On a two-game winning streak, the women's basketball team (16-8, 7-4) plays its final three league games on the road. Thursday the team battles in-state rival Utah (19-6, 8-2) at 7 p.m., in the Huntsman Center.
Teams: BYU (16-8, 7-4) vs.Utah (19-6, 8-2) Date: 02/24/05 Time: 7 p.m. Arena: Huntsman Center
Follow the women's basketball action live on BYU Radio
All of the women's basketball games can be heard live 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.PPGRPG
G14Julie Sullivan5-8Sr10.93.5
G30Mallary Gillespie 5-10Fr7.92.8
F32Kristin Kozlowski6-2Sr10.0 5.3
F35Melinda Johnsen5-10 So3.92.0
F51Danielle Cheesman6-2Sr8.68.5
Cougar Players Off The Bench
Pos.#Name Ht. Yr.PPGRPG
F33Ambrosia Anderson6-2 Jr10.7 5.1
C45Dani Kubik 6-3 So 7.94.2
F01Nancy Seljaas6-0 Jr4.12.0
C52Lauren Riley6-3 Fr2.31.9
F50Mary Martha Abell6-3 Fr2.01.8
G25Kali Taylor 5-11Sr2.71.4
G13Tiari Goold 5-10Fr0.81.0
G10Laura Stratton5-6 Jr0.50.5
2004-05 Team Stats --
4 Shooting from the field: (.436, 588-1350)
4 Shooting from the free-throw line: (.719, 289-402)
4 Shooting from three-point line: (.314, 109-347)
4 Average points per game: 65.6
Lineup Update
Starters: Record:
Seljaas, Sullivan, Kozlowski, Johnsen, Cheesman: 6-4
Sullivan, Anderson, Kozlowski, Johnsen, Cheesman: 2-1
Sullivan, Gillespie, Anderson, Kozlowski, Cheesman: 1-0
Goold, Sullivan, Kozlowski, Johnsen, Cheesman:2-1
Sullivan, Gillespie, Kozlowski, Johnsen, Cheesman: 5-2
Previous Game Recap
BYU's women's basketball team defeated the first-place team in the Mountain West Conference, the New Mexico Lobos, 55-46 Saturday in their final home game of the season thanks to a strong defensive effort. With the win, BYU stands at 16-8 overall and 7-4 in MWC play. The Cougars also improved to 12-3 at the Marriott Center. The Lobos are now 20-4 and 8-2.
The Cougars limited the Lobos to 32 percent shooting and had the edge on the boards at 43-39. BYU is now 14-4 when winning the battle on the boards.
The Cougars who also struggled from the field, hitting just 30 percent of their shots, made their free throws. BYU hit 19-of-23 for the game, including 15-of-19 in the second half.
Kristen Kozlowski, one of four seniors honored before the game, led BYU with 11 points and seven rebounds. Mallary Gillespie was second on the team with 10 points, five of which came on a three and a breakaway layup early in the second half that pushed the Cougar lead to six.
Danielle Cheesman and Julie Sullivan, two other players making their final appearance in the Marriott Center, made big contributions as well. Cheesman had a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points, two assists and two blocks. Sullivan hit 9-of-12 free throws, four coming in the closing minutes of the game to solidify the victory.
Dionne Marsh had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Lobos while Lindsey Arndt added nine points and nine rebounds.
The Cougars took control early in the game, jumping ahead 10-6 as all five starters scored. Ambrosia Anderson came off the bench to score five quick points to extend the lead to 15-9. New Mexico came back with a 10-0 run to take the 15-19 lead.
It would be the last time the Lobos would lead in the game as BYU went on a 9-2 run to close out the half with a 24-22 lead. The run included four Cheesman points and was capped by Kozlowski three. The Cougars are now 14-2 when leading at the half.
Kozlowski scored again to start the second half before Judy Vogt three cut the BYU lead to 26-25. Gillespie then went on her five-point run to increase the lead to six at 31-25. New Mexico would get no closer than four the rest of the way as the Cougars made their free throws and came up big defensively to seal the win.
About the Cougars
-- The Cougars current record: 16-8, 7-4
-- The team's leading scorer is senior point guard Julie Sullivan, who tallies 10.9 points.
--Senior forward Danielle Cheesman tops the list in the rebound category with 8.5 per game.
-- Cheesman notched her fifth double double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Utah game on 01/29/05. It was her 12th overall.
-- Cheesman joined BYU's elite 1,000 point club when she hit a three-point bucket just minutes into the Weber State game on 12/30/04. She becomes the 14th student-athlete who has reached that similar milestone during their BYU college career.
-- Anderson picked up her first double double of the 2004-05 campaign with the 20 points and 12 rebounds against SEMO on 12/10/04.
