SAN DIEGO -- The BYU women's basketball team missed a shot at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime as they lost 63-61 to San Diego State in its Mountain West Conference opener, Thursday night.
The Cougars could not hold onto a six-point halftime lead as the Aztecs outscored BYU 38-30 in the second half, due in part to an overwhelming San Diego State free-throw advantage. BYU shot only one free throw in the second half, while San Diego State made good on 17 of its 22 attempts. The Cougars struggled for the second game in a row to consistently score points in the second half as they had a six-minute span in which they struggled to score. BYU had 21 turnovers and many of those came at key moments down the stretch in the second half.
"We've got to take better care of the ball," head coach Trent Shippen said. "We had some key turnovers down the stretch that really hurt us."
Erin Thorn and Heather Cheesman led a balanced Cougar scoring attack, with 11 points each. Chanell Rose and Caroline Beus each chipped in nine points while guard Stacy Jensen had eight points and six assists on the night. BYU outrebounded San Diego State 37-29, but it was not enough to overcome a hot Aztec team, which is 4-1 at home this season.
"We've got to keep hanging in there," Shippen said. "We've been on the short end of these close games, but we need to take care of the ball and shoot better down the stretch."
The loss drops the Cougars to 8-6 (0-1) on the season, while San Diego State improves to 9-5 (1-0) on the year. BYU now travels to Las Vegas to play UNLV Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:35 p.m., Pacific time.
Two conference road games open the 2001 MWC season for the Cougar women who finished in second place last year. The two contests are at SDSU on Thursday, Jan. 11. The team is at UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 13.
Tip off: BYU vs SDSU is 7 p.m. (PT). Arena: Cox Arena
Tip off: BYU vs UNLV is 7:35 p.m. (PT) Arena: Thomas & Mack Center
BYU Probable Starters - 2000-01 stats
l 31 Lisa Osguthorpe - 6-0 Jr, F (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
l 44 Caroline Beus - 6-1 Sr, C/F (7.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
l 23 Chanell Rose - 6-0 So, F (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
l 11 Erin Thorn - 5-10 So, G (17.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
l 22 Stacy Jensen - 5-6 Jr, G (9.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
BYU Players Traveling - 2000-01 stats
l 04 Kaly G. Shippen - 5-6 Sr, G (4.9 ppg)
l 14 Julie Whetten - 5-8 Fr, G (4.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
l 50 Heather Cheesman - 6-1 Fr, F (9.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
l 24 Shauna Tuft - 6-0 Fr, F (walk-on, played one game)
l 45 Aspen Casper - 6-0 Jr, F (walk-on, played one game)
Quickie BYU Stats - 2000-01 Season
l Shooting from the field - .415 (310-747)
l Shooting from the free-throw line - .723 (167-231)
l Shooting from the three-point arc - .4004 (91-225)
l Averaged 67.5 points per game
Season Highlights To Date
TEAM
l Most points scored - 90 @ Washington State on 11/30/00
l Most field goals made - 32 @ Washington State on 11/30/00
l Most free-throws made - 22 vs Northern Iowa on 12/07/00
l Most three-pointers made - 12 vs SMU on 12/30/00
l Most rebounds made - 49 vs SMU on 12/30/00
l Most assists made - 22 vs SMU on12/30/00
l Most steals made - 14 @ Idaho State on 12/28/00
INDIVIDUAL
l Most points - Erin Thorn (36) @ Arizona 11/18/00
l Most field goals made - Erin Thorn (12) @ Arizona 11/18/00
l Most three-pointers made - Erin Thorn (8) @ Arizona 11/18/00
l Most free-throws made - Heather Cheesman (9) @ Gonzaga 12/02/00
l Most rebounds made - Heather Cheesman and Erin Thorn (9) @ Gonzaga 12/02/00
l Most assists made - Julie Whetten (7) vs UCLA 11/25/00/ and Erin Thorn (7) @ Idaho State on 12/28/00
l Most steals made - Erin Thorn (6) vs Northern Iowa on 12/07/00 and Stacy Jensen (6) vs Idaho State on 12/28/00
l Most blocked shots - Caroline Beus (2) @ Washington State 11/30/00
Cougars in National Stats
Individual -
Erin Thorn - ranked 8th in 3PT FG Made Per Game (41, 3.2)
Team -
BYU - ranked 13th in 3PT FG PCT (91-225, 40.4)
BYU - ranked 14th in 3PT FG Made Per Game (91, 7.0)
Last Game Recap
Although BYU enjoyed a comfortable lead most of the way in the game against Nebraska, a shooting slump with just under seven minutes to go in the game changed the momentum in favor of the Huskers who ended up with a three-point 56-53 victory. The Cougars shot a low 36 percent from the field and 46 percent at the free throw line. Junior guard Stacy Jensen led all scores with a season high 17 points, and four assists. Teammate Heather Cheesman came off the bench for her 11 points and a team high five rebounds. BYU suffered its fifth loss of the season, its second at home, although the team has not lost two straight games all year.
