Women's Basketball Weekly Release #1

Nov. 8, 2005

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Horizon League Notes and Preview

Phoenix Remains Atop League in Poll, But New Leaders Must Emerge
UW-Green Bay captured its fourth consecutive Horizon League Championship last March, defeating Wright State, 58-48, in the title game to earn another trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Phoenix won 21 of its final 23 games to compile a 27-4 overall record, including a 15-1 mark in League play. The 27 victories mark the sixth season in a row with 20 or more victories and helped give UWGB its seventh consecutive Horizon League regular-season title. A 60-56 home-court loss to Youngstown State on Feb. 19 ended a 16-game winning streak and was the only blemish on the loop slate for the Phoenix.

Coach Kevin Borseth owns a 164-51 mark in his seven seasons in Green Bay, including a 78-16 mark over the last three years. For that run of success to continue, however, he must overcome the loss of four starters including a pair of First-Team All-League performers in Player of the Year Tiffany Mor and Abby Scharlow.

Junior forward Nicole Soulis was named the Preseason Player of the Year by a panel of coaches, sports information directors and media representatives. The six-foot-two Soulis averaged 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in fewer than 20 minutes per game a year ago, finishing 11th on the final League scoring charts while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Since joining the Horizon League in 1994-95, UW-Green Bay has won eight of the 11 League regular-season championships, finishing fourth in 1994-95, third in 1996-97 and second in 1997-98.

Last year's 27 victories rank second in school and Horizon League history. The Phoenix tallied 28 triumphs during the 2002-03 campaign.

Wright State Installed as Top Threat to UW-Green Bay Success
That same panel tabbed UW-Green Bay to repeat as League champion in 2005-06 with 23 of 25 voters placing the Phoenix at the top of the list for 221 of a possible 225 points. Wright State drew the second position in the preseason canvass with 178 points, due in part to the team's 19-11 showing in 2004-05. UW-Milwaukee garnered the two other first-place votes, with the Panthers ranking third in the poll at 167 points.

Wright State and UW-Milwaukee shared second place in the final League standings last winter, each winning 11 of 16 League contests. The Panthers finished 14-14 overall last season.

UIC (148 points) edged Butler (134) for fourth place in the eyes of the voters, followed by Detroit (97), Youngstown State (78), Cleveland State (59), and Loyola (35).

Raiders, Panthers Relying on Backcourt Performers to Step Forward in 2005-06
Each of those top two contenders is led by a Preseason First-Team All-League choice as UWM's Nichole Drummond begins her senior campaign while junior backliner Brittney Whiteside paces the Raiders.

Drummond's 13.7 points-per-game average was fourth-best in the League last year, and the five-foot-ten forward also posted 5.7 rebounds per outing. She missed the last five games of the season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament as the Panthers ended the year on a three-game losing streak.

Drummond enters the 2005-06 campaign needing 238 points to reach the 1,000 mark for her career.

Whiteside's pace of 12.5 points per game (ninth on the final League charts) was aided by 7.3 rebounds per contest (third in the League and the highest among players returning this season). The five-foot-eight guard also registered 56 steals and averaged 2.50 assists per game. Both players garnered First-Team All-Horizon League recognition last winter, with Whiteside also gaining a spot on the League's All-Defensive Team.

Wright State Makes History
Wright State's 19-11 overall record represented the Raiders' best finish since the school moved to Division I in 1987. Only the 1986-87 squad, which went 24-6 and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament, can claim more victories in a single season at the school.

Raider coach Bridgett Williams posted the school's first wining season since that initial D-I campaign 17 years earlier. Wright State had compiled a composite 130-312 (.294) record over the next 16 winters before last year's breakout campaign.

Wright State's 9.5-game improvement (from 9-20 in 2003-04 to 19-22 in 2004-05) was the third-best of any Division I team last season, trailing only Robert Morris and Cal State Northridge.

