Nov. 15, 2013
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TIP OFF: The University of San Diego women's basketball team (2-0) will remain in the city of San Diego, but head across Interstate 8 to take on cross-town rival San Diego State University on Monday at Viejas Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: Behind another balanced offensive attack that saw four Toreros score in double figures, the University of San Diego women's basketball team stunned the Arizona State University Sun Devils, 61-53, Wednesday evening in a non-conference game at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Toreros (2-0) were led offensively by Felicia Wijenberg, who scored a game-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting form the field, while pulling down eight rebounds. Sophia Ederaine also had an impressive game, as she recorded 11 points, while pulling down eight rebounds, and recording two blocks and one steal. Amy Kame recorded 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, and Malina Hood was the final Torero in double figures, as the sophomore guard had 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. As a team, USD sot 46.2% from the field, and out rebounded the Sun Devils (1-1) 41-35. In the first half, it was a slow start, as over the first four minutes of action, the score was knotted at 4-all. Out of the break, the two teams then began to trade basket-for-basket over the next four plus minutes of play, with eight different lead changes, and with 11:47 to go, ASU was leading 12-11. USD then began to get some momentum, and put together a 13-4 run over the next seven minutes of play, to take their biggest lead of the half at 24-16. ASU then began to chip away at the lead, and would eventually close to within three on a 3-point play by Adrianne Thomas, with 14 seconds to play, to go into halftime with USD leading 30-27. In the second half, USD would open the frame on a 12-3 run, which gave San Diego its biggest lead of the game at 42-30 with 15:00 to go. However, the Sun Devils would then answer with a run of their own, as they put together a 15-3 run over the span of 6:48 to pull even with San Diego at 45-all. After the media timeout, San Diego got the momentum right back, as a Kame 3-pointer, followed by a Ederaine block, sparked the Toreros onto a 9-0 run over the next 5:30 of play to reagin the lead and momentum, at 54-45. The Toreros never looked back, a they then went on to complete the win with a 61-53 decision.
SCOUTING THE AZTECS: San Diego State enters the game with an 0-2 overall record, after falling short in a come-back attempt at USC this past Wednesday. SDSU leads the all-time series at 23-9, including taking last season's meeting at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Sophomore forward Deajane Scurry is pacing the Aztec offense with 24.5 ppg, while pulling down 5.0 boards-per-game. Senior guard Denesha Long is the only other SDSU player to average double figures, as she scored 12.5 ppg, and also pulls down 5.0 rebounds-per-game. As a team, SDSU shoots .543 from the field and hits on 58% of their free throws in the early part of the season.
LAST TIME VS. SDSU: The University of San Diego women's basketball team came up on the losing end of a close one, falling to cross-town rival, the San Diego State University Aztecs, 58-54, on Dec. 8, 2012, halting the Toreros five-game winning streak at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Junior guard Amy Kame and sophomore guard Alysse Barlow led the scoring effort for USD, as both players had 12 points. Forward Klara Wischer managed to haul in a career-high 15 rebounds, while Maya Hood added in 10 points. As a team, USD shot .324 from the field and was slightly edged in rebounds at 48-47.
ANOTHER BALANCED OFFENSE ATTACK: For a second consecutive game, the Toreros had four different players score in double figures, paced by Felicia Wijenberg's career-high 15. Both Amy Kame and Sophia Ederaine scored 11 points apiece, while Malina Hood scored 10 points to round things off. All four of these players scored in double figures in the season opener as well, which earned Hood and Ederaine a spot in the USD starting line-up this past Wednesday.
WIJENBERG TIES A CAREER-HIGH: Senior forward Felicia Wijenberg tied a career-high with 15 points in Wednesday's 61-53 win over Arizona State. Wijenberg scored her 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, and hitting on 6-of-7 free throws. Wijenberg also pulled down eight rebounds, had one block and one assist. On the season, Wijenberg is USD's third leading scorer with a 13.0 ppg average.
EDERAINE ENJOYING DOUBLE-DIGIT LIFE: For the second time in her Torero career, Ederaine has posted back-to-back double-digit performances. Ederaine recorded a career-high 16 points in the season opener, then added in 11 in Wednesdays win over ASU. The only other time she did this was last season, when she scored 14 points against Central Michigan and 16 against Iowa. However, Ederaine has also added in the rebounding aspect as well on the young season, as she has recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Northern Colorado, as well as eight boards against Arizona State, and currently is USD's leading rebounder with 11.0 rpg. She is also USD's second leading scorer with an average of 13.5 ppg.