-- Freshman Mallary Gillespie put in seven three pointers in the game vs. Nevada on 11/24/04, that's two shy of BYU's all-time record holder in three pointers, Erin Thorn. Thorn tallied nine treys vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff at a tournament in Denver on 12/14/01.
BYU By The Numbers
48 rebounds grabbed in the AF game on 2/17/05, the most against an MWC opponent this season.
25 assists vs. UNLV on 2/05/05, the most vs. an MWC foe this year.
15 games where Julie Sullivan has scored in double figures.
14 steals in the game vs. AF on 2/17/05, the most against an MWC opponent this season.
13 games that senior forward Kristin Kozlowski has scored in double figures.
13 times that BYU has had at least three players scoring in double figures.
10 times that Ambrosia Anderson has scored in double figures.
8 season-high blocks by BYU in the game vs. Wyoming on 01/13/05
5 times that the Cougars have shot 50 percent or better from the field: vs. Colorado State on 01/15/05 (50.8, 31-61);
vs. Portland State on 01/08/05 (51.7, 31-60);
vs. USC on 12/18/04 (55.3, 26-47);
vs. GW on 12/06/04 (50.0, 27-54); and vs. SUU on 11/19/04 (52.6, 30-57).
1 time that BYU has shot 60 percent: vs. UNLV on 2/05/05 (60.4,32-53)
Player Injury Report/Updates
-- Nancy Seljaas is probable for the game at Utah this week. She broke i her foot at the UNM game on 1/20/05.
-- Kali Taylor is back in her off the bench role. She broke a finger in her left hand.
-- Junior forward Jennie Keele will get a medical redshirt for the rest of this season due to foot injury.
Cougars Picked Fifth in Preseason Media Poll
For the 2004-05 season, BYU's women's basketball team was picked to finish 5th in the regular MWC season.
Rk.Teams (1st votes)Points
1. UNLV (5) 134
2.New Mexico (8)131
Utah (7) 131
4. Colorado State 92
5.BYU 88
6. Wyoming 65
7.San Diego State 43
8.Air Force 28
Abell Gets MWC Newcomer of the Year Nomination in Preseason Media Poll
Mary Martha Abell, a 6-3 freshman forward from Monroe, Louisiana and Monroe High School was picked as the top newcomer in the media's preseason poll announced in Denver in October 2004.
Tracking the Cougars vs. MWC as of Feb. 21
Category Conference GamesAll Games
ScoringOffense3rdt, 63.0 3rd, 65.6
Scoring Defense3rd, 57.74th, 58.5
Scoring Margin3rd, +5.34th, +7.0
Field Goal Pct.2nd .4281st, .436
Free Throw Pct.4th, .7123rd, .719
3-Point Field Goal Pct.5th, .3016th, .314
Rebounding Offense1st, 40.12nd, 40.1
Rebounding Defense4th, 34.84th, 33.5
Blocked Shots2nd, 4.453rd, 3.33
Assists 3rd, 15.27 1st, 16.08
Steals 3rd, 7.915th, 8.13
Assist/Turnover Ratio 3rd, .874th, .86
3-Point Field Goals Made6th, 3.916th, 4.54
Offensive Rebounds3rd, 13.095th, 12.50
Defensive Rebounds1st, 27.001st, 27.58
Tracking BYU Players in the MWC as of Feb. 21
Name Category Conf. GamesAll Games
Sullivan, J.Scoring9th, 12.513th, 10.9
Anderson, A.Scoring16th, 9.514th, 10.7
Cheesman, D.Scoring19th, 8.822th, 8.8
Kozlowski, K.Scoring21st, 8.518th, 10.0
Kubik, D. Scoring25th, 7.6----
Gillespie, M.Scoring28tht, 7.025th, 7.9
Chessman, D.FG Pct.8th, .4719th, .466
Kozlowski, K.FG Pct.9th, .4632nd, .554
Anderson, A.FG Pct.11th, .42611th, .432
Cheesman, D.Rebounding4th, 7.63rd, 8.5
Kozlowski, K.Rebounding10th, 6.013th, 5.3
Anderson, A.Rebounding15th, 4.414th, 5.1
Kubik, D. Rebounding17tht, 4.3 ----
Sullivan, J.Assists4th, 3.82 5th, 3.96
Goold, T. Assists9th, 3.36 10th, 2.83
Sullivan, J.FT Pct.11th, .711 6th, .773
Kozlowski, K.FT Pct.----- 7th, .765
Gillespie, M.3-PF FG Pct.14th, .27913th, .348
Kubik, D. Blocked Shots5th, 1.00----
Cheesman, D.Blocked Shots7th, 0.73----
Sullivan, J.Blocked Shots13th, 06414th, 0.54
Anderson, A.Steals 12th, 1.55-----
Gillespie, M.3-PT FG Made13th, 1.095th, 1.63
Cheesman, D.Offensive Reb.1st, 3.36 3rd, 3.04
Kozlowski, K.Offensive Reb.8th, 2.3610th, 2.21
Cheesman, D.Defensive Reb.8th, 4.272nd, 5.42
Kozlowski, K.Defensive Reb.10th, 3.64----
Anderson, A.Defensive Reb.13th, 3.279th, 3.92
About University of Utah
The Utes are currently tied for first place with New Mexico with similar 8-2 league records. However, Utah's two conference losses have been to the Lobos. In the Huntsman Center, the Utes have compiled a 5-1 record in league games. Two players are scoring in double figures for Utah, led by junior Kim Smith who averages 17.0 points and team high 9.5 rebounds per game. She's followed by teammate Shona Thorburn who tallies 15.6 points and grabs 6.8 boards a game. The team is shooting 43 percent from the field, 72 percent at the free throw line and 37 percent when shooting from three-point range. After playing 25 games so far this season, the University of Utah is scoring 66.9 points per game and holding opponents to 54.8 points.