Scouting San Diego State
SDSU opens up conference play hosting BYU Thursday night. The Aztecs have compiled an 8-5 record and are 4-1 at home. Junior forward Tanisha Knight tops the leader board in scoring for San Diego State with an average of 12.8 ppg and a team leading 6.1 rpg. Other scoring threats include sophomore guard Jamey Cox who's picking up 9.8 points and is the team's assist leader with 56 total, an 4.3 average per game. The Aztecs are scoring 65 points a game and shooting 45 percent from the field and 65 percent at the line. They are holding teams to just 60 points a game.
San Diego State Probable Starters
#24 Nicolette McCartny - C/F 6-2, Fr (7.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
#40 Tanisha Knight - F 6-0, Jr (12.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
#55 Atim Otii - C 6-0, Jr (7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
#12 Claire Swinbank - G 5-8, Jr (8.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
#20 Jamey Cox - G 5-7, So (9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Series Record: 11-8 favoring the Cougars.
Last Meeting: In last year's home and away series, BYU picked up both wins an 84-58 victory at the Marriott Center and a 60-37 win at Cox Arena. The two teams also met at the inaugural MWC tournament in Las Vegas where the Cougars also grabbed a 78-37 win. BYU has won the last six games. The last time SDSU won was during the 1995-96 season when the Aztecs grabbed a 59-85 win in Provo.
Scouting UNLV
UNLV will host BYU on Saturday night after its first MWC game on Thursday against Utah. The Cougars and Utes were the only two teams that beat the Rebels in Las Vegas last year. UNLV is currently 10-2 on the year and 7-1 when playing at home. Their two losses have been at Arizona and against Cal State Northridge. Three Lady Rebels are in double digit scoring with conference players of the year, Linda Frohlich leading the way with 19.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg. Teammate Constance Jinks, a 5-7 sophomore guard is averaging 13.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg with freshman center Petra Glaser contributing 11.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg. The Lady Rebels are scoring 72 points a game, allowing opponents just 62.8 points per game. UNLV is shooting 46 percent from the field and 69 percent from the free-throw line.
UNLV State Probable Starters
#13 Linda Frohlich - F 6-2, Jr (19.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
#15 Petra Glaser - C 6-6, Fr (11.5 ppg,4.9 rpg)
#31 Brooke Ingalls - F 6-1, Sr (4.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
#03 Kinesha Davis - G 5-7, Jr (6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
#23 Constance Jinks - G 5-7, So (13.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Series Record: 8-4 favoring the visiting BYU team.
Last Meeting: The Cougar team won the two contests during last year's' MWC season with a 98-81 victory in Provo and an 84-75 win at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Coach Shippen vs MWC Opponents
vs SDSU: 5-0
vs UNLV: 4-0
vs Air Force: 4-0
vs CSU: 1-4
vs UNM: 3-5
vs Utah: 4-4
vs Wyoming: 3-1
Shippen Quotes
On BYU team: We had a tough loss against Nebraska last week which didn't help us in being energized and having confidence heading into the conference schedule. The good thing right now in our favor is that we haven't lost two straight games all year. We need to focus on each team and take it one game at a time. This year the conference is well balanced so every road win will be huge.