Whiteside wasn't the only reason for the vast improvement, as Jeanette Woodbury averaged 10.5 points per contest in 2004-05. She returns for her junior campaign this winter.

Panthers Not Flashy, Just Consistent
UW-Milwaukee is at the opposite end of the spectrum, considering the Panthers' share of second place last season continued a run of six consecutive years in which the Panthers have finished second (either tied or outright) in the League standings.

UWM posted a 10-4 mark in loop play in 1999-2000, followed by a 12-2 League record as a part of a 19-11 showing in reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2000-01. The Panthers added League ledgers of 14-2, 11-5, 12-4 and 11-5 the following years.

Current senior forward Molly O'Brien was a Second-Team All-League choice in 2004-05, averaging 13.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game a year ago. She hit a team-high 36 three-pointers last winter, and also led the League at 2.93 steals per contest, registering 82 thefts in 28 games.

Junior Aubrey Hampton started 19 games a year ago, posting a rate of 6.4 points per appearance aided by 38 percent shooting behind the three-point arc. Additionally, her 68 assists were the most on the team.

Other Veterans Make Their Mark
Also garnering attention on the Preseason First-Team All-League honor roll are UIC junior Lashonda Grant and Detroit senior Lindsey Pasquinzo.

Grant finished 2004-05 with Second-Team All-League accolades recognizing her 13.9 points per game which represented the third-best rate in the League. The five-foot-seven guard shot 37.5 percent from three-point range and also handed out 2.5 assists per contest in helping UIC to a 10-6 League ledger which also included an eight-game winning streak.

Pasquinzo's 42.6 percent touch behind the three-point line led the League and was 16th in the nation last winter, playing a large factor in her 13.4 points-per-game average for the Titans. The five-foot-11 guard also corralled 4.4 rebounds per contest.

Flames Look for Strong Return
UIC boasts four returning starters, three of whom averaged double-digit scoring last season. The group includes LaShonda Grant (13.9 points per game), Chrissy Dizon (11.4), and Krystal Hugelier (10.6) along with Jacquay Holmes, who fell just short of twin figures with her rate of 9.6 per outing.

Dizon also handed out 138 assists and registered 61 steals a year ago, anchoring the backcourt for the Flames. The theft count ranked second in the League while her assist tally was second-best in school history.

UIC must overcome the loss of Dejeanette Flournoy, who contributed a team-best 8.5 rebounds per contest along with her 10.8 points-per-game pace.

The Flames overcame an extremely rough start in 2004-05, falling to 4-11 after a 44-point loss at UW-Green Bay on Jan. 12. From that point on, however, UIC ran off eight consecutive victories---one short of the school record---to climb over .500 for a short time before settling at 14-15 overall and 10-6 in League play.

Butler Doing It in the Backcourt
Butler owns perhaps the most versatile backcourt in the League with a pair of Preseason Second-Team All-League selections in Ellen Hamilton and Jackie Closser.

The junior tandem joined forces to average 22 points and seven assists per game last season. Closser provided 10.8 points and 4.89 set-ups per night, with the latter number putting her fourth on the League charts. The five-foot-five Closser also connected on 41 percent of her attempts from three-point range to finish fourth in the League. Her 67 triples erased the previous single-season record at the school and led the Bulldogs to a League-best rate of 7.3 treys per game, the eighth-highest average in the nation.

Hamilton's 86.7 percent accuracy at the charity stripe led the loop chart a year ago and contributed to her 11.2 points-per-game scoring average. The five-foot-ten junior also collected 2.5 rebounds per outing.

Titans Hope Experience Pays Dividends
Detroit's roster includes five seniors who combined to post 79 starts last season. Those veterans will be relied upon heavily to help UDM rebound from last year's 9-20 overall showing.

The Titans' top three scorers from 2004-05 are back this winter, with Pasquinzo joined by senior guard Katie Solner (11.9 points per contest a year ago) and senior forward Joanna Cooper (6.6). Solner handed out a team-best 99 assists last winter for an average of 3.41 per contest while also posting 53 steals.

