One On The Road, One At Home This Week

Riding a five-game winning streak, the BYU women's basketball team plays two games this week. The Cougars (5-0) are at UC Riverside (3-2) on Wed. Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. MDT and then host Northern Arizona (5-1) on Sat., Dec. 10 in a 2 p.m. tip off.

Teams:BYU(5-0) @ UCR (3-2) Date: 12/07/05 Time: 7 p.m. Arena: Student Recreation Ctr.

Teams:BYU(5-0) vs.NAU (5-1) Date: 12/10 /05 Time: 2 p.m. Arena: Marriott Center

Follow the women's basketball action live on BYU Radio

All of the women's basketball games can be heard on BYU radio via the internet at www.byuradio.org Veteran BYU broadcaster Jay Monsen calls the action. Fans can also access BYU Radio on the Dish Network.

BYU's Probable Starters

Pos. # Name Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

G 30 Mallary Gillespie 5-10 So 9.2 3.8

F 35 Melinda Johnsen 5-10 Jr 4.0 5.0

F 33 Ambrosia Anderson 6-2 Sr 21.6 10.0

C 45 Dani Kubik 6-3 Jr 12.2 6.8

G/F 15 Jennie Keele 5-10 Jr 3.2 3.8

Cougar Players Off The Bench

Pos. # Name Ht.Yr. PPG RPG

F 01 Nancy Seljaas 6-0 Sr 3.8 1.4

G 10 Laura Stratton 5-6 Sr 1.0 0.8

G 23 Brit Brown 5-7 So 0.7 0.3

G 24 Vanessa Hutson 5-8 Fr 3.8 2.0

G/F 32 Shawnee Slade 5-11 Fr 3.4 1.2

F 41 Brittany Faddis 6-0 Fr 1.3 0.7

C 52 Lauren Riley 6-3 So 6.0 6.4

2005-06 Team Stats --

-- Shooting from the field: (.422, 128-303)

-- Shooting from the free-throw line: (.624 , 63-101)

-- Shooting from three-point line: (.341, 31-91)

-- Average points per game: 70.0

Notables in 2005-06

-- Leading scorer: Ambrosia Anderson - 21.6 ppg

-- Leading rebounder: Ambrosia Anderson - 10.0 rpg

-- Assist leader: M. Gillespie and M.Johnsen - 3.2 per game

-- Blocks leader: A. Anderson and L. Riley - 3 to date (each)

-- Steals leader: Melinda Johnsen - 8 to date

-- BYU's 5-0 start ties the best beginning in BYU history. The only other time the Cougars started off with five wins was during the 2002-03 season.

-- Two Cougars have scored in double figures in four of the five games played so far this year.

Cougar Honors To Date

Ambrosia Anderson was named the M WC Player of the Week on Nov. 28, marking her first career honor.

Anderson led the Cougars to a 71-67 road victory over Pac-10 foe UCLA and a 72-39 routing of UC Santa Barbara.  She tallied a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds against the Bruins. In the home opener against UCSB, Anderson tallied 21 points and pulled down 12 boards, marking her first double-double of the season, and seventh overall.

Last Games

@ SETON HALL

Despite early foul trouble and sluggish first half, BYU (5-0) recovered to beat Seton Hall 54-50, in New Jersey.

The Cougars struggled to maintain composure early. For the first time this season, BYU was out rebounded 25-19 in the first half, while shooting only 39 percent from the field and 38 percent from the free throw line.

Dani Kubik, Lauren Riley and Mallary Gillespie each received two personal fouls within the first eight minutes of the game, putting Seton Hall in the bonus for most of the first half. By the end of the half, Riley had three fouls.

Despite its struggles, however, BYU went into the half with a five-point lead, 28-23. The game marked the fourth time this season the Cougars went into halftime with the lead.

The Pirates came out strong in the second half, immediately cutting the Cougar lead to one. The second half was full of lead changes, as neither team took a dominant lead.

With just over five minutes left in the game, Seton Hall went on an 8-0 run to put the Pirates up by one point. But BYU stepped up, hitting key free throws at the end of the game to earn the four-point victory.

Ambrosia Anderson posted 14 points, while Kubik netted 13 points. Anderson has led the team in scoring each game this season.

@ STONY BROOK

Led by senior Ambrosia Anderson, who posted her second double-double of the season, BYU (4-0) defeated Stony Book , 77-54.

Anderson posted 18 of her 22 points in the first half. Along with leading all scorers, Anderson also tallied eleven boards for the eighth double-double of her career.

The Cougars set the tone early in the first half, dominating the Seawolves on both ends of the court. Although BYU turned the ball over 11 times in the first half, they shot 45 percent from the field and out rebounded Stony Brook 31 to 20. BYU took an 18-point lead into the half, 35-17.

