March 19, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME No. 33 - UC DAVIS
WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT (WNIT) FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 20 - 7 p.m.
McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) - Spokane, Wash.
TV: GU TV; Gametracker & Live Video Streaming: www.GoZags.com; Radio: 1510 AM

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (24-8, 13-1 West Coast)
F - 30 Heather Bowman, 6-2, So., Spokane, WA
     (20.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F - 44 Vivian Frieson, 6-0, So., Seattle, WA
     (8.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
G - 21 Courtney Vandersloot, 5-8, Fr., Kent, WA
     (10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.7 apg)
G - 31 Michelle Elliott, 5-11, Sr., Pasco, WA
     (8.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 apg)
G - 32 Jami Bjorklund, 5-11, Jr., Spokane, WA
     (9.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 apg)
HEAD COACH: Kelly Graves (University of New Mexico, 1988)
GONZAGA RECORD: 144-101 (8th year); CAREER RECORD: 210-127 (11th year)

UC DAVIS AGGIES (19-11, 12-4 Big West)
F - 31 Jessica Campbell, 5-11 Sr., San Marcos, CA
(15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F - 44 Heather Bates, 5-11, Sr., Madera, CA
(10.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 spg)
C - 11 Paige Mintun, 6-2, RS-Fr., Valley Center, CA
(6.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 spg)
G - 4 Kirsten Commins, 5-8, Jr., San Clemente, CA
(3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G - 22 Haylee Donaghe, 5-10, Jr., Atascadero, CA
(12.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.7 spg)
HEAD COACH: Sandy Simpson (UC Davis, 1981)
UCD RECORD: 195-114 (14th year); CAREER RECORD: Same

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BULLDOGS HOST UC DAVIS IN FIRST ROUND OF WNIT:The Gonzaga University women's basketball team will have at least one more home game this season as the Bulldogs (24-8) were selected to host a first-round game in this year's Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). Gonzaga will host UC Davis on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Tickets prices for this game are $10 reserved, $7 general admission adults, $5 general admission children and seniors and $5 for Gonzaga students with student ID. Gonzaga women's basketball season ticket holders and current Bulldog Club Members can purchase tickets before the general public by calling 323-6000 on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public Wednesday at 10 a.m. through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT, ticketswest.com or any TicketWest outlet.

Gonzaga, who is playing in its third WNIT in five seasons, enters into its contest with UC Davis with a 24-8 mark. The Bulldogs were crowned the West Coast Conference regular-season champions for the fourth-straight season after going 13-1, but lost to the University of San Diego in the conference tournament finals to miss out on their second-straight automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

In its first year as a full-fledged Division I program and as a member of the Big West Conference, UC Davis enters the WNIT field with a 19-11 overall record and finished conference with a 12-4 mark, earning the No. 2 seed in the Big West Tournament. The Aggies, who became only the second team in league history - and the first since Long Beach State in 1986 - to make the tournament championship game in their first year in the conference, lost in the Big West finals to UC Santa Barbara.

The Bulldogs and Aggies are meeting for the second time this season and the third time in the past two years. Gonzaga won the previous two contests, including a 71-58 victory at the Pavilion on the campus of UC Davis on Dec. 6, 2007.

The winner of Thursday's matchup travels to Boulder, Colo., to take on the University of Colorado on Monday, March 24. The Buffaloes (16-13) earned a bye into the second round of the WNIT after finishing ninth in the Big 12 with a 5-11
record.

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ABOUT THE UC DAVIS AGGIES

HOW UC DAVIS FINISHED: In its first year as a full-fledged Division I program and as a member of the Big West Conference, UC Davis enters the WNIT field with a 19-11 overallrecord and finished conference with a 12-4 mark, earning the No. 2 seed in the Big West Tournament. The Aggies, who became only the second team in league history - and the first since Long Beach State in 1986 - to make the tournament championship game in their first year in the conference, lost in the Big West finals to UC Santa Barbara.

POST-SEASON HISTORY: UC Davis is making their first post-season appearance at the Division I level but enjoyed a rich Division II tradition prior to its reclassification. The Aggies qualified for 12 Div. II West Regionals, highlighting their run with a trip in 1997 to the NCAA Div. II Elite Eight in Grand Forks, N.D., where the Aggies finished third. The Aggies won their opener against West Texas A&M (73-70) but lost in the semifinals to Southern Indiana (70-62). UC Davis rebounded to beat Bentley (Mass.) in the third-place game, 76-61. Current head coach Sandy Simpson was the team's interim coach that season while associate head coach Jennifer Gross was a starting guard. Assistant coach Des Abeyta was a freshman on that team which finished a program-best 29-3. The Aggies reached the regional final in 1998 and 1999 but could not return to the Elite Eight.

