705216 089-104.qxd:Season in Review 11/7/07 1:21 PM Page 89 705216 089-104.qxd:Season in Review 11/7/07 1:21 PM Page 90 G O P H E R W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L 2 0 0 6 - 0 7 S E A S O N R E C A P 2006-07 SEASON REVIEW GOPHERS POST WINNING RECORD IN 2006-07 court at some very crucial moments during the year, a fifth- much more rare. The last time the Gophers marked double- Minnesota began the 2006-07 season documented to be place finish is a respectable one. doubles, one with points/rebounds and another with the second-youngest team in all of NCAA Division I points/assists, in the same game was during Minnesota’s women’s basketball. Despite just one senior and seven ROYSLAND FINISHES 12TH ALL-TIME SCORERS’ LIST magical run to the Final Four in 2004. In the Gophers’ freshmen on the roster, the Golden Gophers surprised Kelly Roysland completed her Golden Gopher career with Mideast Region semifinal win over Boston College, Janel most, exceeding the expectations of many, posting a record 1,074 career points. Roysland was the 17th to surpass the McCarville dominated with an impressive double-double of of 17-16 overall and tying for fifth place in the Big Ten 1,000-points milestone and finished in 12th place. 25 points and 15 rebounds. Lindsay Whalen collected the Conference with a 7-9 mark. Realistically, Minnesota found guard double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. itself a couple wins short of NCAA Tournament contention. GOLDEN GOPHERS NET HIGHEST SCORING OUTPUT The Gophers accepted a WNIT bid and advanced to the SINCE 2002 FOX FINISHED TIED FOR SEVENTH ON SINGLE- second round. The Gophers’ 97 points scored against Illinois-Chicago is SEASON ASSIST LIST the most by a Minnesota squad since a school-record 116 Sophomore Emily Fox finished the season with 131 assists THE BIG TEN IN POSTSEASON PLAY point outburst on Nov. 23, 2002 versus IPFW. The last time to tie for the seventh place on the single-season list for A total of seven Big Ten Conference teams advanced to the the Gophers scored in the 90s was on March 21, 2004 in a assists. She was the first player to hit 100 assists as a postseason. Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State in the 92-81 NCAA Tournament victory over UCLA. sophomore since Lindsay Whalen accomplished the feat NCAA Tournament, and Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois and with 159 in 2001-02. Wisconsin were WNIT participants. Purdue earned the Big WNIT WIN PROVIDED PLENTY OF POSITIVE STATS Ten’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament after Five Gophers scored in double figures in the WNIT victory MCCOY THE FIRST FRESHMAN WITH 100 ASSISTS capturing the Conference Tournament crown. Illinois over Illinois-Chicago. Joining Emily Fox (19 points), was Brittany McCoy dished out 105 on the season becoming the received the automatic qualifier to the WNIT. Ashley Ellis-Milan with 15, Korinne Campbell with 14, Kelly first freshman in school history to surpass the 100-assist Roysland with 13 and Katie Ohm with 11. The scoring per- mark in a rookie season. McCoy was also the second GOPHERS FINISH IN TIE FOR FIFTH IN BIG TEN formance by Campbell and Ohm marks the first game this Gopher in the 2006-07 season to reach the 100-assist The Golden Gophers finished the Big Ten campaign in a season that the Gophers had two players off the bench mark. McCoy and Emily Fox (131 assists) are the second three-way tie for fifth-place with Penn State and Wisconsin score in double digits. Overall, Minnesota has had five play- duo in school history to accomplish this since April Calhoun with records of 7-9. Ohio State captured the regular-season ers in double figures in four games in 2006-07.. (121) and Janel McCarville (119) did it in the 2004-2005 crown, while Purdue won the BIg Ten Tournament title. Fox and Campbell added the 10th and 11th double-dou- season. ble performances of the season. Fox garnered her second GOPHERS STILL OUT-PLAYED THE PREDICTIONS points/assists double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. TWO ROOKIES SURPASS CENTURY MARK ON THE Way back in October, the Big Ten coaches predicted Campbell collected her third points/rebounds double-dou- OFFENSIVE GLASS Minnesota would finish in eighth place in the Conference ble of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds. In 30-plus years of Minnesota women’s basketball history standings. A poll of Big Ten media was even worse, pegging The game was the