University of Utah Probable Starters
Pos.#Name Ht.Yr.PPGRPG
G32Lana Sitterud5-10Sr9.63.2
G10Shona Thorburn5-10Jr15.66.8
F04Kim Smith 6-1Jr17.09.5
F45Jessica Perry 6-3Fr5.53.7
C23Deanne Hanchett 6-3Fr7.04.2
Series Record: 30-51 in favor of the Utes
Last Meeting: These two instate and league foes have already met once this season. They played at the Marriott Center on Jan. 29, 2005 with Utah getting the 61-53 victory. When BYU plays at the Huntsman Center, the Cougars have a 7-35 record. BYU's last win in Salt Lake City was during the 2002 season, a 77-65 win for the Cougars.
Head Coach - Jeff Judkins
Overall Record: 74-42, begins his fourth season at BYU.
Under Coach Judkins, the team has gone to back-to-back NCAA appearances as well as to the title games of the MWC Championships, winning the title game in 2001-02.
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 (24), Jordan (22), Jenna (20), Jaime (17), Jaxson (14).
Judkins Record vs. MWC Schools
SchoolRecord In 2005
Air Force6-0 2-0
CSU 1-5 2-0
New Mexico2-6 1-1
San Diego State6-0 1-0
UNLV5-4 1-0
Utah3-4 0-1
Wyoming 5-2 0-2
2004-05 Cougar Roster Breakdown
Seniors (4):
Danielle Cheesman, Kristen Kozlowski, Julie Sullivan, Kali Taylor
Juniors (5):
Ambrosia Anderson, Julie Cross, Jennie Keele (Overdiek), Nancy Seljaas, Laura Stratton
Sophomore (3):
Dani Kubik, Tiari Goold,Melinda Johnsen
Freshman (4):
Mary Martha Abell, Mallary Gillespie, Lauren Riley, Summer Sykes
By Position
Forward (6):
Mary Martha Abell, Ambrosia Anderson, Danielle Cheesman, Kristen Kozlowski,
Summer Sykes
Guard (6):
Julie Cross, Mallary Gillespie, Tiari Goold, Laura Stratton, Julie Sullivan, Kali Taylor
Guard/Forward (3):
Melinda Johnsen, Jennie Keele, Nancy Seljaas
Center /Forward(2):
Dani Kubik, Lauren Riley
Team's Practice Schedule/Media Interviews
The BYU team practices at the Marriott Center from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., on Monday's, Wednesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's. On Tuesday's , practice time is from 1 to 3 p.m.
Media interviews with coach Judkins and players can be done prior to or at the end of practice. All interviews must be scheduled in advance with the women's basketball athletic communications director, Norma Collett at 801-422-4908, 801-372-0989 during regular business hours or via email at: collett@byucougars..com
No interviews will be given the day of a game until after the game. Updated information on the women's basketball team is available 24 hours a day on the BYU web site at www.byucougars.com/basketball_w/
Stats on the team are updated on the web site every Monday morning. Media members may contact Norma Collett to receive news releases and game notes via email.
All working media personnel will be put on a media gate list for entry into the arena. The list will be available by the elevators near the main ticket office in the Marriott Center. No other credentials are needed. Media will be assigned a seat on press row to cover each home game.
What's Next
The team travels to Las Vegas for its final two league games, at UNLV on Mar. 3, tip off 7 p.m., local time, 8 p.m. in Utah . They travel to San Diego to face the Aztecs on Sat., Mar. 5. in a 5 p.m. tip, 6 p.m., Utah time.
BYU will be in Denver for the 2005 MWC Championships from Mar. 8-12. All tournament games will be played at the Pepsi Center.