MOST WINS SINCE 2001-02: The team's 18 wins is its most since posting an 18-9 record in 2001-02. The last time the Aggies had at least 19 victories in a season came in 1998-99 when they finished with a 25-4 record and made their most recent visit to the NCAA Championships. While a member of Div. II, UC Davis posted at least 20 wins in 10 of 11 seasons between 1988-1999. They averaged 23.5 wins during that span.

BIG WEST ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS: UC Davis well-represented on the Big
West's All-Conference teams as Jessica Campbell was selected to the first team, Haylee Donaghe was a second-team honoree, while Heather Bates was named honorable mention. Head coach Sandy Simpson was named Coach of the Year. He won Coach of the Year honors when UC Davis was a member of the Northern California Athletic Conference and California Collegiate Athletic Association during its Division II era.

HEAD COACH SANDY SIMPSON: Sandy Simpson enters his 11th year as head coach
of the UC Davis women's basketball team, having achieved the level of success that defined the Aggie program for many years. Now in his second decade as UC Davis' head coach, the 50-year-old Simpson owns an 195-114 career record, including an 108-48 mark in conference play. His win total ranks second in program history, having passed Pam Gill-Fisher early in the 2006-07 campaign. During the 2001-02 season, Simpson became the secondfastest coach in school history to reach the 100-win plateau, accomplishing the feat in the Aggies' dramatic 65-62 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. In that victory, guard Shea Purkiss hit a three-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining to lift UC Davis to the win. Simpson needed just 131 games to reach the century mark.

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GONZAGA IN THE POST-SEASON: This is the fourth time the Gonzaga University
women's basketball team will participate in the Women's Basketball Invitational
Tournament (WNIT) and the third time in five seasons. The Bulldogs last appearance in the WNIT was the 2005 campaign when they made it to the second round where they fell to South West Missouri State 85-66. Gonzaga's first time in the WNIT was the 1994 season.

COACH GRAVES IN THE WNIT: Kelly Graves has a 1-2 overall record in the Women's
Basketball Invitational Tournament (WNIT) as Gonzaga University's head coach. The
Bulldog made their first appearance in the WNIT under Coach Graves in 2004. The Zags dropped a close 69-64 decision to Oregon State University in the first round. In 2005, their second-straight WNIT appearance, the Bulldogs earned a 71-57 victory over BYU in the first round, before falling to South West Missouri State 85-66 in the second round.

PLAYERS WITH WNIT EXPERIENCE: Only one player on the Gonzaga University
women's basketball team has played in the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WNIT) and unfortunately this player endured a season-ending knee injury earlier this season. Rachel Kane, one of the Bulldogs two seniors, played in both games of the 2005 WNIT. In the Zags opening round win against BYU at the McCarthey Athletic Center, Kane played six minutes, draining a three-pointer and grabbing two rebounds. In GU's loss to Southwest Missouri State in the second round, Kane played 20 minutes, again hitting a three-pointer, along with dishing out four assists and grabbing three rebounds. One other player from this year's squad was on the roster, but did not see any action in the WNIT games in 2005. That was two-sport athlete Elaina Renius.

HOSTING AN WNIT GAME: This will be the second time the Gonzaga University
women's basketball team has hosted a first round Women's Basketball Invitational
Tournament (WNIT) game. The Bulldogs hosted BYU in the opening round of the tournament in 2005. The Zags earned a decisive 71-57 victory over the Cougars.

GONZAGA WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT WAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE: The
Gonzaga University women's basketball squad captured its fourth-straight West Coast
Conference regular-season title with an 87-67 victory at the University of Portland
Saturday, Feb. 23. The Bulldogs have now become the first program to win four straight regular season titles since Santa Clara University captured four straight from 1991-94. The Zags closed out its WAC slate with a 13-1 record. It is the second straight year Gonzaga has finished the conference season with only one loss.

