USD two weeks ago. Backcourt mate and fellow Washington State product Ashley Graham (Redmond, WA) scored 11 and Jennie Rondel (Redmond, WA) added 12.
SAN FRANCISCO (9-14; 2-8 WCC)... Broke a four-game conference losing skid and won for the second time in 12 games Sunday at Gonzaga by a score of 59-53. The Dons only other WCC win came against San Diego (83-74) at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion on January 24th. USF is 7-6 at home this season, but is 0-5 at War Memorial Gym in league play. This weekend's St. Mary's/San Diego home stand wraps up the Dons' home schedule. Senior forward Carey Sauer leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game. Both starting guards, Joy Hollingsworth (10.7 ppg/6.1 rpg) and 5-foot-3 Toni Russell (10.3 ppg/3.9 apg) average in double figures. Russell poured in 28 points and Sauer 25 in USF's win over USD last month.
FOLLOW THE GAMES THIS WEEKEND LIVE -GAMETRACKER (WWW.USDTOREROS.COM)
USD @ San Francisco - (Thursday Feb. 19 - 7pm)
USD vs. Santa Clara (Saturday Feb. 21- 7pm
Fans and media can follow the weekend action live with play-by-play coverage provided by GAMETRACKER on usdtoreros.com. Live audio is available for the entire USD women's basketball home schedule this season on www.usdtoreros.com.
HEAD COACH Kathy Marpe (24th-year)
Kathy Marpe is now in her 31st year as a head coach and her 24th season leading the USD women's basketball program. In her career Marpe has reached milestones aspiring coaches can only dream of; 370 career coaching victories, 111 West Coast Conference wins, two WCC coach of the year awards, two conference tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament teams. As a Torero, Marpe has coached 12 First Team All-West Coast Conference players, and more importantly, 30 of Marpe's players have been honored as WCC Scholar Athletes. Her 1999-2000 team matched a school record of 17 overall wins featuring future professional players Susie Erpelding and Jessica Gray. The 1999-2000 Toreros ran through the WCC Tournament, beating the number one seeded Pepperdine Waves 68-51. San Diego was awarded the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, becoming the second San Diego team Marpe would lead into the big dance. On February 3, 2001 Marpe became just the fourth coach in WCC history to reach 100 conference victories. By season's end and now entering the 2003-04 campaign, Marpe now owns 106 WCC wins, ranking her third all-time in WCC career coaching victories.
DONG REACHES 100-ASSIST PLATEAU
San Diego's sophomore point guard Polly Dong leads the league in assists at 4.7 per game. With 109 on the season, Dong has reached the 100-assist milestone in a single-season, joining a group of just nine other Toreros in school history. On two different occasions this season Dong has dished out nine assists, a career high, most recently against Oral Roberts on December 22.
IN THE GENES
USD senior forward Melissa Padgett comes from a family rich in basketball tradition. Melissa is the daughter of former Nevada-Reno star Pete Padgett. Melissa's younger brother David Padgett is a freshman at Kansas averaging 7.0 points per game and 5.3 rebounds in 17 games and 12 starts this season. Her uncle Chris played basketball at New Mexico and her grandfather Jim played at Oregon State.
USD LOOKS TO CURB ROAD WOES
The Toreros are attempting to put an end to a 10-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 1-9 overall in road contests this season, defeating city rival's San Diego State (65-60) on December 10th.
HALL OF CHAMPIONS HONORS MENUEZ
San Diego's 6-foot-1 senior center Marta Menuez (14.5ppg/8.6rpg) was honored as a San Diego Hall of Champions Star of the Month for her outstanding athletic achievements during the month of January. Menuez, a senior from Bodega, California, recorded four consecutive double-double (points-rebounds)... She is arguably the best low-post player in the WCC- out-dueling Saint Mary's star and San Diego native Triola Jackson (limiting her to well below her point and rebound averages) during San Diego's West Coast Conference win over the Gaels on Jan. 22nd (a game televised live on San Diego Channel 4). On January 15th, Marta became just the eighth player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau during a league match-up Loyola Marymount. Marta cleared a career-high 15 rebounds January 31st at Gonzaga en route to joining the 500-career rebound club at USD.
