March 4, 2014
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TIP OFF: The University of San Diego women's basketball team (22-7, 11-7 WCC) will now head to Las Vegas to compete in the West Coast Conference Tournament this next week. USD has earned the No. 5 seed in the Tournament, and will take on No. 4 seeded Saint Mary's College in a 8 p.m. game on Friday Mar. 7 at the Orleans Arena.
LAST TIME OUT: The University of San Diego women's basketball team finished its regular-season with a 71-58 loss to Brigham Young University Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center. With the loss, the Toreros conclude the regular-season with a 22-7 overall and 11-7 in the WCC. With the win, the Cougars move to 23-5 and 14-4 in the WCC. The Toreros will receive the No. 5 seed in the upcoming WCC Tournament, while BYU has secured the No. 2 seed. Amy Kame paced the Toreros offense with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field while dishing out four assists and recording three steals. Malina Hood was the only other Torero in double figures, as she had 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. USD shot 43.6% from the field, and were out rebounded 39-24.
ALL 2014 WCC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES TELEVISED: BYUtv will produce and televise a record 12 games from the 2014 WCC Basketball Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. BYUtv will broadcast the men's and women's first round on Thursday, March 6, the women's quarterfinals on Friday, March 7, a pair of men's quarterfinals on Saturday, March 8, and the women's semifinals on Monday, March 10. In addition, all 12 games produced by BYUtv will be streamed live on the WCC's new platform, TheW.tv. The women's title game on Tuesday will be carried live on ESPNU.
TOREROS IN THE WCC TOURNAMENT: San Diego has claimed three WCC Tournament championships (1993, 2000, 2008) and are aiming to win their second under head coach Cindy Fisher. USD has posted an 16-13 all-time record in the WCC tournament, and are 3-2 in WCC Championship games.
SCOUTING THE GAELS: Saint Mary's enters the WCC Tournament with an overall record of 21-8, and they have an identical 11-7 mark in the WCC to USD, after picking up a 76-72 win over the University of Portland this past Saturday. The Gaels lead the all-time series at 38-27, however USD has won six of the last seven meetings. The two teams split the series this season, each winning on their home floor. The Gaels offense is paced by senior guard Jackie Nared, who is averaging 21.6 ppg, and she pulls down 7.3 rebounds-per-game. Danielle Mauldin averages a double-double with 18.1 ppg, while pulling down 13.4 rpg. Kate Gaze is the remaining active Gael to average double figures at 12.8 ppg.
LAST TIME VS. THE GAELS: Despite senior guard Amy Kame scoring a game-high 28 points, and freshman guard Katherine Hamilton recording her first double-double, the University of San Diego women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 71-68 decision to Saint Mary's College on Feb. 1, 2014 at the McKeon Pavilion. Kame led all scorers with her 28 points, as she continues her dominance over the Games, and she shot 11-for-21 form the field, while also pulling down eight rebounds. Hamilton, who got the first start of her career, had a career day, as she recorded a career-high 12 points and had a career-high 12 rebounds to record her first collegiate double-double. Felicia Wijenberg was the final USD player in double figures, as she had 11 on 4-of-13 shooting from the field and she pulled down seven rebounds. The Toreros did manage to outrebound the home team, 45-44.
IMPRESSIVE SEASON CONTINUES: San Diego women's basketball team, continues to reach uncharted waters for the program. The Toreros have surpassed any USD team before them, by beginning the season 15-0, then jumping into the top-25 on the week of Jan. 6 at No. 24 for the first-time in program history, and they were also receiving votes in the top-25 polls for eight consecutive weeks. San Diego has defeated five post-season teams from a year ago along the way in Northern Colorado, Idaho, San Diego State, Saint Mary's, and BYU. USD has also knocked off Arizona State, who was ranked in the top 25 for a majority of the season, and just fell out this week.
TRIO OF TOREROS EARN ALL-WCC ACCOLADES: The University of San Diego women's basketball team had three players earn All-West Coast Conference accolades, highlighted by senior guard Amy Kame being selected first-team All-WCC. Both sophomore guard Malina Hood and senior forward Felicia Wijenberg were named All-WCC honorable mention.
REMEMBER ME?: Freshman guard Katherine Hamilton received her first career start in the last meeting with Saint Mary's. And how did she respond? Only with her first career double-double, 12 points and 12 rebounds. Hamilton scored her 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field. Both the 12 points and 12 boards are career highs for Hamilton.