Detroit finished second in the Horizon League in turnover margin last winter. The Titans forced nearly 20 turnovers per contest while committing 15.4 themselves for a plus-4.28 per-game rate which trailed only UW-Green Bay (plus-5.65) on the League charts.

The Titans face five teams that reached the 2005 NCAA Tournament, with battles versus Western Carolina, national runner-up Michigan State, Kansas State and Bowling Green in addition to the usual two against UW-Green Bay.

Penguins Relying on Underclassmen
Youngstown State lost nearly two-thirds of its scoring and rebounding from last year with the departure of four starters including First-Team All-League selection Jen Perugini. The Penguins' 14-player roster features six freshmen and three sophomores.

That group of underclassmen is led by sophomore guard Lauren Branson, a member of the League's All-Newcomer Team last season. Branson set a Penguin frosh record with her 159 assists and became the first freshman ever to lead the League in assists with her 5.68 per-game norm.

With all three frontcourt starters gone, the task of controlling the interior falls to senior center Michelle Holmes. She averaged 5.8 points per game on 48 percent field-goal accuracy and also blocked 18 shots a year ago. On the perimeter, junior guard Kristy Gaudiose added nearly five points per contest in 2004-05.

Vikings Take On All Challengers
Cleveland State's home schedule features a Nov. 27 date versus perennial national power Connecticut at the Wolstein Center. One week earlier, CSU visits Big Ten Conference representative Wisconsin to open the season.

While such a lofty schedule helps in recruiting down the road, Cleveland State must first replace the production of three graduate starters. CSU looks to the guard combination of Erin Martin and Brittany Korth to provide veteran leadership this season. Martin led the team in scoring (13.1 points per game, eighth in the League), rebounding (5.0), assists (2.86) and steals (1.72) in 2004-05.

Korth was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team last winter after averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 assists per contest. Martin also receives support from senior guard Omega Harrington (7.9 points per game a year ago).

Reidy Ready for Collegiate Scene
Only one Horizon League team enters the 2005-06 season with a new coach as Shannon Reidy takes the reins at Loyola.

Reidy makes her collegiate coaching debut with the Ramblers in November, following a successful seven-year stint at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Ill. Reidy posted a 160-54 (.748) record in seven seasons at the powerhouse in the south suburbs of Chicago.

At Marian, Reidy helped turn around a program which had just one 20-win season prior to her arrival into a perennial contender for the Illinois state championship. She led her team to the state tournament quarterfinals in three consecutive seasons from 2002-04.

The Spartans posted a 28-3 record last season, giving the program an impressive 115-17 (.871) record over the last four seasons, and the squad has appeared in the USA Today national rankings in three different seasons.

At Loyola, she inherits a team that returns three starters after losing a pair of 1,000-point club members in Ciara Henderson and Meskhenet Lands. Junior forward Jenna Real leads the cast of returners, averaging 9.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 2004-05. The former total was enhanced by 54 percent shooting from the field.

In addition, Mandy Mennella and Danielle Lonie will both return after being plagued with injuries last year. Mennella missed 10 games due to a knee injury while Lonie was absent from 14. When healthy, the tandem produced rates of 8.3 and 6.3 points per game, respectively. Lonie also grabbed 6.6 rebounds per contest with Mennella handing out almost five assists per game.

Horizon League Players Rank Among Nation's Elite on Stat Sheet
The Horizon League was well represented on the final NCAA statistical charts in 2004-05.

UW-Green Bay ranked among the nation's top 20 teams in nine different statistical categories, including scoring (19th at 72.0), scoring margin (tenth at plus-16.4) and field-goal percentage (fifth at .474). Additionally, only Villanova (9.8) had a lower turnovers-per-game rate than the 12.4 norm posted by the Phoenix last winter.