ON THE RADIO: Gonzaga University will have all regular-season home games broadcast on the radio this season as Steve Myklebust returns for his fourth year of calling the action. Each home game, along with all post-season action, will be broadcast on KGA 1510 AM in Spokane with a pre-game show 20-minutes prior to tip. Games will also be available on the internet at GoZags.com.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sophomore Heather Bowman was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year. Bowman becomes the third Bulldog in the last four years to earn WCC Player of the Year honors, following Shannon Matthews in 2004-05 and Stephanie Hawk last season. The sophomore, who was named WCC Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, finished the regular season averaging a conference-high 20.0 points per game, and ranked fourth in the WCC with 8.5 rebounds per contest. She is one of just two players to finish the campaign ranked among the WCC top-five in both scoring and rebounding. 

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Freshman Courtney Vandersloot was named as the West Coast Conference's top newcomer. Vandersloot follows Bowman as Gonzaga's second straight WCC Newcomer of the Year award recipient, after the freshman ranked second in the WCC in assists (5.7 apg), fourth in steals (1.9 spg), and third among conference freshman in scoring (10.9 ppg). Vandersloot was garnered All-Conference and WCC All-Freshman accolades.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Gonzaga's Kelly Graves earned West Coast Conference Coach of the Year recognition for the fourth time in his career, as the Zags became the first conference program to sweep the individual awards since U.S. International did in 1985-86, the league's inaugural season of women's basketball.Graves guided the Zags to a 13-1 record in conference play, and a 22-7 overall mark during the regular season, en route to his fourth Coach of the Year honors in the last six seasons.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Junior Jami Bjorklund was tabbed for West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. Bjorklund becomes the first Gonzaga player to earn Defensive Player of the Year recognition after helping the Bulldogs rank second in the WCC in scoring defense during conference play, as the Zags surrendered just 63.0 points per game to league opponents. Bjorklund also earned WCC honorable mention accolades.

TWO PLAYERS NAMED TO ALL-WCC: Gonzaga University had two players earn All-West Coast Conference honors as sophomore Heather Bowman and freshman Courtney Vandersloot both were named to the team. Bowman, who also was named WCC Player of the Year, was the WCC player of the Month twice this season and WCC Player of the Week three times. Vandersloot, who also garnered WCC All-Freshman Team accolades, was named WCC Player of the Week once this season.

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM: Along with being named West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year and to the WCC All-Conference squad, freshman Courtney Vandersloot was also named to the WCC All-Freshman team. This is the third-straight year that Gonzaga University has had a member of the squad named to the All-Freshman team as Heather Bowman earned the honor a season ago and Jami Bjorklund garnered the accolade in 2006.

HEAD COACH Kelly Graves: Kelly Graves is in his eighth season as the head coach at Gonzaga University having built the Bulldogs into an annual West Coast Conference contender. After winning just five games his first season, Graves has guided the Bulldogs to four-straight West Coast Conference regular-season titles. This past season he added a WCC Tournament championship and the Zags inaugural berth in the NCAA Tournament to his GU highlights. Gonzaga finished the 2006-07 season with a 24-10 overall record and a 13-1 record in the WCC; which helped Graves garner WCC Co-Coach of the Year honors. Graves is currently the school's career wins leader with a 143-101 record. He has been named the WCC Coach of the Year at Gonzaga four times (2003 & 2005 & 2007 & 2008) and boasts a 210-127 career record including 103-52 in WCC action.

200 CAREER VICTORIES: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves earned his 200th career victory as the Bulldogs defeated the University of Portland 76-50 Saturday Jan. 26 in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Graves, who was coaching against his former mentor Jim Sollars head coach of the Pilots, now has a 210-127 Division I career record over 11 years.

100 CAREER WCC VICTORIES: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves became just the fifth coach in the West Coast Conference history to record 100 wins in WCC action, reaching the century mark with its Feb. 23 victory over the University of Portland. Graves, who also coached at Saint Mary's from 1997-2000, has recorded 72 wins in league play at Gonzaga. He currently holds a 103-52 WCC mark.

20-WIN SEASON: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team currently holds a 24-8 overall record. It is only the fourth time in school history the Zags have posted a 20-plus win season and the third time under head coach Kelly Graves. The Bulldogs finished the 1993 season with a 21-10 record under Julie Holt and then Graves posted a 28-4 finish in 2004-05 and a 24-10 mark last season in 2006-07.

STRONG START: The Gonzaga University women's basketball squad closed out the regular-season non-conference portion of its schedule with a 9-6 record. It is the best start to a Bulldog season in three years. Last  season, playing against some tough competition, the Zags finished their non-conference schedule at 8-8. In 2005-06, Gonzaga was 5-10 during non-conference.The 2004-05 season the Bulldogs had their best non-conference record during head coach Kelly Graves tenure, closing out the first part of the year at 11-2. 

