University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Host Subway Classic This Weekend
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game 4 - Subway Classic
Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1)
vs.
American Eagles (3-0)
LOCATION Williams Arena (14,625) - Minneapolis, Minn.
DATE / TIME: Satruday, Nov. 22 / 1 p.m.
TELEVISION: none
RADIO / WEBCAST: WCCO 830 AM / Gopher Radio Network / gophersports.com
Corbu Stathes (Play-by-play), Lynnette Sjoquist (Color Analyst)
Golden Gopher Watch List Nov. 22, 2008
Golden Gophers Host Subway Classic - Minnesota will play host to the Subway Basketball Classic this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 22-23. The Gophers will play American at 1 p.m. on Saturday, then either North Carolina State or Yale on Sunday at 1 p.m. The first game each day tips off at 11 a.m.
Gophers Win Home Opener Over NDSU - Minnesota captured a 68-56 win over North Dakota State in their home opener on Wednesday. Katie Ohm led the way with 17 points, tying her career high for the fifth time overall and second time this season.
Collectable Pins Giveaway Begins Wednesday - The first 500 fans at each of the Gopher home games this season will receive a pin of a player or coach. The pin giveaway on Saturday is Tanisha Smith.
Rocky Mountain Thanksgiving - The Gophers will travel to Colorado, the home state of Emily Fox, to compete in the Colorado Coors Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. Minnesota will face Drexel in the semifinal. UMass and Colorado complete the Classic field.
Gophers Host Subway Basketball Classic
Minnesota welcomes American U., North Carolina State and Yale to Williams Arena for the 2008 Subway Basketball Classic. The Golden Gophers face American in a semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. or approximately 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 11 a.m. matchup between North Carolina State and Yale. Minnesota will play the 1 p.m. contest on Sunday, Nov. 23, against either North Carolina State or Yale. The Golden Gophers own a record of 2-1 after defeating North Dakota State, 68-56, in their home opener last Wednesday.
The Subway Classic Field
American is a member of the Patriot League and is off to a 3-0 record on the season. North Carolina State, from the Atlantic Coast Conference and coached by Hall of Famer Kay Yow, is also off to a 3-0 mark in 2008-09. Ivy League member Yale comes in with a 1-1 record.
Subway Basketball Classic History
Minnesota has hosted an early-season tournament for 27 years, dubbed the Subway Basketball Classic for the last six seasons. The Gophers have captured the title in their own tourney in seven of the last eight seasons. Last year, Minnesota scored an upset victory in the championship game defeating nationally ranked Louisville. Emily Fox was honored as the Classic most valuable player and was joined by Ashley Ellis-Milan on the all-tournament team.
Minnesota has won its tournament 13 times with the Gophers’ streak of six straight (2000-05) their longest. A Gopher player has captured tournament MVP honors 13 times, including three by Lindsay Whalen and two by both Laura Coenen and Carol Ann Shudlick.
Get’em While You Can
Golden Gopher fans can collect pins from the 2008-09 Minnesota roster during the season. The first 500 fans on Saturday will receive the Tanisha Smith pin.
Nov. 19 Pam Borton
Nov. 22 Tanisha Smith
Set on Seventeen
Junior Katie Ohm has scored a career-high 17 points in a game five times, including matching that total in the Santa Clara and North Dakota State games this season. Ohm has also hit a trio of three-point field goals in every game in 2008-09 and is nine triples (has 91) away from the 100th three-pointer of her career.
Early But a Good Sign
A lot of basketball has yet to be played, but early on the Gopher defense is showing signs of vast improvement from a year ago. One such indicator is steals, where Minnesota is averaging 11.0 thefts an outing in 2008-09. The Gophers have gathered double-digit steals in two of the three games this season. Last season in 32 games, Minnesota collected 10 or more steals 11 times.
Filling Up the Stat Sheet
Emily Fox does so much more than score for the Gophers. In the win over North Dakota State, Fox filled the stat sheet with five rebounds, six assists and a career-high six steals in addition to 15 points.
Onward and Upward
Emily Fox made a move up two career lists during the North Dakota State game. Fox bypassed Kelly Roysland (2003-07) to move into 12th on the Minnesota all-time scoring list with 1,077 points. The Gopher senior also moved into fifth on the all-time career steals list with 179. The next move will likely be on the Gophers’ all-time assists list. Fox with 303 assists is one assist away from Shannon Schonrock’s (2002-05) total of 304 that ranks sixth in school history.
Freshman Jackie Voigt Earns Starting Role
Freshman Jackie Voigt earned a starting role at the forward position to start the season. She responded with four points and five rebounds in 32 minutes of action against No. 2/2 Stanford and six points and four rebounds in 26 minutes versus Santa Clara. Voigt is averaging 29.3 minutes per game contributing 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds an outing.
A Rookie Starting Game One is Special
A quick look at the Gophers’ recent history shows that having a rookie start the season-opener is something special. In fact, since we turned the calendar past the year 2000, this has occurred seven times and includes some of Minnesota’s best. Of the following list, Janel McCarville and Brittany McCoy (current) started every game of their Gopher career.
2000-01 LIndsay Whalen (G)
Tanisha Gilbert (G)
Kadidja Andersson (F)
2001-02 Janel McCarville (C)
2006-07 Brittany McCoy (G)
Zoe Harper (C)
2008-09 Jackie Voigt (F)
Getting to the Glass
Minnesota out-rebounded North Dakota State by a 41-32 margin, marking the first time the Gophers won the battle on the glass this season. Ashley Ellis-Milan led the way with 10 rebounds, but more impressively, MInnesota held the Bison without a second-chance point. The Gophers pitched a 22-0 shutout in second-chance points
A Mix of Experience and Youth
The Golden Gophers kicked off the 2008-09 season with a mix of experience and youth on their roster. The Gophers returned four starters in Emily Fox, Brittany McCoy, Ashley Ellis-Milan and Katie Ohm who combined have 221 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. 24.
Ohm, Fox Lead Gophers to Home-Opening Win
Katie Ohm tied her career high with 17 points and Emily Fox added 15 points as Minnesota defeated North Dakota State, 68-56, in Williams Arena on Wednesday. The Golden Gophers improve to 2-1 on the season.
The Gophers used an 11-0 run over nearly a 6-minute span to break away from an early 9-9 tie. Kay Sylva started the barrage with a three-pointer from the right baseline. Jackie Voigt chipped in two baskets as well.
Fox had already tied her career high with six steals in the first half, contributing nine points and five assists, as Minnesota owned a 41-25 lead at intermission. Freshman Kiara Buford scored eight points in the half, including six on a pair of three-point field goals.
The Gophers maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, though their play was not as sharp as in the first half.
North Dakota State closed to within 10 points at 54-44 on an Abby Plucker three-point play but Minnesota answered with six straight points. Ashley Ellis-Milan, who pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, scored on a three-point play of her own, followed by Ohm’s third three-pointer of the game. Ohm has now hit three three-point field goals in each of the first three games of the season.
Minnesota built its lead back up to 19 points at 66-47 with 5:03 remaining but committed four late turnovers allowing the Bison to knock the Gophers’ winning margin to a dozen.
Fox finished the game with six assists and five rebounds in addition to her 15 points and six steals.