Individually, Detroit's Lindsey Pasquinzo concluded the 2004-05 season ranked 16th in the country in three-point field-goal percentage (.426) and 38th for three-pointers made (2.38 per game).

Butler's Jackie Closser finished out 2004-05 ranked 26th in the NCAA for three-point field- goal percentage (.409), 34th for three-point field goals made (2.39 per game) and 49th in assists per game (4.9).

Two other League performers hit the national charts in their final collegiate campaigns as UW-Green Bay's Tiffany Mor ranked eighth in the nation with a .610 field-goal percentage and Youngstown State's Jen Perugini grabbed 10.7 rebounds per game to finish ninth on that list.

One additional note not included in last season's statistics: Cleveland State has hit a three-point field goal in the last 358 consecutive contests. The Vikings own the longest active streak in the nation and have not failed to drain at least one three-pointer in a game since Dec. 17, 1992---nearly 13 seasons ago.

Panthers to Represent League in Women's Preseason NIT
UW-Milwaukee gets an early start to the season when the Panthers visit Oklahoma for the first round of the Women's Preseason NIT. UWM becomes the first Horizon League team to play in the 16-team, single-elimination preseason event, now in its 12th year.

The Panthers' match-up versus OU is slated for Friday, Nov. 11, a full week before the rest of the League's teams hit the court for official competition. Six teams play their season-openers on Friday, Nov. 18, with Cleveland State and Wright State beginning play on Sunday, Nov. 20.

The 72-game League schedule starts with three contests on Thursday, Dec. 29.

Where's the Tournament This Year?
The Horizon League Championship opens Feb. 28 with the eighth seed hosting the No. 9 seed. The winner of that contest advances into the quarterfinal round, with the top four seeds hosting action on March 2. After that, teams will have to make travel plans for the rest of the tourney on short notice.

If Youngstown State advances to the semifinal round, the Penguins will host the semifinals (March 5) and championship game (March 6) at the Beeghly Center. If the Penguins fail to advance past the quarterfinals, the top seed remaining earns the right to host the remainder of the tournament.

The Road to the Men's Championship Ends with Us
For the fourth time since 1991, the NCAA Men's Final Four comes to Indianapolis when Butler University and the Horizon League serve as co-hosts for the event this April. The "Circle City" also provided the setting for the 1991, 1997 and 2000 championships.

This season's semifinals are set for Saturday, April 1 at the RCA Dome, with the title on the line Monday, April 3.

The RCA Dome was the site of last year's Women's Final Four when Baylor University captured its first-ever national championship by defeating Michigan State University in the final game. The women's Final Four is scheduled to return to Indianapolis in 2011. The men also come back to Indianapois in 2010 as part of an extended agreement between the city and the NCAA.

On the women's side, Cleveland State hosts NCAA Tournament regional action this March. Action is scheduled for Quicken Loans Arena on March 26 and 28, 2006. Cleveland State also serves as co-host for the Women's Final Four on April 1 and 3, 2007.

UW-Green Bay Tops Women's Basketball Poll
Phoenix tabbed to defend crown behind Preseason Player of the Year Soulis


In what is becoming an annual tradition, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has been picked to defend its Horizon League women's basketball crown in 2005-06, according to the results of the League's official preseason poll.

UW-Green Bay has won the last four League Championships and has won or shared the regular-season title in each of the last seven years. That run of success has placed coach Kevin Borseth's team at the top of the list, according to the survey of League coaches, sports information directors and media members. The Phoenix received 23 first-place votes from the 25 ballots cast, tallying 221 of a possible 225 points.

Wright State University was next in line according to the voters, with the Raiders collecting 178 points to finish just ahead of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which received 167 points including the other two first-place nods. The University of Illinois at Chicago (148 points) and Butler University (134) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with the University of Detroit Mercy (97) sixth. Youngstown State University (78), Cleveland State University (59) and Loyola University Chicago (35) rounded out the poll.

