Last League Games On The Road

After a decisive 73-56 home win over TCU, the No. 16/18 Cougar women's basketball team improved to 22-3 and12-2 in conference games. BYU currently is all alone in first place going into the last week of games. The Cougars play at CSU (8-17, 2-12) Thurs. Mar. 2 and at New Mexico (20-7, 10-4) Sat. Mar. 4 at 2 p.m.

Teams:BYU(22-3, 12-2) @ CSU (8-17, 2-12) Date: 03/02/06 Time: 7 p.m. Arena: Moby

Teams:BYU(22-3, 12-2) @ UNM (20-7, 10-4) Date: 03/04/06 Time: 2 p.m. Arena: The Pit

Follow the women's basketball action 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.#NameHt.Yr.PPGRPG

G/F15Jennie Keele5-10Jr 4.33.5

G30Mallary Gillespie5-10So10.24.0

F35Melinda Johnsen5-10Jr4.44.3

F33Ambrosia Anderson6-2Sr18.87.4

C45Dani Kubik6-3Jr 9.86.0

Cougar Players Off The Bench

Pos.#NameHt.Yr.PPGRPG

F01Nancy Seljaas6-0Sr3.41.4

G10Laura Stratton5-6Sr1.30.5

G23Brit Brown5-7So0.50.3

G24Vanessa Hutson5-4Fr2.71.2

G/F32Shawnee Slade5-11Fr3.62.1

F41Brittany Faddis6-0Fr0.90.4

C52Lauren Riley6-3So6.25.8

C54Cassie King6-3Fr1.01.4

2005-06 Team Stats --

-- Shooting from the field: (.429, 619-1442)

-- Shooting from the free-throw line: (.627 , 256-408)

-- Shooting from three-point line: (.335, 151-451)

-- Average points per game: 65.8

Notables in 2005-06

-- Leading scorer: Ambrosia Anderson - 18.8 ppg

-- Leading rebounder: Ambrosia Anderson - 7.4 rpg

-- Assist leader: Melinda Johnsen- 3.68 apg

-- Blocks leader(s): L. Riley- 15 and A. Anderson - 14 to date

-- Steals leader: Melinda Johnsen - 48 to date, 1.92 spg

-- BYU continues its best record and start in school history. During the 2002-03 season they went 5-0 through the first five games before the team's first loss.

-- BYU has outrebounded its opponents in 16 of 23 games to date

BYU Team Gets Top 25 Ranking

For the first time since the 2002-03 season, BYU's women's basketball team and its 13-1 record breaks into this week's 01/16/06 AP Poll at the no. 23 spot, and also rank 23rd in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll. The team's last top 25 ranking came during the 2002-03 year when the Cougars had tallied a 5-1 record before losing at George Washington who was ranked 22nd, on 12/11/02. BYU also finished ranked 17th after its first-ever Sweet Sixteen finish in 2001-02.

For the week beginning Jan. 23, BYU jumped to the no.20 spot in both polls.

The week of Jan.30, the team is ranked 19th by both polls.

The week of Feb. 6, the Cougars are ranked 18th in both polls.

Feb. 13, BYU was ranked 19th by AP Poll, and stayed 18th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll.

Cougars dropped from no. 19 to no. 21 in the AP Poll on Feb. 20, 2006, but stayed at no. 18 in the Coaches Poll.

For the week of Feb. 27, the team is ranked 18th in the AP Poll and 16th in the USAToday/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll.

Anderson Joins 1,000-Point Club

After the 14 points scored by Ambrosia Anderson in the game at Wyoming on Jan. 18., she becomes one of only 18 players in BYU women's basketball history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark. As of Feb. 23, she has tallied, 1,181 total points in her four-year career.

Gillespie's Buzzer Beater Winning Basket Makes ESPN Highlights

Sophomore guard Mallary Gillespie's game-winning basket at Utah on 01/07/06 made that night's ESPN Sports Center list of the 10 best Plays of the Day. It also took the number seven spot on Chris Birman Plays of the Week on Sunday, Jan. 8.

