MWC Action Begins On The Road

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.