UW-Green Bay compiled a 15-1 League record during the 2004-05 regular season and captured the Horizon League's automatic NCAA Tournament berth by defeating Wright State, 58-48, in the final of the League Championship last spring. The Phoenix' 27-4 overall record marked the school's sixth consecutive 20-win season. Borseth brings back only one starter from the 2004-05 team, however, leaving open the possibility of seeing that streak come to an end.

That lone returner is junior forward Nicole Soulis, who was named the Preseason Player of the Year by the panel of coaches, SIDs and media representatives. Soulis averaged 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game a year ago, finishing 11th on the final League scoring charts while shooting 51 percent from the field. The League's Newcomer of the Year in 2003-04, the six-foot-two Soulis was a Second-Team All-League choice after last season but is poised to play a greater role in the Phoenix plans this winter.

Wright State's 19-11 record included an 11-5 League mark and also a pair of wins in the League Championship as the Raiders came within one game of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time. UW-Milwaukee matched WSU's League record as part of its 14-14 overall ledger.

The 2006 Horizon League Championship begins Feb. 28 when the eighth seed hosts the ninth seed. Quarterfinals are set for March 2, with the top four seeds hosting seeds 5-8 to determine the setting for the remainder of the tournament. Should Youngstown State advance to the League's "Final Four," the semifinals and championship will take place at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown on March 5 and 6, respectively. If the Penguins are eliminated before the semifinals, the highest remaining seed will host the final two rounds of the League Championship.

2005-06 Horizon League Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes)Pts.OverallLeague
UW-Green Bay (23)22127-415-1
Wright State17819-1111-5
UW-Milwaukee (2)16714-1411-5
UIC14814-1510-6
Butler13414-148-8
Detroit979-205-11
Youngstown State7812-166-10
Cleveland State594-252-14
Loyola357-214-12

Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League
PlayerTeamHt.Yr.PPGRPGAPG
FNicole Soulis- # &UW-Green Bay6-2Jr.12.44.00.58
GNichole Drummond-*UW-Milwaukee5-10Sr.13.75.71.30
GBrittney Whiteside-*Wright State5-8Jr.12.57.32.50
GLaShonda Grant-#UIC5-7Jr.13.92.42.50
GLindsey PasquinzoDetroit5-11Sr.13.44.41.66

Preseason Second-Team All-Horizon League
PlayerTeamHt.Yr.PPGRPGAPG
FMolly O'Brien-#UW-Milwaukee5-11Sr.9.47.02.33
GChrissy DizonUIC5-6Sr.11.44.15.11
GErin MartinCleveland State5-9Sr.13.15.02.86
GJackie ClosserButler5-5Jr.10.84.14.89
GEllen HamiltonButler5-10Jr.11.22.52.11

& - Preseason Player of the Year / * - First-Team All-League in 2004-05 / # - Second-Team All-League in 2004-05

Horizon League Champions Through the Years
Season -- Regular-Season -- Tournament (Seed)
1986-87-- Detroit-- no tournament held
1987-88-- Evansville-- no tournament held
1988-89-- Loyola, Notre Dame (tie)-- Notre Dame (2)
1989-90-- Notre Dame-- Notre Dame (1)
1990-91-- Notre Dame-- Notre Dame (1)
1991-92-- Xavier-- Notre Dame (2)
1992-93-- Butler-- Xavier (2)
1993-94-- Notre Dame-- Notre Dame (1)
1994-95-- Notre Dame-- Northern Illinois (4)
1995-96-- UW-Green Bay-- Butler (2)
1996-97-- Detroit-- Detroit (1)
1997-98-- Butler-- UW-Green Bay (2)
1998-99-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)
'99-2000-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)
2000-01-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Milwaukee (2)
2001-02-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)
2002-03-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)
2003-04-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)
2004-05-- UW-Green Bay-- UW-Green Bay (1)