Cougars By The Numbers

3 games where the Cougars have shot at least 50 percent: @ AF on 2/4/06, vs. UNLV 01/14/06 and vs. NAU, 50.8

4 games where four players have scored in double figures (@ Stony Brook, @ UC Riverside, and vs. TCU)

6 games in which the Cougar defense has held opponents to under 30 percent shooting from the field (vs. UCSB, @ Seton Hall, @ Weber State, @ Wyoming, vs. SDSU, vs. CSU)

8 games in which three players have scored in double figures

9 assists by Melinda Johnsen, the team's assist leader (vs. UNLV on 1/11/06)

11 longest winning streak of the 2005-06 season, ended on 2/8/06 with 52-70 loss to Utah in Provo

12 games in which A. Anderson has been the team's leading rebounder

12 games won by the Cougars on the road

12 career games where A. Anderson has picked up a double double

12 games in which two players have scored in double figures

14 rebounds grabbed by Dani Kubik, team's second leading rebounder (vs. SDSU on 1/21/06)

17 games where BYU has made at least five three-pointers

18 games where BYU has outrebounded opponents. They have won 16 of those 18 games (the two losses were vs NC State on 12/21/05 and vs. Utah on 2/08/06)

18 games won by BYU when leading at the half

24 games where Ambrosia Anderson has scored in double figures

26 season and career high points by Ambrosia Anderson (vs. NAU on 12/10/05)

34 biggest margin of victory, vs. NAU 82-48

42 most first half points scored, vs. CSU on 1/28/06

51 most rebounds against a league opponent this season

Cougar Honors To Date

Ambrosia Anderson was named the M WC Player of the Week on Nov. 28, 2005.

layer Injury Report

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

MWC PreSeason Poll

Cougars Picked To Finish 6th In PreSeason Poll

Rk. Team (1st-place votes) Points

1. Utah (23) 214

2. New Mexico (2) 180

3. TCU (1) 164

4. UNLV 137

5. Colorado State 117

6. BYU 107

7. Wyoming 90

8. San Diego State 45

9. Air Force 31

Last Game Recap

vs. TCU - Sat. Feb. 25, 2006, in Provo

In the last home game of the season the No. 18 Cougars (22-3, 12-2) defeated Texas Christian University 73-56 in the Marriott Center led by senior Ambrosia Anderson with 25 points.

Freshman Shawnee Slade earned career highs in points (10) and rebounds (9) and this was Anderson's 24th game to score in double digits.

In the seventh game this season the Cougar defense held their opponent to 30 percent or under shooting from the field, while BYU shot a game percentage of 44.4 percent from the field.

Leading scorers for BYU included Anderson (25), Mallary Gillespie with 12 and Lauren Riley and Slade with 10 points each. This was the fourth game in which four players have scored in double figures.

In the first half the Cougars pulled away with a 7-0 run started by a jumper from Gillespie. With a combination of TCU shooting only 26.7 percent in the first half and BYU controlling the defensive rebounds, the Cougars pulled away to a 13-point lead with Ambrosia Anderson draining 3-3, three-pointers.

Scoring in the first half was led by Anderson with 15 points, shooting 55.4 percent. Shawnee Slade and Lauren Riley came off the bench to each score six points in the first half. Starter Melinda Johnsen also had six points in the first half.

The crowd went wild as 5'10" forward, Johnsen blocked TCU's center first with 2:20 left in the first and then again in the second half with 13:00 left.

The first half concluded with Anderson making a jumper from in the paint at the buzzer.

In the second half, the Cougars came out strong and pulled away shooting 45.2 percent from the field. Offensive rebounds and fouls called, helped BYU score points almost every time they came down the court.

TCU gave BYU a run for their money with leading scorers Natasha Lacy (12) and Ashley Davis. Davis came off the bench scoring 22 points and making six three-point shots.

Head Coach - Jeff Judkins

Overall Record: 99-49

Jeff Judkins is in his fifth year as head coach after serving one year as the Director of Basketball Operations at BYU. He was also the scheduling coordinator. He has been involved in coaching for 16 years.

The longtime University of Utah coach and player came to Provo with a proven record of success dating back to his high school days at Highland High School in Salt Lake City. An all-state selection in basketball, football and baseball, Judkins went on to play for the University of Utah from 1974-78.

While playing at Utah, Judkins helped lead the Utes to one conference championship and two berths in the NCAA tournament. He was a second-team academic All-American and three-time District VII academic selection. He also earned three first team All-WAC honors and was a member of the 1977 United States World Games team that captured the gold medal.

Judkins also played five years in the National Basketball Association for the Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. He was a second-round pick of the Celtics in 1978, the same year the Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth pick overall. He made second-team all-rookie in 1979 with the Boston Celtics.

