Tucson, AZ -- Erin Thorn's career-high 36 points kept BYU's women's basketball team in the game for almost the entire 40 minutes against Arizona, but the Cougars could not hold off the Wildcats in the final seconds, losing by just five points, 76-71 Saturday.

Thorn led all scores and she tied the school record for three-pointers with eight in the contest. The game was the season opener for both teams. BYU is now 0-1 on the year while Arizona is 1-0.

"Our girls played and battle hard throughout the game," said BYU head coach Trent Shippen. "We made some mistakes early in the game, but I'm proud of the way the girls battled to keep us in the game."

Free-throws were a big difference in the game with the Cougars getting 11 of 14 to the Wildcats 30 of 45. Caroline Beus and Chanell Rose both fouled out in the contest for BYU with Beus leading in the rebound category with eight. The Cougars shot 40 percent from the field and 85 percent from the line.

Four players scored in double figures for Arizona with Tysell Bozeman leading the way with 16 points and five rebounds. Veranda James was the leading rebounder for the Wildcats with 11. She also tallied 11 points in the game. Arizona shot 42 percent from the field and 62 percent from the free-throw line.

BYU opens its season at home next Saturday, with a 3 p.m. tip off against UCLA.

-BYU-

After two successful exhibition games, BYU's women's basketball team is set to open regular season play this Saturday with a game in Tucson against the University of Arizona. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. This will be the season opener for both teams.

BYU Probable Starters- 1999-2000 stats

l 31 Lisa Osguthorpe - 6-0 Jr, F (4.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

l 44 Caroline Beus - 6-1 Sr, C/F (2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg)

l 50 Heather Cheesman - 6-1 Fr, F(RS, Orem, UT/Mountain View HS)

l 11 Erin Thorn - 5-10 So, G (13.2 ppg, 3.5rpg)

l 22 Stacy Jensen - 5-6 Jr, G (8.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

BYU Players Off The Bench

l 04 Kaly Gillette Shippen - 5-6 Sr, G (Ricks College/SDSU)

l 14 Julie Whetten - 5-8 Fr, G (Silver City, New Mex)

l 15 Jorja Cox - 5-11 Sr, F (0.7 ppg, 0.6 rpg, played in nine games)

l 20 Brittany Larson - 6-0 So, F (0.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg, played in 10 games)

l 23 Chanell Rose - 6-0 So, F (transfer from UVSC - 10.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Cougars Injury Report

Jennifer Lietner will be out for about eight weeks with torn ligaments to her left foot injured during conditioning

Final BYU Stats - 1999-2000 Season

l Shooting from the field - .452 (778-1720)

l Shooting from the free-throw line - .709 (395-557)

l Shooting from the three-point arc - .366 (221-604)

l Averaged 70.1 points per game

Game available on the internet

Cougar fans can follow the BYU vs Arizona action on the internet this saturday on www.arizcats.com , click on the Arizona Game Radio link under features, then select the game.

Scouting Arizona

The Wildcats open their home season against the Cougars after hosting two exhibition games, both games Arizona easily defeated. Last year

they compiled a 25-7 overall record finishing in second place in the Pac-10, 13-5. This year's team boasts eight letterwinners and only one senior, guard Resha Briston.

Arizona Probable Starters - 1999-2000 Stats

#22 Veranda James - F 6-3, Fr (Pomona, CA)

#35 Krista Warren - F/G 6-2, So (3.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.5 apg)

#45 Elizabeth Pickney - F 6-4, Jr (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

#10 Reshea Briston - G 5-10, Sr (8.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.1 apg)

#33 Tysell Bozeman - G 5-8, Jr (2.9 ppg, 1.1. rpg, 0.4 apg)

Series Record

BYU leads the series 5-2, although the teams have not played each other since the 1978-79 season.

Last Meeting

The Cougars and Wildcats last meeting took place in Tucson where BYU left McKale Center with a very close 89-86 victory.

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.

Media Picks Cougars To Finish 3rd In MWC

In early October the Mountain West Conference held its annual basketball media day where the BYU women were picked to finish league play in third place by the media and fifth place by the coaches.

Preseason Media Poll

Rk. School (1st place votes) PTS

1. Utah (10) 136

2. Colorado State (5) 125

3. BYU (2) 110

4. UNLV (1) 105

5. New Mexico 86

6. Wyoming 53

7. San Diego State 50

8. Air Force 19

Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. Utah (7) 56

2. Colorado State (1) 47

3. New Mexico 43

4. UNLV 39

5. BYU 35

6. Wyoming 25

7. San Diego State 21

8. Air Force 14

Thorn Headlines Pre-Season All-Conference Team

Sophomore guard, Erin Thorn from Orem, Utah was named to the preseason All-Conference Team by the media and coaches. Teammate Julie Whetten was voted as the preseason Top Newcomer by the media.

Head Coach Trent Shippen

Trent Shippen enters his fourth season at the helm of BYU's women's basketball program. The 22 wins this 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 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 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 53-35 (.602) Totals 71-26 (.731)

Coach Trent Shippen Quotes

(On the Cougars) We're excited to start our season and anxious to find out where we are and make whatever adjustments are necessary. We're a very young team, especially in the post area and we're still learning our system.

(On Arizona) They are a very good team with one of the top coaches in the country who had a very successful season last year and in the past. They're going to be very competitive, are big and athletic as well as very good in transition. One of the biggest keys for us in this game will be to play good defense and rebounding game.

BYU Travel Plans/Practices while in Tucson

The Cougars will depart for Tucson on Friday, Nov. 17, on America West flight #2162 at 7:54 a.m. arriving in Tucson at 10:45 a.m. While in Tucson, BYU will be staying at the Fairfield Inn,

4850 South Hotel Drive, 520-747-7474, 520-747-5468 fax.

The team departs Tucson, Saturday, Nov. 18, on America West flight #2444 at 7:56 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake City at 12:00 a.m. The team's practice schedule is as follows:

Friday, Nov. 17 - @ McKale Arena (12p.m. - 2p.m.)

Saturday, Nov. 18 - Shoot Around @ McKale Arena (9a.m. - 10 a.m.)

Ahead for the Cougars

BYU opens its home season during the Thanksgiving holiday, hosting UCLA on Sat., Nov. 25, at 3 p.m. The game is a double header with the Cougars men's team, who will follow the women in a 7 p.m. game against UCSB.