MALINA'S HOOD: San Diego sophomore guard Malina Hood made the most of the first start of her career. The San Diego native scored 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting, while pulling down a career-high four rebounds. This marks back-to-back games for Hood in double figures, and she had 12 in the season opening win over Northern Colorado. On the young season, Hood is averaging 11.0 ppg, while shooting .350 from the field.
TOREROS TABBED TO FINISH SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL: The University of San Diego women's basketball team, who received one first place vote, was tabbed to finish second in the West Coast Conference, according to a poll of the league's coaches. Gonzaga, the defending WCC champion, was picked to finish first, while Saint Mary's was picked to finish third and BYU fourth. WCC newcomer Pacific was picked to finish fifth, with Loyola Marymount picked sixth. Portland, San Francisco, and Santa Clara were tied for seventh and Pepperdine was picked to finish 10th, respectfully.
Maya Hood TO REDSHIRT SEASON: Maya Hood, a sophomore guard for the University of San Diego women's basketball team, will redshirt during the 2013-14 season because she is expecting a baby in early November. Hood will return to action for the Toreros beginning with the 2014-15 season, and will have three years of eligibility left. Hood, a 5-10 guard from San Diego, Calif., was the West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, in addition to being named All-WCC honorable mention. Hood managed to crack into the USD starting line-up just 10 games into the season, and remained in the starting line-up the rest of the way. Hood was USD's second leading scorer at 10.3 points-per-game, while leading the team in shooting at 54.3 percent from the field. Hood scored in double figures in 18 of the 32 games she played in, with a career-high of 21 coming in a win against Loyola Marymount on February 14, 2013. She also managed to record a pair of double-doubles this past season in scoring and rebounding.
A PAIR OF TOREROS SELECTED TO THE PRESEASON ALL-WCC TEAM: The Toreros had two players named to the preseason All-WCC team in the form of senior guard Amy Kame and sophomore guard Maya Hood.
- Kame, a 6-0 junior guard from Grand Junction, Colo., paced the team's scoring effort last season with an average of 15.1 ppg, while shooting 40.2 percent from the field, en route to a first-team All-WCC distinction. Kame was named the WCC Player of the Month for November, and took home one WCC Player of the Week award this past season. Kame scored 20 or more points in seven games last season, and scored in double figures in all but seven of the 32 games she has played in.
- Hood, a 5-10 guard from San Diego, was tabbed the WCC Newcomer of the Year after an impressive freshman campaign in which she was the team's second leading scorer with 10.3 ppg, while leading the team in field goal percentage at 54.3 percent. Hood was named the WCC Player of the Week once this past year and managed to score in double figures in 18 of the 31 games she played in. Hood quickly went from bench player to starter just 10 games into the season. Hood will be redshirting this season, and will return next season with three years of eligibility left.
GAMETRACKER AVAILABLE: All San Diego women's basketball home and select road games can be followed live via Gametracker on the Toreros athletic web site at www.usdtoreros.com. Gametracker is a service of CBS College Sports, the official web provider for San Diego athletics, and is a real time update of the action.
CAN YOU SEE ME?: All USD home games, as well as select road games, will be streamed live via video on the athletics department website. Fans can watch all the action live from the comfort of their home by logging onto usdtoreros.com. Former USD basketball standout Paula Bott provides all the live play-by-play this season. This service a free of charge for all who wish to watch the broadcast.
MEET THE COACH: Head coach Cindy Fisher is entering her ninth season at the helm of the Toreros program. She was named the program's third head coach on April 19, 2005. Last season, Fisher managed to do something no other coach in USD history could, she posted a second consecutive 20-win season, as USD advanced to the second roud of the WNIT, and posted a 22-10 overall record. The 2011-12 season was a historical one for the Toreros, as it is now the greatest season in program history. Under Fisher's tutelage, the Toreros soared to new heights, and were in uncharted waters. USD posted a program best 26-9 overall record, posted a 12-4 mark in WCC play (the most wins in WCC play in program history) and they recorded the program's first ever post season win. Not only was the first ever post season win, but the Toreros advanced all the way to the Final Four of the WNIT, before falling to eventual WNIT champions Oklahoma State. In 2008, Fisher led USD to the WCC Tournament championship and back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight seasons. In only her second season at the helm of the program, Fisher orchestrated the biggest turn around in school history, a 12-game improvement from 9-19 in the 2005-06 season to a 21-9 record in 2006-07 season. The turn around was the fourth best in the nation. Under her tutelage, the Toreros placed three players on the All-WCC lists highlighted by Amanda Rego being named the WCC Co-Player of the Year. For her efforts, Fisher was named the 2007 WCC Co-Coach of the Year.