BOWMAN RETURNS: Sophomore forward Heather Bowman returned to the Gonzaga University women's basketball lineup Thursday, Jan. 3 and scored a game-tying high 14 points to help the Bulldogs defeat Saint Joseph's University 67-43 at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse in Philadelphia, Penn. Bowman, who had missed five games with a broken left hand, was one of four players to finish in double-digit points for the Zags. Bowman jumped back in full force getting the starting nod after a three-week layoff due to a spiral fracture of her left hand.

FREE THROWS: Gonzaga University is struggling with its free throws on the road this season but is nearly opposite at home in the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs are shooting 69.9% at the charity stripe on the road, hitting only 225 of 322 attempts. The Zags at home at the McCarthey Athletic Center are sinking 74.3% of their free throws, draining 194 of their 261 attempts. In West Coast Conference games, Gonzaga hit 73.0% (208-285) at the charity stripe.

SHOOTING STARS: The Gonzaga University women's basketball squad has had a strong shooting season in 2007-08. The Bulldogs are currently shooting 45.1% (939-2084) from the field over their 32 games, including seven 50.0% or higher shooting nights and 28 40.0% or higher shooting games. Gonzaga is hitting 46.2% (397-859) from the field at home contests, 44.2% (542-1225) on the road and was 46.4% (417-899) in West Coast Conference games. 

ELLIOTT SETS TREY RECORD IN ROAD WIN: Senior Michelle Elliott hit a single-game school record nine 3-pointers and finished with career-high 31 points to lead the Gonzaga University women's basketball team to a 75-63 victory over Sacramento State University Saturday, Dec. 8. Elliott, who hit three 3-pointers in the first half and drained six in the second stanza, broke the 14-year old Bulldog single-game three-pointer record held by Ivy Safranski. Safranski hit eight 3-pointers in a 105-69 victory over Northeast Louisiana on March 26, 1994 during the WNIT. Elliott closed out contest hitting 11-of-16 from the floor, including 9-of-12 three-pointers. Elliott's previous best was 25 scored as a sophomore at San Diego State University during the 2004-05 season. Her Bulldog career-high was 22 scored against Sacramento State last season. Her nine 3-pointers is tied for the second most hit in a single-game this season in NCAA Division I. Heather Ezell, of Iowa State University, hit 10 three-pointers on Nov. 18 against Sacramento State. Elliott has drained a team-leading 52 three-pointers this season. 

ELLIOTT IN THE GONZAGA RECORD BOOKS: Gonzaga University senior Michelle Elliott has etched her name in the Bulldog record books, quite a feat for the two-year member. Elliott is seventh in the career record book for three-pointers made, having drained 97. She bumped down former assistant coach Triana Allen to take over the seventh spot and is just below current assistant Jennifer Mountain (6th - 116). The senior also holds two spots in the individual season record book for three-pointers made. She has hit 52 three-pointers this season, good enough to hold the 8th spot. Elliott is also 10th having sank 45 as a junior last season. 

BJORKLUND, ELLIOTT EARN WINTER ALL-ACADEMIC: Gonzaga University placed two women's basketball players on the West Coast Conference Winter Academic Team which was released Feb. 29. Senior Michelle Elliott and junior Jami Bjorklund both earned the honor for the second-straight season.

BOWMAN CLOSE TO 1,000 POINTS: Gonzaga University women's basketball sophomore is just three points shy of breaking the 1,000-point plateau. Bowman, who closed out her freshman season scoring 441 points, has registered 556 points this season despite missing five games due to a broken left hand. She will become just the 13th Bulldog player in history to score 1,000 points.

