Nov. 20, 2013

Complete Release in PDF Format

TIP OFF: The University of San Diego women's basketball team (3-0) will hit the road this weekend, as they head up to the Bay Area to take on San Jose State University on Saturday at 3 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: The University of San Diego women's basketball team held on to pick up a 48-45 win over San Diego State University Monday evening in a non-conference game at the Viejas Arena. Senior guard Amy Kame scored a game-high 16 points to pace the Torero offense, and she scored her points on 7-of-20 shooting from the field. Brooke Jelniker also had a huge night, as she scored a career-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, while dishing out four assists, and pulling down six boards. As a team, USD shot .318 from the field and out rebounded the Aztecs 42-37, including 23 offensive boards. In the first four minutes of play, USD came out on fire defensively, applying a ton of ball pressure, which forced SDSU to turn the ball over on their first two possessions. Those two turnovers led to two points for USD. SDSU then settled in and it was a back and forth affair, and after the first 4:27 of action, the score was knotted at 4-all with 15:33 to go. Out of the break, a Katelyn McDaniel jumper then sparked an 11-3 Torero run over the next five minutes of action, which was capped on a Jelniker jumper, to give USD some momentum and a 15-7 lead with 9:31 to go. The Aztecs then got a little momentum and managed to close the gap down to one at 17-16 on a Chairese Culberso 3-pointer with 4:00 to go it he first half. However, a Sophia Ederaine free-throw then sparked a 5-2 Torero run over the next two minutes, that forced the home team into a timeout, with USD leading 22-18 with 2:00 to go in the first half. Out of the break, SDSU managed to hit a 3-pointer with under a minute to go, to bring the half time score to 22-21 in favor of USD. In the second half, USD got the first two baskets on an Kame lay-up and a Felicia Wijenberg lay-up to give USD the early momentum. However, SDSU didn't fade away, as they went on a 10-5 run to take the lead at 31-29 with 14:10 to go. The Toreros then responded with an 8-2 run over the next four minutes of play to take a 37-33 lead with 10:33 to go. The two teams the began to trade basket-for-basket over the next few minutes before a pair of Erimma Amarikwa free throws gave SDSU the lead at 41-42 with 4:00 to go. The two teams then traded baskets, and a Kame 3-pointer with 1:32 to go gave USD back the lead for good. Although it was a scary final 1:32, USD managed to hit key free throws, followed by a few key rebounds by Ederaine. Then SDSU had the ball with under 20 seconds to go, and tried to fire off a three, only to have Malina Hood come up with a block to seal the win, and giving USD a huge sign of relief.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS: San Jose State enters the week with a 3-1 overall record after picking up a 90-84 win over Evansville this past Sunday. The Toreros lead the all-time series at 5-2, including winning the last five meetings. SJSU has one of the nation's highest scoring offenses, with an average of 90.2 ppg. The Spartans have five players, four starters, averaging double figures, paced by junior guard Ta'Rea Cunnigan's 21.3 ppg. Sophomore forward Riana Byrd is averaging a near double-double with 10.8 ppg and 9.5 boards-per-game. As a team, the Spartans shoot .396 from the field ad average 45.5 rebounds-per-game.

LAST TIME VS. SJSU: Behind a balanced offense attack, paced by career-high's from both Katelyn McDaniel and Sophia Ederaine, the University of San Diego women's basketball team (3-1) rolled past San Jose State University (2-3), 91-52, Nov. 25, 2012 in a non-conference game at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. McDaniel scored her career-high 20 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting performance from the field, while also adding in seven rebounds, dishing out a career-high three assists and recording one block. Ederaine meanwhile, scored her career-high 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and she recorded eight rebounds, had a game-high six blocks, and added in a pair of assists. Maya Hood was the only other Torero to record double-digits, as she had 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field, while adding in a career-high five assists. All but three of the 14 players who stepped onto the court for the Toreros scored at least two or more points. As a team, USD shot .600 from the field, and the Toreros out rebounded the Spartans 48-36.

A LOOK AHEAD: After Saturday's game on the road, the Toreros will return home for three straight games beginning Nov. 26 with a 6 p.m. game against Idaho.

JELNIKER A CAREER-HIGH: Junior guard Brooke Jelniker had one of the best games of her Torero career in Monday's 48-45 win over San Diego State. Jelniker scored a career-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, while pulling down a career-high six boards, dishing out a career-high four assists, and recording one steal. On the season, Jelniker is averaging 6.7 ppg, while shooting .471 from the field, and she is averaging 5.7 rebounds per game.

KAME IN THE 1,000 POINT CLUB: Senior guard Amy Kame became just the 16th player in program history to reach the 1,000 career point mark, when she scored 11 points in USD's 61-63 win over Arizona State on Nov. 13, 2013. Kame has since moved her career total to 1,022. Kame can now continue her assault on breaking into the All-time top-10 scorers list at USD. She is now just 128 points away from tying Tiara Harris (2002-06) for 10th all-time.

ABOUT THE RECORD: It may still be early, but USD is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2006-07 season. That team then went on to open the season a perfect 6-0, before becoming USD's first 20-win team, as they posted an overall record of 21-9 and made USD's inaugural appearance into the WNIT.

THIS IS OUR HOOD: Sophomore guard Malina Hood continues to make a great impression to the start of the 2013-14 season. Hood has managed to score in double figures in two of the first three games, which has earned her one start. In the one game Hood did not score in double figures, she recorded six points, but managed to pull down a career-high eight rebounds, and came up with a key block at the end of the game to help USD seal the victory over cross-town rival San Diego State. On the season, Hood is averaging 9.3 ppg.

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.