Second-half action produced more of the same for the Cougars, gaining their largest advantage with eight minutes left in the game, 61-32. BYU went on to finish with a 23-point victory.

Dani Kubik netted 11 points and added nine rebounds for the Cougars, while Lauren Riley and Nancy Seljass each picked up 10 points.

BYU shot 44 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line, while the Seawolves shot only 32 percent from the field and 54 percent from the line. The Cougars dominated the paint, earning a 38-14 point advantage.

Player Injury Report

Sophomore forward Mary Martha Abell, from Monroe, Louisiana suffered a torn ACL injury to her knee in the exhibition game against Westminster College on Nov. 1. She will use this season as an injury redshirt year.

Head Coach - Jeff Judkins

Overall Record: 82-46, in his fifth season at BYU.

An all-state selection in basketball, football and baseball, Judkins played basketball for the University of Utah Utah from 1974-78. While playing for the Utes, he helped the team win one conference championship and two berths in the NCAA Tournament.

He was a second-team academic All-American and three-time first-team District VII academic selection. Judkins earned three first-team All-WAC honors and was a member of the 1977 United States World Games team that captured the gold medal.

He played five years in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, Detroit Pistons and the Utah Jazz. He was a second-round pick by the Celtics in 1978, the same year the Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth pick overall.

After his NBA career, he returned to the U of U in 1989, and remained with the men's program for 10 years. Judkins, a Salt Lake City native, graduated from Utah in 1978 with a degree in health and physical education. He is a member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame and the Crimson Club Hall of Fame.

He and his wife Mary Kay, are the parents of five children: Jessica (25), Jordan (23), Jenna (21), Jaime (18), Jaxson (15).

This Week's Cougar Opponents

UC Riverside

UC Riverside has compiled a 3-2 record to date, picking up wins over San Diego State, the University of San Diego and St. Mary's College. Their two losses were to Pepperdine and NAU (the Cougars next opponent). The Highlanders have two players that are scoring in double figures with 6-1 forward Kemie Nkele's 15.6 point average. Nkele also tops the list in rebounds with 8.6 boards a game. Teammate Syram Gbewonyo follows with her 12.8 points and 5.8 boards per game. As a team, UCR is shooting 42 percent from the field, 68 percent at the free throw line and 26 percent from three point range. They are getting 62.2 points per game and allowing opponents 61.0 points per game. Head Coach John Margaritis is in his second season at the helm of the Highlanders program.

UC Riverside Probable Starters

Pos. # Name Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

F 11 Roney Friend 6-0 Fr 9.4 4.8

F 33 Kemie Nkele 6-1 So 15.6 8.6

F/C 31 Tainoisouti Lott 6-2 Fr 9.2 8.0

G 02 Seyram Gbewonyo 5-10 Fr 12.8 5.8

G 03 Vanessa Campillo 5-7 So 5.2 0.2

Series Record: 0-0

Last time: This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Northern Arizona University

The Lumberjacks come to Provo with a 5-1 record. The team's only loss to date was at UTEP on Nov. 20 a 49-68 defeat. NAU has gone on to win its next four straight games including a 71-62 victory against UC Riverside. The Lumberjacks are led in scoring by junior forward Megan Porter who is averaging 20.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Alyssa Wahl, a 6-2 junior forward center combo follows with 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Nicky Eason is the team's leading rebounder grabbing 7.5 boards a game. After six games NAU is shooting 41 percent from the field, 75 percent at the free throw line and 26 percent from behind the arc. The team is averaging 66.7 points per game and is holding opponents to just 59.5 points a game. The Lumberjacks are coached by Laurie Kelly who is in her fourth season with NAU.

Northern Arizona Probable Starters

Pos. # Name Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

F/G 31 Nicky Eason 5-9 Sr 9.5 7.5

F 42 Megan Porter 6-1 Jr 20.2 5.3

G 04 Sade Cunningham 5-4 Fr 8.2 1.5

G 13 Kim Winkfield 5-10 Jr 8.3 5.7

G 20 Natalie Metz 5-7 Jr 7.0 3.2

Series Record: 6-1. At the Marriott Center the Lumberjacks have a 1-3 record.

Last time: These two teams met last year in Flagstaff on January 8 where BYU picked up the slim six-point 58-52 victory.

Team Travel Plans

The Cougars depart for Riverside, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 6

Delta flight#3818, arriving at 3:55 p.m.

Hotel: Courtyard By Marriott, 1510 University Ave., Riverside, 951-276-1200, 951-787-6783, fax

BYU returns to Salt Lake City on Thurs., Dec. 8

Delta flight #3842, arriving at 10:47 a.m.

Up Next

BYU hosts UVSC on Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. and NC St., Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.