Feb. 17, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Chicago State at Valparaiso, 8:05 p.m. ... HLN
Thursday, Feb. 19
$ Wright State at Cleveland State, 7 p.m. ... HLN
$ Detroit at Youngstown State, 7:05 p.m. ... HLN / MyYTV
$ Loyola at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. ... HLN
$ UIC at Green Bay, 8 p.m. ... HLN / MyNEW32
Saturday, Feb. 21
$ Wright State at Youngstown State, 2:05 p.m. ... HLN / MyYTV
$ Butler at Valparaiso, 2:35 p.m. ... HLN
$ Detroit at Cleveland State, 3 p.m. ... HLN
$ Loyola at Green Bay, 3 p.m. ... HLN
$ UIC at Milwaukee, 3 p.m. ... HLN
$ = Horizon League game
All times are Eastern
HLN = Horizon League Network webcast (www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv)
LAST WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Thursday, Feb. 12
$ Butler 68, UIC 49
$ Detroit 59, Milwaukee 50
$ Green Bay 62, Wright State 51
$ Valparaiso 85, Loyola 60
Saturday, Feb. 14
$ Butler 71, Loyola 63
$ Cleveland State 65, Youngstown State 35
$ Green Bay 59, Detroit 44
$ Milwaukee 70, Wright State 64
$ UIC 61, Valparaiso 50
$ = Horizon League game
HORIZON LEAGUE TEAM NOTES
BUTLER BULLDOGS (16-8 overall, 11-2 HL)
Thursday's win over UIC was head coach Beth Couture's 100th at Butler. Her 101 victories rank third in program history behind Linda Mason (124) and June Olkowski (114).At 11-2, Butler is off to its best League start since 1997-98. The 13-game record also ties for second best in school history.The Bulldogs are guaranteed their fourth-consecutive winning season. It's also the third-straight season that BU will finish with at least 16 victories. The Bulldogs won 20 games in 2007-08 -- the program's first 20-win campaign since 1997-98.Butler is 14-1 on the year when tied or leading at halftime. The Bulldogs have held their foes to an average of just 24.8 points in the first half and limited eight opponents to 20 or fewer points in that period.The Bulldogs are 14-2 when they hold opponents to fewer than 60 points and 13-0 when their foes score 50 or fewer.
CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS (14-10 overall, 8-4 HL)Cleveland State allowed just 35 points to Youngstown State in its win on Saturday. It was CSU's best defensive performance since a 62-24 victory over Ashland on Feb. 8, 1983.The Vikings have held nine of their 12 Horizon League opponents to under 55 points this season.Junior Jessica Roque has made all 20 of her free-throw attempts in League play.The Cleveland State men's and women's teams have combined to sweep eight of their 11 doubleheaders over the last two seasons in the Wolstein Center.The Vikings wore pink uniforms on Saturday to help the WBCA's "Think Pink" efforts. The uniforms were auctioned off after the game with all proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
DETROIT TITANS (8-16 overall, 4-9 HL)Thursday's win was Detroit's first over Milwaukee since March 3, 2005, and its first over UWM at Calihan Hall since Feb. 8, 2001.Junior Brigid Mulroy led everyone with 14 points on Thursday and 15 points on Saturday against Green Bay.Senior Sandi Brown recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds against Milwaukee. It was her fourth double-double of the season.
GREEN BAY PHOENIX (21-3 overall, 13-0 HL)Green Bay leads the country in scoring defense (50.3) and ranks sixth in turnover margin (+6.42).Green Bay has held 12 opponents under 50 points this season. The program record is 13.Head coach Matt Bollant is now 30-1 in Horizon League regular-season games. Green Bay has also won 26 straight regular-season conference home games.The Phoenix's 13-game winning streak matches its longest under Bollant and is tied for sixth best in program history.
LOYOLA RAMBLERS (6-16 overall, 1-11 HL)Junior Maggie McCloskey missed Thursday's game with an injured elbow, ending a streak of 71 straight starts. She returned to play 37 minutes on Saturday vs. Butler, finishing with nine points and season-best seven assists.Junior Elyse VanBogart recorded 22 points in 24 minutes on Saturday after scoring just five points on Thursday against Valparaiso.
MILWAUKEE PANTHERS (11-13 overall, 6-7 HL)Senior Traci Edwards moved up to second in state history for career scoring (2,185 points) on Saturday at Wright State. She was 10-for-12 from the field in that game, tying the third-best shooting mark in school history.Milwaukee has now alternated wins and losses over its last 10 games -- the longest such streak in the team's Division I history.Milwaukee is 8-0 when scoring at least 70 points and 7-0 when at least four players score in double figures.
UIC FLAMES (13-10 overall, 7-5 HL)Junior Jessie Miller is averaging 16.3 points on 50 percent from the floor since being held scoreless on Feb. 4 at Eastern Illinois. She is also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists during the three-game stretch.Jessie Miller is just 10 points away from becoming the 14th player in UIC history to accumulate 1,000 career points.Senior Nikki Grobbecker has averaged 7.1 rebounds in her last nine games.UIC travels to Green Bay on Thursday -- a place it has never won. The Flames are 5-50 all-time against the Phoenix with their last win coming in the 2006 Horizon League Tournament.
VALPARAISO CRUSADERS (12-11 overall, 7-6 HL)Valparaiso made 13 three-pointers on Thursday at Loyola, which tied for the seventh most in program history. The Crusaders drilled 11-of-15 from beyond the arc in the first half and led by 29 at intermission.Sophomore Rashida Ray scored 11 points against Loyola. Eleven different Crusaders have now scored in double figures this year.Senior Agnieszka Kulaga has moved into a tie for 17th on the career scoring list at Valparaiso (876 points).Valparaiso begins its final homestand of the season on Tuesday and is home for four straight games -- Chicago State, Butler, Green Bay and Milwaukee.
WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS (10-14 overall, 6-7 HL)Wright State rallied from a seven-point deficit to tie the game at 45 with eight minutes to play on Thursday against Green Bay, but the Phoenix used a 17-6 run to win the contest by double figures.Sophomore Shey Peddy led WSU with 17 points against Green Bay, while classmate Ta-myra Davis added 14 off the bench.Wright State cut a 13-point deficit to two with 8:43 left on Saturday vs. Milwaukee, but the Panthers eventually pulled away for a six-point win.Junior Kanisha Ward led WSU with 14 points off the bench against Milwaukee.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS (2-21 overall, 0-12 HL)Youngstown State committed 13 turnovers in Saturday's first half at Cleveland State, but just four miscues in the second half. YSU has committed 17 or fewer turnovers in four of the last five games.Youngstown State has shot less than 30 percent in four of its last five contests and hasn't scored more than 51 points since Jan. 8.The Penguins are hoping that senior Nikita LaFleur (9.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg) will return to action this week after missing the past three games with an ankle injury.