NATIONAL STATISTICS: Gonzaga University women's basketball players Heather
Bowman and Courtney Vandersloot are both ranked in the top of the nation in multiple
statistical categories as of March 16. Bowman is currently 10th in the nation in points
per game, averaging 20.6, and 44th in field goal percentage, hitting 52.4 percent. Amber Holt of Middle Tennessee State University is leading the nation in points at 27.1, while Crystal Kell of Western Kentucky has the best field goal percentage at 64.9 percent. Vandersloot is 17th in the nation is assists per game averaging 5.7, and is 33rd in assist turnover ratio at 1.89. Claire Faucher, of Portland State University, is leading the nation in assists with 8.8 per contest and Kristi Cirone, of Illinois State University, is the leader in assist-turnover ratio at 3.0. Gonzaga as a team is also sixth in the nation in scoring offense and 14th in assists per contest. The Zags are scoring 77.4 points per game and dishing out 16.6 assists per contest. The University of Connecticut leads the nation in team assists with 20.4 per game, while the University of North Carolina is the top scoring team at 87.9.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Gonzaga University sophomore Heather Bowman has registered 10 double-doubles on the season and now has 14 career double-doubles to her credit. Bowman scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in GU's victory over the University of Nevada and then followed that up with 25 points, along with 11 rebounds in the Zags victory over the University of Montana. In GU's setback at Arizona State University, Bowman scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds; both game-highs. In the second game of the ASU Classic, Bowman had 15 points and a game-high 14 boards; one shy of tying her career-high, against UC Riverside. Bowman then had a double-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds in a 71-58 victory over UC Davis, followed by a 19 point, 10 rebound performance in GU's 75-60 loss to Loyola Marymount University, Feb. 7. She had double-doubles at the University of Portland Feb. 23 and at Santa Clara University, Feb. 28. Bowman scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds against the Pilots and had a 30-point, 11-rebound output against the Broncos. Bowman's latest double-doubles came in the first two games of the West Coast Conference Tournament. She finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds in the Zags 10-point victory over Pepperdine University in the first round and then had 26 points and 12 rebounds in their victory over Saint Mary's College.  

DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS: Heather Bowman has scored in double-digit points in 26 of 27 Gonzaga University contests she has played in and has also been the overall leading scorer in 20 of the 27 games. Of her 26 double-figure performances, 17 have been 20+ point games, and one 30+ point output. Bowman has now posted 48 double-figure scoring games over her two seasons with the Zags, including 26 of 28 double-figure contests in West Coast Conference action.   

BOWMAN IN SINGLE SEASON RECORD BOOK: Gonzaga University sophomore Heather Bowman's 146 free throws made this season as vaulted her into the single-season Top-10 in free throws made. Bowman's total ranks her third. Her total of 101 free throws made in 2006-07 puts her in the 10th spot as well. Maria Stack is the single-season leader in free throws made, having hit 179 during the 1984-85 campaign. Bowman is also in the single-season Top-10 in points and field goals made. She has scored 556 points this season to rank her third and has made 205 field goals to rank her fifth. Maria Stack scored 707 points and 264 field goals during the 1984-85 campaign. 

TRUE FRESHMAN: True freshman Courtney Vandersloot, of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, has had a strong start to her collegiate career. Vandersloot, who has played in all 32 games, getting the starting nod 25 times, is leading the team in assists, averaging 5.7 per game. She has dished out four or more assists in 26 Zag games, including a career-high 11 at the University of Portland on Feb. 23.Vandersloot has had one other double-digit assist game, dishing out 10 in her collegiate debut against the University of Washington, Nov. 12. Vandersloot is also averaging 10.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

SINGLE-SEASON TOP-10: Gonzaga University freshman Courtney Vandersloot broke into the Bulldog single-season assists Top-10 after she dished out five in the Zags 36-point victory over Santa Clara University, Feb. 2. Vandersloot has 181 assists to her credit this season to rank her third. Maria Stack owns the single-season assist record, dishing out 207 during the 1984-85 campaign.

CRASHING THE BOARDS: Gonzaga University sophomore Vivian Frieson grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in the Bulldogs 74-70 victory at the University of San Francisco, Jan. 19. Frieson's previous career-high was eight brought down on two different occasions. The 16 rebounds was also the highest GU single-game rebounding output in six seasons. The last time a Zag had 16 or more rebounds was Feb. 22, 2003 when Anne Bailey finished with 20 against the University of Portland. Frieson is currently second on the Bulldogs squad in rebounds per game, averaging 5.8.

BJORKLUND EARNS ALL-ACADEMIC: Gonzaga University women's basketball junior Jami Bjorklund has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Bjorklund earned first-team honors for the second-straight year in District 8 which includes student-athletes from NCAA Division I institutions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

ICE IN HER VEINS: Gonzaga University women's basketball sophomore Heather Bowman sank 14-of-14 free throws in the Zags 80-71 victory at Santa Clara University, Feb. 28. Bowman became the first Bulldog to make 14 free throws in a single game since Maria Stack had 14 against Central Washington on Feb. 20, 1985. She also became the first player ever to be a perfect 14-of-14 from line. The highest perfect free throw output before Bowman sank her 14 was 13-of-13 hit by Ivy Safranski against Oregon State University on Dec. 3, 1994.

