081112 WBK Game Notes.Indd
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UC Riverside Women’s Basketball Game Notes Vol. 8, No. 1 2008-09 Women’s Basketball Schedule Game 1, Away Game 1 UC Riverside (0-0) at #4 Oklahoma (0-0) Date Opponent Time/Result November Saturday, Nov. 15, 12:00 pm Saturday 15 @ Oklahoma (Preseason NIT) 12:00 pm Live Coverage - http://www.soonersports.com 16-19 @ Preseason WNIT Round 2 TBD 19-21 @ Preseason WNIT Semifinals TBD Series Record 0-0 Sunday 23 @ Preseason WNIT Finals TBD First Meeting Friday 28 N N. Dakota (N. Arizona Classic) 3:05 pm Saturday 29 N Bradley (N. Arizona Classic) 1:05 pm December PARIS BOUND Thursday 4 @ San Diego State 7:00 pm The UC Riverside Highlanders travel to #4 Okla- Saturday 6 Vanderbilt 4:00 pm Sunday 14 @ Arizona State 5:30 pm homa in the first round of the preseason WNIT on Wednesday 17 @ Arizona 6:00 pm Saturday. Not only do they face off against the Big 12 Sunday 21 @ Nevada 2:00 pm Conference preseason favorite, they also have to con- Sunday 28 @ UNLV 2:00 pm Tuesday 30 Yale 7:00 pm tend with the Paris twins, Courtney and Ashley, who combined for close to 20 different awards last season January alone. Courtney was also named the 2007 AP National Friday 2 @ Cal Poly TBA Sunday 4 @ UC Santa Barbara 2:00 pm Player of the Year and currently holds the NCAA record Thursday 8 UC Davis 7:00 pm for most consecutive career double-doubles for active Saturday 10 Pacific 5:00 pm players: 92 Wednesday 14 @ Cal State Northridge 7:00 pm Saturday 24 Long Beach State 5:00 pm Thursday 29 UC Irvine 5:30 pm Saturday 31 Cal State Fullerton 5:00 pm February 2007-08 Women’s Basketball Thursday 5 @ Pacific 7:00 pm Big West Standings Saturday 7 @ UC Davis 7:00 pm Wednesday 11 CSU Bakersfield 5:30 pm Saturday 14 Cal State Northridge 5:00 pm Friday 20 @ Long Beach State 7:00 pm Big West Games All Games Thursday 26 @ Cal State Fullerton 7:00 pm W L Pct. W L Pct. Home Away Neutral Saturday 28 @ UC Irvine 4:00 pm UC Santa Barbara 15 1 .938 23 7 .767 10-3 10-4 3-0 UC Davis 12 4 .750 19 12 .613 9-3 7-8 3-1 March Thursday 5 UC Santa Barbara 7:00 pm UC Riverside 10 6 .625 14 16 .467 6-7 6-7 2-2 Saturday 7 Cal Poly 5:00 pm Pacific 9 7 .563 14 16 .467 9-6 5-9 0-1 Wed-Sat 11-14 @ Big West Women’s Cal Poly 8 8 .500 13 19 .406 6-9 5-9 2-1 Basketball Tourn. TBD Cal State Fullerton 8 8 .500 11 19 .367 6-6 4-12 1-1 Long Beach State 7 9 .438 9 20 .310 4-10 5-9 0-1 All times Pacific UC Irvine 3 13 .188 7 24 .226 4-11 3-11 0-2 Cal State Northridge 0 16 .000 1 26 .037 0-13 1-13 0-0 2008-09 Women’s Basketball 2008-09 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll Preseason Media Poll No. School Pts. No. School Pts. 1. UC Riverside (5) 60 1. UC Riverside (4) 89 2. UC Santa Barbara (2) 55 T2. UC Santa Barbara (2) 83 3. UC Davis (2) 47 T2. UC Davis (2) 83 4. Pacific 44 4. Cal State Fullerton 56 5. Cal Poly 35 5. Long Beach State 51 6. Cal State Fullerton 34 6. Pacific 49 7. Long Beach State 25 7. Cal Poly 42 8. UC Irvine 14 8. UC Irvine 21 9. Cal State Northridge 109. 9. Cal State Northridge 16 ( ) First-place votes ( ) First-place votes www.athletics.ucr.edu/wbasketball/wbkfront.html Vol. 8, No. 1 UC Riverside Women’s Basketball Quick Facts University Information Team Information Full Name ........ University of California, Riverside Head Coach .................................John Margaritis Preferred Abbreviations ........ UC Riverside, UCR Alma Mater ................ Northeastern Illinois (1982) ........... not Cal-Riverside, no hyphens or commas Record at UCR (Years) .................67-55 (4 years) Nickname ......................................... Highlanders Career Record ....................... 177-135 (10 years) Location .......................................... Riverside, CA Assistant Coaches .......................... Jody Hensen, Founded ...................................................... 1954 ..............................Jason Flowers, Lindsey Foster Enrollment ................................................ 17,200 2007 Overall Record ................................... 14-16 Colors ............................................ Blue and Gold 2007 Conference Record ...............10-6 (3rd of 9) Chancellor ................................. Timothy P. White Postseason ..................... 1-1 in BWC Tournament Vice Chancellor / Administration ............... Al Diaz Starters Returning / Lost ................................. 6/1 Director of Athletics ....................... Stan Morrison Letter Winners Returning / Lost ......................11/4 Exec. Associate AD / SWA ............... Janet Lucas Arena ............. Student Recreation Center (3,200) NCAA Afiliation ...................................... Division I Conference ............................................ Big West www.gohighlanders.com Team Physicians ......................Drs. Aaron Rubin, ..........................Robert Huggins, Gregory Heinen Asst. Athletic Trainers ...................Mark Espinosa, ..........................Ryan Giangregorio, Jessika Hunt www.athletics.ucr.edu/wbasketball/wbkfront.html Vol. 8, No. 1 JOHN MARGARITIS Head Women’s Basketball Coach Head Coach John Margaritis has taken UC Riverside wom- streak, both Division I records. The Highlanders finished the year en’s basketball to never-before-seen heights in his four seasons by establishing new single-season records for lowest opponent in Riverside. Margaritis continues to rewrite the UCR record scoring average(59.0 ppg), most blocks (185), and most three- books averaging 16.8 wins per season; making two NCAA Tour- pointers (176). nament appearances; and winning two Big West Tournament In 2004-05, Margaritis was named the seventh women’s basket- titles, one Big West Conference regular season title, and one Big ball head coach in UCR history and just the second at the Division West Coach of the Year award in his short tenure. I level. He inherited a team that had been 7-21 the year before and The Highlanders entered the 2007-08 season coming off their led them to a 16-13 record, the program’s first winning season since second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Facing one of 2001-02. The Highlanders advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, UCR lost West Tournament by winning their first tournament game since to #12 California and #18 Auburn, as well as a 93-90 overtime 2001-02. loss at South Dakota State. UC Riverside got their first win of The 2004-05 squad also set school single-season records for the season in an overtime thriller with Gonzaga and went on lowest defensive point average (60.2 ppg) and blocked shots (184). the beat UNLV for a two-game winstreak. Nine games into UCR lost four starters from that squad so Margaritis brought in the season, 2006-07 Big West Conference Player of the Year seven new players in 2005-06. After a slow start, the Highlanders Kemi Nkele went down with an injury and would be out for the won nine straight games late in the season, including three at the remainder of the season as UCR went on to lose to Kansas and Big West Tournament, upsetting 10-time defending champion UC UCLA. Santa Barbara 59-58 in the championship game. As the #4 seed, UCR got back on track once conference play started, winning UCR became the lowest seeded team to ever win the Big West title 10 games including a six-game win streak. Down the stretch, and just the second women’s team in UCR history to appear in the though, the Highlanders again struggled and lost their four NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. remaining conference games before charging back and beating With the nation’s third-youngest roster, Riverside made its first Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinals of the Big West Tourna- NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level. Seeded 16th ment. Seeking a return to the Big West Tourament Champion- in the Cleveland Regional, the Highlanders were paired with nation- ship game for the third straight year, UCR faced off against UC al #1 North Carolina in the first round in Nashville, TN. Making its Davis in the semifinals, only to fall to the Aggies. UC Riverside first appearance on the national stage and with a national television finished the season with a 14-16 overall record and a third place audience on ESPN2, the Highlanders were valiant in their debut, 10-6 Big West Conference finish. battling the Tar Heels but eventually falling 75-51. The 2006-07 season was something special for UCR. Having Prior to joining UCR, Margaritis spent the lost just two players from its 2006 NCAA Tournament squad previous eight years at Northern Arizona, and returning all five starters, UCR opened with three straight where he served as the Lumberjacks’ as- losses but quickly turned its fortunes around with non-confer- sociate head coach from 2001-04. He also ence victories over Wisconsin, Nevada, and Pepperdine. The was an assistant coach at the University of Highlanders entered Big West play with a 6-6 record, then ran Nevada in the mid-1980s. From 1989-93 off a 12-2 conference mark to claim the program’s first regular Margaritis spent time as an assistant under season title. In doing so, Margaritis earned the 2007 Big West legendary head coach, Bob Spencer at Fresno Coach of the Year Award. State. Margaritis is no stranger to the Inland The Highlanders were the top seed in the 2007 Big West Empire, however, having spent 1993-97 at Cal Tournament, receiving a bye until the semifinals. UCR defeated State San Bernardino. After two years as Long Beach State to set up a rematch of the 2006 title game the Coyotes’ assistant, Margaritis was against UC Santa Barbara.