second time that a two Gophers gath- prior to 2006-07, only four players had collected over 100 the Gophers to finish ninth. For a squad that has often ered double-doubles in the same contest for the year. offensive rebounds in a season, led by Angie Iverson’s 143 found itself with four freshmen and a sophomore on the Having two different kinds of double-doubles, however, is in 1996-97. In 2006-07, the Golden Gophers have not only Brittany McCoy Kelly Roysland Leslie Knight 9 0 M I N N E S O T A B A S K E T B A L L 2 0 0 7 - 0 8 705216 089-104.qxd:Season in Review 11/7/07 1:21 PM Page 91 G O P H E R W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L 2 0 0 6 - 0 7 S E A S O N R E C A P Korinne Campbell Emily Fox Ashley Ellis-Milan one but two players, amazingly both freshmen, who sur- averaging 14.5 points per game. She finished among the GOPHERS’ FRESHMEN STARTERS AMONG THE LIST passed the century mark of offensive boards in the same top 10 in several Big Ten statistical categories, including OF TOP ROOKIE SCORERS season. The duo added to the feat by grabbing their 100th scoring (10th), assists (3.88 apg. – 5th), steals (2.31 spg. – The Gophers had two freshmen move on to the list of top offensive rebound in the same game (Illinois-Chicago). 5th) and free throw percentage (.848 – 10th). rookie scorers in Minnesota women’s basketball history. It Ashley Ellis-Milan and Korinne Campbell both finished with Roysland was accorded All-Big Ten Third Team acclaim should be noted that the number of games played vary 105 offensive rebounds to tie for third in the Big Ten. by the Conference media and honorable mention status by greatly among the players on this list. The list is based on Overall, Minnesota was the top offensive rebounding team the coaches, despite missing four games due to a broken points scored, not scoring average. in the Conference, averaging 16.73 offensive rebounds a collarbone in the second half of the league season. game. Roysland topped the Gophers in scoring for the season at Freshman Player / Year Pts Gms Avg 13.2 points per game. Prior to the injury, Roysland was 1. Linda Roberts (1977-78) 475 33 14.4 ppg. THE FRESHMAN FACTOR ranked among the top 10 scorers in the Big Ten. Roysland, 2. Laura Coenen (1981-82) 456 28 16.3 ppg. Minnesota’s freshmen logged 54 percent of the minutes the Gophers’ team captain and lone senior, became the 3. Laura Gardner (1978-79) 453 32 14.1 ppg. played, as well as tallied 48 percent of the points scored this 17th Golden Gopher to score 1,000 career points. 4. Lindsay Whalen (2000-01) 425 25 17.0 ppg. season. McCoy is the first Gopher rookie to be honored since 5. Janel McCarville (2001-02) 391 30 13.0 ppg. The 2006-07 season can be compared with the 2000-01 2002, when Janel McCarville was named the Big Ten’s 6. Molly Tadich (1983-84) 305 27 11.3 ppg. season when Minnesota had five prominent freshmen on Freshman of the Year. The Big Ten coaches have since 7. Ashley Ellis-Milan (2006-07) 300 33 9.1 ppg. the roster, including rookies Lindsay Whalen and Kadidja established a five-player All-Freshman Team. McCoy is one 8. Brittany McCoy (2006-07) 293 33 8.9 ppg. Andersson. In 2000-01, the freshmen contributed 47.3 per- of only three freshmen in the Big Ten to start every game in 9. Carol Ann Shudlick (1990-91) 285 24 11.9 ppg. cent of the scoring punch and 41.6 percent of the minutes the 2006-07 season. She averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 played. rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals in her first Big Ten sea- GOPHER CENTER HARPER TOPS SCORING BEST IN son. Michigan State’s Allyssa DeHaan was named the 2007 BACK-TO-BACK GAMES GOPHER TRIO EARNS BIG TEN ACCLAIM Freshman of the Year by both the Big Ten coaches and Freshman Zoe Harper played her best basketball in the final The Golden Gopher were represented by three players on media. weeks of the season, including back-to-back games where the 2007 Big Ten Conference honor squads. Sophomore she has bettered her previous career high for scoring. Emily Fox led the way as she was named to the All-Big Ten FOX CONSISTENT IN BIG TEN TOURNEY Harper scored nine points in the Feb. 25 game at Michigan Second Team by the coaches. Senior Kelly Roysland was Golden Gopher sophomore Emily Fox averaged 16.5 State, then tallied 10 points in the Big Ten Tournament win honored with a selection to the All-Big Ten Honorable points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two games at the over Northwestern.