KAME VS. THE GAELS: Senior guard Amy Kame has been a force that the Gaels have yet to find an answer for her during the past seven meetings. Consider this, Kame has scored a total of 162 points (22.1 ppg), while shooting 61-for-117 (.521) from the field. She has scored totals of 18, 18, 29, 21, 25, 23, and 28 against the Gaels in the last seven meetings. She has also averaged 4.5 assists-per-game, and 4.8 boards-per-game. Kame has a chance to improve upon these numbers on Friday, as USD and SMC battle for the right to advance to the semi-finals on Mar. 10.
LAST SEVEN VS. SMC: San Diego had won six straight against Saint Mary's, then saw that streak snapped in their last meeting on Feb. 1. Here are a few interesting statistics from those games. First off, as mentioned above, Amy Kame appears to be an unstoppable force, averaging 22.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 4.5 apg, while shooting .521 from the field against the Gaels. But as a team, USD has managed to hold the Gaels to just 36% shooting (143-395) from the field, while also holding one of their better players, Danielle Mauldin (18.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg) to just 9.0 ppg on 27-of-66 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, USD has shot 48% (204-436 ) from the field, while out rebounding the Gaels 273-264.
BRAINS AND BASKETBALL: The University of San Diego women's basketball team had three players named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic team. Both senior guard Amy Kame and junior forward Sophia Ederaine were selected the All-Academic team, while Brooke Jelniker was named honorable mention. Both Ederaine and Kame are making their second consecutive appearance on this prestigious team. At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.
THREE STRAIGHT 20-WIN SEASONS: With the 59-52 win over Portland on Feb. 15, the Toreros posted their third consecutive 20-win season, and fourth overall 20-win season in program history. Last season, when USD won its 20th game, it marked back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time ever. So new heights continue for the Toreros under ninth-year head coach Cindy Fisher. This string of 20-win seasons has ended like this... In 2011-12, USD finished with a program-best 26-9 overall record, and a trip the Final Four of the WNIT...then in 2012-13, USD posted a 22-10 overall record and reached the second round of the WNIT. Where will this season's team end up? Time will only tell. The only other 20-win Torero team was the 2006-07 squad, who went 21-9 and made the first round of the WNIT.
MOVIN ON UP: Senior guard Amy Kame continues to move her way up the all-time scorers list at USD. She currently sits at No. 4 overall with 1,460 points, and is 50 points behind Susie Erpelding (1996-2000) for third all-time. However, Kame's game is not limited to scoring, as she is currently third all-time in career steals with 209, and is now seventh all-time in career assists at 308.
ABOUT THE RECORD: San Diego is 22-7 overall, which is the best record through 29 games in program history. The Toreros have set the record for the best start of any sport at USD in the Division I era at 15-0 this season. The 15 wins in a row also happens -to set a program record for longest winning streak.
W.TV BROADCASTS: The West Coast Conference has announced its 2013-14 women's basketball broadcast schedule on its dynamic new platform, TheW.tv. USD will be featured on two of the five broadcasts, and both contests will be home games. TheW.tv delivers West Coast Conference live games, regular studio programming, and exclusive live coverage from every WCC championship free of charge, featuring the tagline, "All the action. Anytime. Anywhere." The first women's basketball broadcast on TheW.tv will take place on Saturday, January 18 when BYU visits San Diego at 2 p.m. PST. The following day, defending West Coast Conference champion Gonzaga plays at Santa Clara, and on January 30, BYU travels to Saint Mary's. February's featured match-ups include Pacific at Saint Mary's (Feb. 8) and Gonzaga at San Diego (Feb. 13).
McDANIEL OUT FOR REMAINDER OF THE YEAR: The University of San Diego women's basketball program received disheartening news this week, that junior forward Katelyn McDaniel will have to miss the remainder of the 2013-14 season, after suffering a season-ending injury at practice this past Monday. McDaniel, a 6-1 junior from Littleton, Colo., had an MRI on Wednesday, revealing that she tore her ACL, in a routine practice drill on Monday. The projected recovery period is 8-to-12 months after surgery, which is scheduled in the next few weeks. McDaniel was just tabbed the West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday Dec. 16, after recording her fourth double-double in the past five games, with 11 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 68-51 win against Long Beach State on Dec. 13. She also dished out a season-high three assists and tied a career-high with three steals. McDaniel has been averaging 10.3 points-per-game, 8.1 rebounds-per-game, and is tied for fourth among WCC double-double leaders with four.
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.
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.
