University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open Season at No. 2 Stanford
11/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 1
Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0)
vs.
Stanford Cardinal (0-0)
LOCATION Maples Pavilion (7,223) - Stanford, Calif.
DATE / TIME: Friday, Nov. 14 / 7 p.m. (9 p.m. CT)
TELEVISION: none
RADIO / WEBCAST: KBEM 88.5 FM / Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com
Corbu Stathes (Play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (Color Analyst)
Golden Gopher Watch List Nov. 14, 2008
Gophers Open Season at Stanford - Minnesota opens the 2008-09 season at No. 2/2 Stanford on Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 p.m. CT. The game marks the first time the Golden Gophers opened versus a nationally ranked opponent and the first time since 1996-97 that Minneosta opened on an opponent’s home court.
In California For Two - The Golden Gophers will remain in California over the weekend to play Santa Clara on Sunday, Nov. 16 in a game that tips off at 4 p.m. CT.
Emily Fox Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team - Senior Emily Fox was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team selected by the Big Ten Conference coaches and media. Fox enters the season 13th on the Gophers’ all-time scoring list with 1,039 points.
Trio of Home Games on Tap Next Week - Minnesota will open its regular-season home schedule with three games in Williams Arena next week: Nov. 19 vs. North Dakota State and Nov. 22-23 the Subway Classic.
Gophers Open Season at No. 2 Stanford
Minnesota opens the 2008-09 season with two road games in California this weekend. The Golden Gophers kick off the season at No. 2/2 Stanford on Friday, Nov. 14, with a 9 p.m. CT tip-off in historic Maples Pavilion. Minnesota will then face Santa Clara on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m. CT.
Toughest Opener in Borton’s Tenure
Friday’s game at Stanford is by far the toughest season opener of Pam Borton’s Minnesota coaching career. The Cardinal return four starters and a plethora of talent from the 2007-08 squad that advanced to the NCAA championships game. Though the Cardinal graduated four-time All-American, an current Minnesota Lynx standout, Candace Wiggins from their line-up, Stanford still has two Wade Trophy Watch List players in posts Jayne Appel and Kayla Pedersen.
Past Season-Openers Under Pam Borton
2002-03 IPFW W, 116-73
2003-04 Southern W, 93-41
2004-05 UNLV W, 77-69
2005-06 San Francisco W, 80-62
2006-07 Northern Iowa W, 75-63
2007-08 UC-Riverside W, 57-49
(6-0 83.0 ppg. / 59.5 opp. ppg.)
Its Not Only Stanford, But the Opener is at Stanford
As if the challenge of facing the No. 2 team in the nation to open the season isn’t daunting enough, the game is at historic Maples Pavilion. This is the first time in Borton’s seven seasons at Minnesota that the Gophers have opened the season on their opponent’s home court. Minnesota did open the 2004-05 season versus UNLV in a game played in the WBCA Classic in Washington (Seattle). The last year the Gophers opened on the road on an opponent’s home court was in the 1996-97 season at Western Illinois.
Season-Opening Success
Minnesota has won its season-opening games in each of the last eight seasons, including victories to start each of the previous six season-openers during the tenure of Pam Borton. Overall, the Gophers are 22-13 in openers since 1973-74 (results from the first two years of basketball, 1971-72 and 1972-73, are unavailable). Minnesota, however, has never opened the season, home, away or neutral, versus a nationally ranked opponent.
Borton Embarks on Seventh Year at Minnesota
Head coach Pam Borton begins her seventh season at Minnesota. Borton, along with Ohio State’s Jim Foster, share the second-longest coaching tenure in the Big Ten Conference. Only Iowa’s Lisa Bluder, entering her ninth season, has been in the league longer. This season, only Northwestern has a new coach after our Big Ten schools (Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State) had rookie coaches a year ago.
The Trio of Team Captains For 2008-09
The Golden Gopher team captains for the 2008-09 season are senior Emily Fox and juniors Ashley Ellis-Milan and Brittany McCoy. Fox is a two-year captain.
By the Numbers...
The Gophers welcome back 70 percent of the scoring, 69 percent of the rebounding and 77 percent of the assists from last season. Topping the list in each category is Emily Fox, returning after averaging 17.2 points and 4.2 assists per game, and Ashley Ellis-Milan back with her 7.1 rebounds an outing.
A Mix of Experience and Youth
The Golden Gophers kick off the 2008-09 season with a mix of experience and youth on their roster. The Gophers return four starters in Emily Fox, Brittany McCoy, Ashley Ellis-Milan and Katie Ohm who combined have 206 games of starting experience. Then you have Minnesota’s heralded rookie class of Kiara Buford, Brianna Mastey, Nicole Mastey and Jackie Voigt providing a solid influx of talented youth into the program.