HELVEY- WCC THREE-POINT LEADER USD's 5-foot-10 guard Lindsay Helvey leads the WCC in three-point shooting (21-43; 48%) through nine conference games this season. Helvey led USD in scoring (12 points) when the Toreros played Santa Clara two weeks ago. The sophomore from Anaheim is USD's second leading scorer (8.2 ppg) and is tied with sophomore classmate Brandi Collato (6.6 ppg/2.0 rpg) for the team lead in three-point accuracy overall (41%). Helvey has set career highs in virtually every statistical category this season after an injury limited her to just 10 appearances and eight minutes per game as a freshman.
MENUEZ RANKS AMONG USD'S BEST EVER
6-1 senior center Marta Menuez (Bodega, CA)...
SCORING:
... became just the 8th player in USD history to score 1,000-points
.... currently ranks 5th all time in scoring at USD with 1,126 points
.... needs 40 more points to break into USD's all-time season top-10 list
... Susie Erpelding holds USD's all-time scoring record (1,510)
REBOUNDING:
... 11th player in USD history to clear 500 rebounds
...career rebound total has reached 560 (T8th all-time)
.... Chris Enger holds USD's all-time rebound record (831)
EARLIER THIS YEAR AGAINST THE BRONCOS
SANTA CLARA DEFEATS SAN DIEGO 60-52
(San Diego, CA) - The visiting Santa Clara Broncos (7-14; 3-5 WCC) handed the host USD Toreros (6-15; 1-7 WCC) a 60-52 setback this evening before 438 fans at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Bronco guard Quinn Thomas scored 12 of her game-high 14 points in the second half as Santa Clara overcame a 25-20 halftime deficit. Jennie Rondel added 12 points off the bench and starter Ashley Graham chipped in with 11 points and 5 assists. USD was paced by Lindsay Helvey's 12 points (4-9 treys) and Marta Menuez with 11 points and 9 rebounds.
The Toreros, who fell behind early by the score of 9-2, fought back to take the 5-point lead at halftime. Nine different Toreros scored in the first 20 minutes of action with Marta Menuez leading the way with 5 points and 5 rebounds. In the 2nd half USD extended their lead to 6 twice, the last at 30-24 on a jumper by Jamie Corwin with 17:28 left. Over the next ten minutes the Broncos went on an 18-4 run to take a 42-34 lead with 7:56 to go. USD made one last run to get within 5 points at 47-42 on a Lindsay Helvey trey with 3:27 left, but SCU outscored USD 13-10 the rest of the way for the final 60-52 score.
The Toreros held the edge in rebounding, 37-32, but turned the ball over 20 times. The Toreros will be off now until next Thursday's home game with Pepperdine.
LAST TIME OUT
LMU ESCAPES WITH 52-48 WIN
SAN DIEGO, CA- San Diego women's basketball dropped a 52-48 decision to visiting Loyola Marymount Saturday night at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion. The win marked Loyola Marymount's (19-5; 10-1 WCC) tenth consecutive victory and LMU's ten West Coast Conference wins this season equals a program record. San Diego (6-17; 1-9 WCC) was paced by senior center Marta Menuez who poured in a team-high 18 points. USD will next play at Santa Clara next Thursday at 7pm.
Torero guard Polly Dong dished out six assists Saturday and forward Melissa Padgett gathered in six rebounds. Jamie Corwin's lay-up with one and a half minutes remaining brought USD within six. Forced to foul, San Diego sent the Lions to the charity stripe three times in the last 60 seconds and were unable to bridge the gap- losing for the eleventh time in 12 outings.
San Diego tied the game at 22 with two minutes left to play in the first half and trailed by just four at the break. LMU took off on an 8-0 run after USD scored the first basket of the second half, taking a 34-26 advantage. Kate Murray led the Lions with 17 points and eight rebounds. Raelen Self added seven points and three assists in the winning effort. Self connected on a three-pointer with 14:29 left to play to give the Lions' an 11 point lead. Jacquelyn Woods scored consecutive buckets mid-way through the second half extend the Lion lead to 13.
San Diego mounted a comeback, led by Menuez and a Tiara Harris three-point basket with just under seven minutes to play. The Lions would eventually prevail and remain in first place in the West Coast Conference standings.