After his NBA career, he returned to Utah in 1989 and was an instrumental part of the program's success during his 10 years with the program, recruiting such players as Keith Van Horn, Andre Miller, Mike Doleac, Hanno Mottola, Alex Jensen, Trent Whiting, Garner Meads, Jeff Johnsen and Britton Johnsen.

Judkins, graduated from the University of Utah in 1978 with a degree in health and physical education. He and his wife Mary Kaye are the parents of five children: Jessica (25), Jordan (23), Jenna (21), Jaime (18), and Jaxson (15).

Nearing 100 Wins Mark

With the 73-56 win vs. TCU on Sat., Feb. 25, 2006, Head Coach Jeff Judkins has 99 total wins in his fifth season as head coach of BYU. He's just one victory away from reaching 100-wins coaching milestone.

Judkins Record vs. MWC School

SchoolRecordIn 2006

Air Force 8-01-0

New Mexico4-71-0

San Diego State8-02-0

UNLV7-42-0

Utah3-61-1

Wyoming5-41-1

TCU1-12-0

This Week's Cougar Opponents

Colorado State University

Coming into the final regular season of MWC action, Colorado State is in eighth place with a 2-12 and 8-17 record. The team's two league wins are against San Diego State. On the season, the Rams have compiled a 6-7 record at Moby Arena. Three players score in double figures with 15.3 from senior Melissa Dennett. She's followed by Vanessa Espinoza with 10.6 and Lindsay Thomas with 10.2 Dennett also tops the list in the rebound category, grabbing an average of 8.5 boards a game. CSU is shooting 42 percent from the field, 76 percent at the free-throw line and 37 percent from behind the arc. The Rams are averaging 65.7 points per game while opponents are scoring an average of 73.9 points a game.

Colorado State Probable Starters

Pos.#NameHt.Yr.PPGRPG

G20Molly Nohr5-11Jr8.64.4

F32Melissa Dennett6-2Sr15.38.5

C45Lindsay Thomas6-2Jr10.27.0

G04Sara Hunter5-6So9.43.2

G05Vanessa Espinoza5-3Sr10.62.5

Series Record: 41-22 in favor of the Cougars

At Moby Arena, BYU has a 12-14 record with their last win coming last year, a 59-47 victory.

Last time this season: Played in Provo on Jan. 28, 2006

In front of season-high 2,024 fans, No. 20 BYU defeated Colorado State in a 70-54 rout. The Cougars went on a 16-0 tear over four-minute period in the first half. Nancy Seljaas and Dani Kubik started off the streak with two three pointers, followed with buckets by Ambrosia Anderson, Kubik and Mallary Gillespie. Kubik hit two free throws, and Vanessa Hutson made a hard drive before Molly Nohr finally made a free throw, giving BYU a 20-point lead, 32-12. BYU went into the half with a 42-21 advantage, the most points the Cougars have scored in the first half this season, as well as the most points scored in a half during conference games.

Colorado State played BYU even most of the second half. The Rams scored the first four points of the half before the Cougars went on a 10-2 run, including back-to-back three pointers from Seljaas and Gillespie. BYU only outscored Colorado State by five points in the second half.

BYU Stats:

Most Points: Dani Kubik -- 15

Most Rebounds: Dani Kubik -- 8

Most Steals: Ambrosia Anderson -- 3

Team FG Percentage: 40.9% (27/66)

Team 3FG Percentage: 35.7% (10/28)

Team FT Percentage: 54.4% (6/11)

During last year's MWC regular season, BYU defeated the Rams twice, at home 74-54 and in Ft. Collins 59-47. The two teams then met in the quarterfinals of the league tournament where BYU recorded an 70-65 victory.

UNM

The no. 21ranked Lobos are 20-7, 10-4 on the year and are in third place in this week's MWC Standings. New Mexico's conference losses have been @ TCU, @ BYU, @ Utah and @ Wyoming. The Lobos were picked to finish second in the regular MWC season just below Utah. This week the team is at UNLV on Thursday before hosting UNM on Saturday afternoon. Three players continue to score in double figures with sophomore forward Dionne Marsh leading the way averaging 15.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She's joined by junior guard Katie Montgomery who is picking up 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. Senior guard Abbie Letz follows with 10.5 points and a team high 7.5 boards a game. UNM is shooting 41 percent from the field, 75 percent at the free throw line and 37 percent from behind the three-point line. The team averages 66.8 points and holds opponents to 57.4 points per game. At home, the Lobos are 7-0 in conference games.