Pam Borton Radio Show on Mondays
The Pam Borton Radio Show, heard locally on WCCO Radio (830 am) is broadcast live on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at Applebee’s in Stadium Village. Gopher radio personalities Corbu Stathes and Lynnette Sjoquist host the program. The next show is this Monday, Nov. 17.
Fox Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Golden Gopher senior guard Emily Fox was selected to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Fox, a Big Ten First Team selection a year ago, was the only backcourt player named to the five-person preseason honor squads. Returning Big Ten Player of the Year, Ohio State center Jantel Lavender was a unanimous pick on both teams and honored as the Preseason Player of the Year. The Buckeye sophomore was not, however, a unanimous selection for the Player of the Year. The coaches and media honored the same five athletes. Completing the Preseason All-Big Ten Team are Jenna Smith of Illinois, Allyssa DeHaan of Michigan State and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton of Purdue.
Preseason Team Predictions An Interesting Lot
The Big Ten coaches and media have differing opinions of which team is the favorite to win the title this season. The coaches pegged Purdue with top honors, while the media selected Ohio State. The Gophers were picked to finish fifth by the coaches and fourth by the media.
Emmy Continues Climb Up Scoring Chart
Emily Fox begins her senior season with 1,039 career points and ranked 13th on the Minnesota all-time leading scorer’s list. Looking ahead to the regular season, Fox’s next target on the list in 12th place is Kelly Roysland (2003-07 with 1,074 points.
Going For the Trifecta
Junior guard Brittany McCoy has the chance to build on an accomplishment in Gopher history that only she can acclaim. McCoy is the first player to collect over 100 assists both as a freshman and sophomore. She has dished out 236 assists while starting each and every of her 65 career games.
Ohm Returns as BIg Ten’s Top Long-Range Shooter
Junior Katie Ohm can definitely shoot the rock. Ohm was the Big Ten’s leading shooter from behind the arc last season, converting on an impressive 46.2 percent of her three-point field goal attempts.
Ellis-Milan the Power in the Post
Junior Ashley Ellis-Milan is a three-year starter at the post for the Gophers and has led the team in rebounding in each of her first two seasons. An honorable mention All-Big Ten pick a year ago, Ellis-Milan will be expected to increase her scoring contributions this season. She averaged 9.9 points and 7.1 rebounds last season.
Harper a Probable Starter For the Gophers
Junior Zoe Harper is penciled in as the fifth starter for the Gophers starting the season. If the 6-3 Aussie gets the starting nod, it will be the fourth start of her Golden Gopher career. She started the first three games of her collegiate career. Harper averaged 6.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two exhibition games.
Voigt Off to Fast Start as a Rookie
Freshman forward Jackie Voigt is off to an impressive start to their rookie campaign and will be one of the key players off the bench for the Gophers this season. Voigt powered her way to a 13-points/13-rebounds double-double in 29 minutes of action in the Gophers’ second exhibition game versus Minnesota State Moorhead. The 6-1 rookie also pulled down 10 rebounds in the first exhibition of the season versus Concordia St. Paul.
Gophers Down Concordia in Exhibition Opener
Emily Fox scored 15 points to lead four Golden Gophers in double figures in a 69-54 victory over Concordia St. Paul in exhibition play on Nov. 2. Katie Ohm added 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Ashley Ellis-Milan and Brittany McCoy chipped in 10 points a piece.
Sylva and Freshmen Impressive in Second Exhibition
Senior Kay Sylva scored 14 points and three Gopher freshman tallied double figures as Minnesota defeated Minnesota State Moorhead, 75-49, in exhibition action on Nov. 9. Jackie Voigt topped the rookies with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Kiara Buford and Brianna Mastey each chipped in 11 points. Buford added plenty to the stat sheet with six rebounds, five assist and three steals as well. Minnesota is now 14-0 in exhibition games during the coaching tenure of Pam Borton.
Smith Lost For the Season With Achilles Injury
Sophomore Tanisha Smith, a 5-10 forward on the Minnesota women’s basketball team, will miss the 2008-09 season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in her left ankle on Sept. 16, during conditioning drills. Smith, a native of Whitby, Ontario, underwent surgery on Sept. 19, under the care of University of Minnesota team physician/orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fernando Pena.
Smith is in her third season with the Golden Gophers. She redshirted the 2006-07 season after suffering a knee injury early in her rookie season. Smith returned for her redshirt freshman season in 2007-08 and played in six games averaging 0.5 points and 0.7 rebounds per game.
Smith is a member of Minnesota’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee executive board for the 2008-09 school year. A kinesiology major, Smith represented Minnesota at the NCAA Student-Athlete Development Conference last May. She was the recipient of an Arthur Ashe Jr., Sports Scholar Award last year.