On SDSU: They are having a good season and are playing very well right now and have one the last five straight. Their team is very balanced and any number of players can step up a different times for them, they are a much deeper team then from years past. Tanisha Knight is playing really well for them right now.
On UNLV: They have probably one of their best teams in recent years and they didn't lose a single player last season, and just picked up a 6-6 freshman from Germany that is playing very well. Linda Frolich is the best player in our league right now. UNLV is a team on a roll with just two losses all year, and it's' extremely tough to play them at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Head Coach Trent Shippen
Trent Shippen enters his fourth season at the helm of BYU's women's basketball program. The 22 wins last year are a first for the Cougar program since the 1992-93 season when BYU finished with a 24-5, 13-1 record and made its last NCAA Championships appearance.
This is Shippen's first Division I coaching assignment. Shippen came to BYU after a three year stint as head coach at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. While at Ricks, he led his 1995 team to a fifth place finish in the NJCAA Tournament, and was voted Region 18 Coach of the Year. He was also the recipient of the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award at the 1995 NJCAA Tournament. He played college hoops at Ricks College and at Colorado State University. At Ricks he earned All-Region 18 Coach of the Year. He was also the recipient of the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award at the 1995 NJCAA Tournament. He played college hoops at Ricks College and at Colorado State University. At Ricks he earned All-Region 18 honors as a sophomore and was a member of the 1983-84 Viking team that placed sixth at the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
During his career at CSU he helped the Rams place third in the NIT Tournament in 1988, where Shippen set the Madison Square Garden single-game record with six three-pointers. The following year he helped CSU win the league title, advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, was selected Academic All-WAC, and averaged 7.6 points and 2.9 assists.
Shippen File
BYU
2000-01 8-5 RICKS COLLEGE
1999-00 22-8 1994-95 33-3
1998-99 16-13 1995-96 19-11
1997-98 15-14 1996-97 19-12
Totals 61-40 (.601) Totals 71-26 (.731)
Did You Know....Cougar Family Connections
Kaly Gillette Shippen (#04) is coach Shippen's sister-in-law. She married his younger brother Ty Shippen who walked on to this year's men's basketball team.
Chanell Rose (#23) is BYU's men's assistant basketball coach Dave Rose's daughter. She transferred from playing one year at neighboring Utah Valley State College.
As of Dec. 16, Utah transfer Trent Whiting became eligible to play on the men's team. His wife Amber who is a transfer from Weber State is part of the women's team. She'll be redshirting this season.
Cougars Travel Itinerary
For this week's MWC games, the Cougars will fly to San Diego via Delta, flight#1001 arriving at 12 noon on Wed. Jan. 10. The team will stay at the Marriott Harbor Marina Hotel, 333 West Harbor Drive, 619-234-1500, 619-234-8678 fax. On Friday, Jan. 12, BYU will depart from San Diego to Las Vegas on Southwest Airline, flight #794, arriving at 11:50 a.m. The Cougars will stay the Amerisuites, 4520 Paradise Road, 702-369-3366, 702-369-1689 fax. The team will return to Provo on Sun. Jan. 14 on Delta flight#1568 and arrive in Salt Lake City at 1:25 p.m.
Practices on the Road
Wed. Jan. 10 - 6:30-8:30 p.m., @ Cox Arena, SDSU campus (practice)
Thurs. Jan. 11 - noon-1p.m., @ Cox Arena, SDSU campus (shoot-around)
Fri. Jan. 12 - 5-7 p.m., @ South Gym, UNLV campus (practice)
Sat. Jan. 113 - noon-1p.m., @ Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV campus (shoo-around)
Ahead for the Cougars
The Cougars are at home next week hosting MWC foes Wyoming on Jan. 18 and CSU on Jan. 20. Both of those games will be live on KBYU-TV and on satellite if you have a Dish Network 500 system or have a Direct TV Plus dish.