UNM Probable Starters

Pos.#NameHt.Yr.PPGRPG

F33Dionne Marsh6-1So15.54.6

C24Jana Francis6-3Sr7.34.4

G05Abbie Letz6-1Sr10.57.5

G13Katie Montgomery5-10Jr11.14.7

G41Brandi Kimble5-8So7.54.1

Series Record: 36-19 favoring BYU

At The Pit, the Cougars have a 10-14 record. BYU's last victory in Albuquerque was a 79-72 win during the 2000-01 season.

Last time this season: Played in Provo, Utah on Feb. 2, 2006

Despite Ambrosia Anderson and Dani Kubik both fouling out for BYU, the team battled for the 60-55 over New Mexico.

The Cougars executed their game plan perfectly in the opening minutes, as 10 of the team's first 11 points came from the paint. UNM went scoreless the first six minutes of the half, finally getting on the scoreboard with a three pointer from Katie Montgomery.

The Cougars kept New Mexico's leading scorer, Dionne Marsh at bay for the first 10 minutes of the game, but Marsh found her stroke in the latter part of the half.Led by Marsh, the Lobos then went on an 8-0 run to end the half at 35-29.

The second half of action saw numerous lead changes. New Mexico started the second half off strong, going on a 6-3 run off two buckets apiece from Marsh and Brandi Kimble, closing the score to 38-37.

Both teams traded baskets for much of the second half until Anderson fouled with 7:20 left in the half. New Mexico responded with two quick baskets to take its first lead of the game, 52-50.

Kubik stepped up to the challenge and evened the score on the very next possession. On BYU next offensive possession, however, Kubik was called for an offensive foul on her way to the bucket, fouling out of the game with 3:27 remaining.

Riley got the call and scored on the Cougars' next possession and then sent a lob to Keele for a layup, giving BYU a four-point lead, 56-52.

New Mexico's Timi E-Nunu then converted the front end of a one-and-one, but it was not enough as Keele immediately came down and scored another layup to put the game away. BYU had three players score in double figures. Gillespie scored 14, Keele 12 and Johnsen 10, respectively.

BYU Stats:

Most Points: Mallary Gillespie -- 14

Most Rebounds: Gillespie and Melinda Johnsen -- 8

Most Steals: Lauren Riley -- 3

Team FG Percentage: 46.2% (24/52)

Team 3FG Percentage: 31.6% (6/19)

Team FT Percentage: 42.9% (6/14)

In last year's MWC regular season battle, the two teams split the series, each team winning on their home court. New Mexico won at The Pit 64-51 on Jan. 20 while BYU picked up the win at the Marriott Center 55-46.

Travel Itinerary

Depart -Wed. Mar. 1 on Delta flight#3806 at 4:52 p.m. , arrive in Denver at 6:20 p.m. Bus to Ft. Collins

Hotel in Ft. Collins - Marriott Ft. Collins, 350 E. Horsetooth Road, 970-226-5200, 970-282-0561, fax.

Depart - Fri. Mar. 3 on Frontier flight #337 at 11:55 a.m., arriving in Albuquerque at 1:05 p.m.

Hotel in Ambuquerque - Marriott Albuquerque, 2101 Louisiana Blvd., N.E., 505-881-6800, 505-888-2982 fax.

Practice Schedule -

Thurs., Mar. 2: 12 p.m., at Moby Arena

Fri. Mar. 3: 4 p.m., at The Pit

Sat., Mar. 4: 9 a.m., at The Pit

Team returns - Sun. Mar. 5 on Delta flight# 5 at 7:25 a.m., arriving in Salt Lake City at 9:03 a.m.

At Home Practice/Media Interviews

Schedule: MWF 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., Tues 1-3 p.m.TH 11-1 p.m. Any media requests for coach Jeff Judkins and players are to be set up in advance with a 24-hour notice. No interviews or granted on game-day until after that day's game. Media should contact Norma Collett via phone or email at: 801-422-4908 office or 801-372-0989 cell, or via email: norma_collett@byu.edu

Up Next

BYU travels to Denver for the MWC Women's Basketball Championships set for Mar. 7-11 at the Pepsi Center. The winner of the conference championship gets an automatic bid into this year's NCAA tournament.