This Week In Warrior Athletics

January 16, 2007

EVENTS: 

Women’s and men’s basketball doubleheaders: vs. University of Montana-Western, Thursday, Jan. 18, women at 6 p.m., men at 8 p.m., LCSC Activity Center; vs. Montana Tech, Saturday, Jan. 20, women at 6 p.m., men at 8 p.m., LCSC Activity Center.

Tennis – 19th annual LCSC Tennis Marathon, Saturday, LCSC Tennis Center.

Cross Country – Men’s and women’s teams to be honored at halftime of men’s basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 20, at approximately 8:30 p.m. 

Women’s basketball: 

A showdown for first place in the Frontier Conference standings awaits the Warriors on Thursday night against Montana-Western in a battle of the lone undefeated – and two similar – teams in the conference.

Although both teams could climb in this week’s NAIA poll, last week’s rankings had LCSC at No. 4 in the country, while Montana-Western is No. 6.

Both teams are 3-0 in the conference and Montana-Western is 18-1 overall and riding a three-game win streak. LCSC is 17-1 and has won its last nine. Montana-Western’s only loss was to Xavier of Louisiana 45-44. Xaiver was ranked No. 23 in the NAIA last week with a 10-5 record. LCSC’s only loss was to Seattle Pacific, an NCAA Division II school, 81-64.

The two teams have several common opponents and of their three conference games, each team has had only one decided by less than 10 points.

Both teams are led by solid inside play by senior duos. Katherine Sunwall and Becky O’Neil, both 6-foot-1, pace the Bulldogs with averages of 16.3 and 14.8 in scoring and 9.7 and 8.6 in rebounding, respectively. Sunwall leads the NAIA in blocks, averaging 3.5 per game. Meagan Schmitz, a 5-6 senior, is third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game.

LCSC has its own inside tandem with 6-3 Ashley Baker and 6-0 Aundrea Morrison. Baker is averaging team highs of 15.7 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, while Morrison is at 15.6 and 5.6, respectively. Senior guard Janeen Nelson also is in double figures at 11.4 points per game.

As a team, Montana-Western leads the NAIA in blocks at 6.3 per game and ranks seventh in both scoring defense (allowing 54.4 points per game) and field goal percentage (47.2 percent). LCSC ranks in the top five in the NAIA in scoring, scoring margin, rebounding margin, and assist-to-turnover ratio.

On Saturday, the Warriors entertain Montana Tech, which might be the most improved team in the conference this year. Tech is 1-2 in league play, but stands 13-4 overall.

A key for Tech’s turnaround this year has been its outside shooting. The team ranks No. 13 in the country with an average of 7.4 3-pointers per game and is shooting 36.5 percent from the arc. Sisters Rebecca Gimeno and Angela Gimeno lead the team in scoring at 14.9 and 13.1 points, respectively, and both have made 27 3-pointers this season. Tech has eight players who have attempted at least 15 3-pointers this season. 

Frontier Conference standings – Montana-Western 3-0, 18-1; LCSC 3-0, 17-1; Carroll 3-1, 19-1; Montana State-Northern 2-2, 14-5; Montana Tech 1-2, 13-4; Westminster 1-2, 13-6; Rocky Mountain 1-3, 7-13; Great Falls 0-4, 2-15. 

Men’s basketball: 

The hottest team in the Frontier Conference looks to keep rolling this week when the Warriors play host to Montana-Western and Montana Tech.

LCSC has won eight straight and is one of two teams still undefeated in conference and just one of three with a winning conference record. The Warriors, at 3-0 in league and 14-4 overall, trail only Carroll, 4-0 and 14-5 in the conference standings.

Montana-Western enters Thursday’s contest at 0-3 in the conference and 6-10 overall, while Montana Tech is the third team with a winning record at 2-1, and is 7-9 overall.

The Warriors are ranked No. 25 in the NAIA and rank in the top 10 in a number of statistical categories, especially on defense. LCSC is No. 3 in the country in points allowed, giving up only 58.3 per game, and stands fourth in turnover margin, forcing 6.8 more than committing per game. The Warriors also are No. 5 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.2 percent), seventh in overall field goal percentage defense (39.3 percent), eighth in scoring margin at 20.9 points per game, and 10^th in 3-point shooting at 40.3 percent.

Junior center Mike Gordy leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game, while senior guard Teran Lee is at 13.8 points. Senior forward Chris Pitts is the team’s leading rebounder at 5.6 per game, while Gordy is at 5.3.

Gordy also ranks ninth in the country in field goal percentage at 62.2 percent, while Lee is 16^th in free-throw percentage at 85.1. Robert Comer is 18^th in 3-point shooting at 46.2 percent.

Montana-Western enters Thursday’s contest fourth in the country in 3-pointers with an average of just less than 10 a game. The Bulldogs are also 10^th in the country in scoring at 87.1 points and 13^th in 3-point shooting at 40.1 percent.

Tyler Palmer is the top outside threat and leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.5 points per game. Aaron Sims is averaging a team-best 6.8 rebounds a game and is shooting 58 percent from the field.

On Saturday, The Warriors defense will be challenged by Montana Tech, which is averaging better than 8 3-pointers a game. The team is shooting nearly 40 percent from the 3-point line and nearly 48 percent from the field. Guard Shea Bradshaw, a 6-2 junior guard, is the top deep threat, shooting 47.7 percent from the 3-point line and averaging better than 3 3-pointers a game. He leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game.

Teammate Jake Williams, a 6-6 junior forward, paces the team in almost every other category as he leads the team in rebounding, steals, assists and blocked shots. 

Frontier Conference standings – Carroll 4-0, 14-5; LCSC 3-0, 14-4; Montana Tech 2-1, 7-9; Montana State-Northern 2-2, 12-7; Rocky Mountain 2-2, 12-8; Westminster 1-2, 9-9; Montana-Western 0-3, 6-10; Great Falls 0-4, 11-9. 

Tennis:

The 19^th annual LCSC Tennis Marathon fundraising even will take place Saturday at the LCSC Tennis Center.

The even is open to anyone to come and trade forehands and backhands with team members and have photos taken with the players. The goal is to occupy all four indoor courts with 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Players can sign up for any amount of time they like, but are asked to register ahead of time.

Because it is a fundraiser for the LCSC tennis program, donations will be accepted.

For more information on the event, call the LCSC Tennis Center at 792-2309 or visit the Web site http://www.lcsc.edu/tennis/marathon/2007/Tennis%20%20marathon%20signups.htm 

Cross country: 

The 2006 Warrior men’s and women’s cross country teams will be honored during halftime of the men’s basketball game on Jan. 20 at the LCSC Activity Center.

Both teams qualified for nationals and were ranked in the NAIA polls. Both will be honored for their achievements during the season and the athletes will be introduced to the crowd in attendance.