Feb. 3, 2010Complete Release in PDF Format THE HORIZON LEAGUE SPOTLIGHTThis is the first time since 1997 that Detroit has owned a share of first place nine games into the conference season. UDM, Green Bay and Butler all started that year 7-2 in League play. The Titans ended up advancing to the 1997 NCAA Tournament after claiming the Horizon League's regular-season and tournament titles.Green Bay is ranked No. 23 in the most-recent Associated Press poll (Feb. 1) and No. 20 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll (Feb. 2). The Phoenix's best all-time ranking of No. 16 came during the 2002-03 season.Green Bay posted an all-time Horizon League record earlier this season with its 34th consecutive regular-season win. The Phoenix also registered an all-time League best with its 35th straight regular-season conference victory.
HORIZON LEAGUE TEAM NOTES
BUTLER BULLDOGS (13-7 overall, 6-3 HL)
Senior Melanie Thornton ranks in the Horizon League's top five for blocked shots (2nd, 1.6), scoring (3rd, 15.2), steals (3rd, 2.2), rebounding (5th, 7.7) and field-goal percentage (5th, .538).Melanie Thornton has posted 14 straight double-digit scoring games.Freshman Claire Freeman's jumper with 0.6 seconds remaining lifted Butler to a 71-70 win on Saturday at Milwaukee. The Bulldogs made 5-of-6 field-goal attempts over the final 3:43 to score the road victory.Head Coach Beth Couture (118) needs just six more victories to become the school's all-time leader (124).
CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS (10-10 overall, 5-4 HL)
Cleveland State is 7-2 at home this season, but just 3-8 on the road.Senior Kailey Klein is just 27 points shy of breaking CSU's all-time scoring record. Dianne Foster, who scored 1,851 points from 1979-84, owns the current mark.Cleveland State committed a season-low 13 turnovers on Thursday at Wright State and then made just 15 miscues on Saturday at Detroit.Sophomore Janelle Adams tied her career-high with 12 points, in just 16 minutes, at Detroit.
DETROIT TITANS (9-11 overall, 7-2 HL)
Detroit has won six consecutive home games.Detroit posted an 80-44 victory over Youngstown State on Thursday. The point total set a season high and margin of victory was UDM's largest since Jan. 29, 1998.The Titans grabbed a season-high 53 rebounds and drained a season-best 11 three-pointers against Youngstown State.Senior Brigid Mulroy connected on 5-of-10 from beyond the arc against YSU.Sophomore Yar Shayok posted double-doubles in both games last week -- 10 pts/11 rebs vs. YSU and 15 pts/11 rebs in Saturday's 62-54 win over Cleveland State.
#23/20 GREEN BAY PHOENIX (18-2 overall, 7-2 HL)
Green Bay has won 30 consecutive regular-season Horizon League home games.The Phoenix has out-scored its opponents by an average of 17.5 ppg over the past two games and is +6.5 in turnover margin.Green Bay ranks in the top 10 nationally for assists (3rd, 18.6), turnover margin (4th, 7.70), free-throw accuracy (7th, .778), winning percentage (7th, .900), steals (8th, 12.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (8th, 1.18).
LOYOLA RAMBLERS (10-10 overall, 4-5 HL)
Loyola has lost two straight home games after opening the season 7-1 at the Gentile Center.Loyola continues to pace the Horizon League in three-point shooting (.364). The Ramblers canned 8-of-18 from long range on Saturday against UIC.
MILWAUKEE PANTHERS (9-11 overall, 4-5 HL)
Milwaukee is 26-4 when scoring 70-plus points since 2007-08.Milwaukee has made a three-pointer in 229 straight affairs.Senior Jodie McClain moved into fifth place on UWM's career assists list (271) with six helpers on Saturday against Butler.Junior Ashley Imperiale tied a career high with eight assists vs. Butler.The Panthers limited Valparaiso to 15 first-half points in Thursday's 54-48 win. It was the fewest points UWM has allowed in a half since Dec. 7, 2006.
UIC FLAMES (9-11 overall, 6-3 HL)
UIC improved to 13-5 against Loyola under Head Coach Lisa Ryckbosch with Saturday's 70-66 win at the Gentile Center.Senior Jessie Miller scored 21 of her career-high 29 points in the second half of UIC's comeback win over Loyola.Freshman Taylor Foulks scored 12 points on four three-pointers in her second career start on Saturday.The Flames are shooting .509 (56-for-110) in their last two wins over Green Bay and Loyola.
VALPARAISO CRUSADERS (6-14 overall, 3-6 HL)
Seniors Lauren Kenney (26 pts/13 rebs) and Kelly Watts (12 pts/11 rebs) recorded double-doubles on Thursday at Milwaukee.Valparaiso scored 46 of its 48 points at UWM in the paint or at the free-throw line.Valparaiso has more blocks in 20 games this season (47) than it had in 30 contests all of last year (45).The Crusaders made 10 of their first 12 shots, including 6-of-6 from long distance, on Saturday at Green Bay. The Phoenix came back to post a 78-54 win.
WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS (7-12 overall, 3-6 HL)
Wright State improved to 14-6 against Youngstown State under Head Coach Bridgett Williams with Saturday's 65-31 win at the Nutter Center.Senior Ta-myra Davis posted the second double-double in her last four games with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Youngstown State.Sophomore Maria Bennett has made at least one three-pointer in 27 straight games.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS (0-20 overall, 0-9 HL)
Youngstown State turned in its best free-throw shooting performance of 2009-10 on Thursday at Detroit, making 17-of-20 (.850).The Penguins out-rebounded Wright State, 36-28, on Saturday, which marked its biggest advantage on the boards this year.Sophomore Kenya Middlebrooks has made 25 consecutive free throws, which ranks as sixth-longest streak in school history. She's 20-for-20 in conference action.
Tags: All Teams - Women's Basketball