HOME ATTENDANCE: The Gonzaga University women's basketball team averaged 1,858 fans at the McCarthey Athletic Center this season. Two Bulldogs home games this season broke into the Zag all-time attendance Top-10. GU had 2,352 fans in attendance in its opening contest against the University of Washington; the eighth highest attended game in Zag history. The 10th highest attended game was the Bulldogs final home game of the season against the University of San Diego on Feb. 16. A total of 2,333 people watched Gonzaga defeat the USD 76-60 in both Michelle Elliott's and Rachel Kane's final regular-season home game.

ZAGS CUT HAIR FOR GOOD CAUSE: Three members of the Gonzaga University women's basketball program cut their hair for a good cause.  Assistant coach Lisa Mispley Fortier cut off 10 inches prior to the new year and donated the hair to Locks of Love. It was Mispley Fortier's third time donating hair to Locks of Love. Amanda Brown, a sophomore reserve on the Zags squad, was the first player to go under the scissors. Brown cut eight inches off and donated it to Pantene Pro-V's Beautiful Lengths program. The final player to shed some hair was senior Michelle Elliott. Elliott chopped off nearly 12 inches prior to the Jan. 26 game against the University of Portland. She too donated the hair to Locks of Love.

KANE ENDS GREAT CAREER: Senior guard Rachel Kane tore the ACL in her left knee during the Jan. 26 game against the University of Portland. The injury forces Kane to end her career as she has already used a medical redshirt year. Kane, who torn the ACL in her right knee twice during college (2003-04; 2005-06), closes out her career at Gonzaga scoring 351 points, grabbing 255 rebounds, making 75 steals and dishing out 285 assists. Her assist total ranks her sixth in the Bulldog career assists list. Kane was able to take the court for a single play on Feb. 16 in Gonzaga's last home game of the season.

FIRST TIME: Junior guard Jami Bjorklund posted her first collegiate double-double in Gonzaga University's 91-72 victory over the University of Washington, Nov. 12. Bjorklund finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds; six of which were offensive.

GREAT TIME FOR A DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Gonzaga University sophomore Vivian Frieson registered her first double-double of her career in the Bulldogs 77-67 victory over Pepperdine University in the opening round of the West Coast Conference Tournament. Frieson finished the contest with 12 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. It was the second time in her two seasons that she has grabbed double-digit rebounds as well. She brought down a career-high 16 rebounds earlier this season. 

SCORING 1,000 POINTS: Senior Michelle Elliott hit the 1,000-point plateau against Sacramento State University Dec. 8. The guard came into the season with 904 total points and has scored 286 points this season to up her career point total to 1,190. Elliott played her first two collegiate seasons at San Diego State University registering 549 points over those two years. Last season, in her first year with Gonzaga University, Elliott posted 315 total points.

MAKING HER MARK: After sitting out a year after transferring to Gonzaga University, sophomore guard Tiffanie Shives is finally settling in. The transfer from Michigan State University is averaging 8.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and  1.6 assists per game. She also has hit 50 three-pointers this season; second-best on the squad. Shives had a career-night at the University of Portland, Feb. 23. She finished with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including sinking 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc.

ZERO'S BEHIND THE ARC: When the Gonzaga University women's basketball squad finished 0-for-6 from behind the three-point arc against Loyola Marymount University Feb. 7, it was the first time in 125 games the Bulldogs had not hit at least one three-pointer in a game. The last time the Zags were shutout from beyond the arc was on Feb. 15, 2004. Gonzaga went 0-for-6 at home against the University of San Francisco. Ironically, it was also the first time neither team hit a three-pointer in the game. Against the Lions, LMU finished 0-for-11. In Gonzaga's game against San Francisco in 2004, the Dons finished 0-for-10.

GONZAGA THE NEW CLASS: Gonzaga University women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves has announced the signing of two players to national letters of intent on the first day of the early signing period. Joining the Bulldogs next fall will be Kayla Standish, a 6-2 forward from Ellensburg High School in Ellensburg, Wash., and 6-2 center Shannon Reader from Lake Oswego High School in Lake Oswego, Ore.