Monday, December 22, 2008

C-USA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK AND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

IRVING, TEXAS (December 22, 2008) Conference USA named Chelsie Wiley of UCF and Southern Miss Candace Rucker its women's basketball Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for games played from Dec. 15-21.

Wiley scored a career-best 31 points against Ole Miss with the assistance of eight 3-pointers, a UCF and C-USA single game record. She also averaged 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals per game and shot 70 percent (14-of-20) from the 3-point line and 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the floor.

Rucker averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She scored a season-high 24 points against No. 22/23 Oklahoma State Friday, including 10-consecutive points over a two-minute span to get the Lady Eagles within two points.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chelsie Wiley, UCF
5-7, So., G, Riviera Beach, Fla.
Wiley averaged 19.3 points per game, including 10-plus points in each of UCF's four games. She also contributed 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and shot 70 percent (14-of-20) from the 3-point line and 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the floor. Her week started by hitting the game-winning three against Jacksonville in a 72-69 victory on Monday. Wiley established a career-high 20 points against Miami on Thursday. She topped that Saturday against Ole Miss, knocking down 8-of-9 3-pointers en route to a 31-point night. The eight 3's tied both a C-USA and UCF record for most treys in a single game. Her 8-for-9 percentage (.889) also broke the previous school record and set the conference record for best 3-point percentage. For the week, Wiley went 14-of-20 from long range and now sits in second place in C-USA in that category.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Candace Rucker, Southern Miss
5-10, Jr., G, Memphis, Tenn./Southwest Tennessee CC
Rucker averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She scored a season-high 24 points against No. 22/23 Oklahoma State Friday, including 10-consecutive points over a two-minute span to get the Lady Eagles within two points. The 24-point performance was the first 20-point game for any Southern Miss player this season. She also had five steals against the Cowgirls and finished the week with seven. Rucker scored 10 points and had four assists against Cal State Northridge Saturday. This is Rucker's second-straight Rookie of the Week honor.

2008 C-USA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
N17 Courtney Taylor, Houston
N24 Tynikki Crook, Marshall
D1 Paris Leonard, Memphis
D8 LaCoya Terry, East Carolina
D15 Courtney Taylor, Houston
D22 Chelsie Wiley, UCF

ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
N17 Roxana Button, Houston
N24 Tamika Dukes, UAB
D1 Ramses Lonlack, Memphis
D8 D'Frantz Smart, Rice
D15 Roxana Button, Houston & Candace Rucker, Southern Miss
D22 Candace Rucker, Southern Miss

SHOOTING STARS
Senior G LaCoya Terry extended her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games. She recorded her first double-double of the season and second of her career with 18 points and 11 rebounds against Mercer. Terry continues to lead C-USA in scoring with 18.5 ppg. Freshman C Jean Best earned all-tournament team honors at the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout, helping East Carolina to the championship title. In two tournament games, she averaged 9.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while shooting .857 (12-for-14) from the floor. Best currently leads Conference USA in field goal percentage with a mark of .627 (37-for-59).

Houston sophomore G/F Courtney Taylor posted two double-doubles last week at the 2008 St. John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic. She scored 16 points and grabbed 12 boards against Boston College, followed by recording a career-high 25 points and snagging 16 rebounds vs. Buffalo. Taylor was named to the all-tournament team.

Junior F Pauline Love recorded back-to-back double-doubles at the Desert Draw with 13 points and 13 rebounds against No. 22/23 Oklahoma State and then scored a season-high 28 points and had 10 rebounds against Cal State Northridge. Against CSUN, she sealed the game when she hit four-straight free throws in the last 12 seconds of action. Teammate and junior C Stephanie Helgeson added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench against CSUN.

Junior G/F Megan Valicevic was named to the DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament Team after leading Tulane to its seventh straight tournament crown. She connected on 8-of-11 from 3-point range (.727), and .542 percent from the field for the week. Valicevic is the only player in C-USA among the top 15 leaders in field goal, free throw and 3-pt field goal percentages. Teammate and freshman F Brett Benzio was named tournament MVP after shooting .650 (13-of-20) in two games and averaging 9.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg.

Freshman C Christine Elliott averaged a team-high 12.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg, hitting more than 58 percent of her shots from the floor to help lead SMU to a 2-1 record last week. Elliott either tied or set a career high in scoring in each of the three games. Junior F Brittany Gilliam averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg. She also recorded her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in SMU's victory over Virginia Tech Sunday.

UTEP junior point guard Jareica Hughes has been named to the list of 30 preseason candidates for the Women's Wooden Award All-America Team and Player of the Year, the most prestigious individual honor in the sport.

East Carolina senior G Jasmine Young moved into a two-way tied for second on Conference USA's all-time leader board for assists. She currently has dished out 67 assists in 11 games. For her career, she owns 623, tying K.B. Sharp (1999-2003). Following closely is Tulane's senior G Ashley Langford who currently has 56 assists in 11 games and 594 career assists.

C-USA Top Four Career Assist Leaders
Rk. Athlete, School (Years) Gms Asst.
1. Sara Nord, LOU (2000-04) 118 852
2. Jasmine Young, ECU (2006-P) 103 623
K.B. Sharp, CIN (1999-03) 126 623
4. Ashley Langford, TLN (2006-P) 100 594

C-USA COURT REPORT
Tulane has won seven in a row, averaging 76.9 ppg (after opening 1-3 with an average of 56.0 ppg). The Green Wave won its three games this week by an average of 32 points, with the closest margin of victory being 22 points against Providence. Tulane's 108-66 win at Nicholls State featured school records in 3-point field goals made (14) and field goals attempted (45), while ranking fourth in school history in points scored. The 14 made treys ties for third most in league history and the 45 attempts ranks second most for a single game.

ECU won the 2008 Bahamas Splash Shootout title with a pair of wins over Mercer and Florida Atlantic.

A pair of Conference USA head coaches picked up milestone victories earlier this season. Tulane's Lisa Stockton recorded her 350th career win by defeating Indiana State, 66-55, on Dec. 6 in the Big Easy Classic in New Orleans. Houston's Joe Curl recorded his 300th all-time win with a 20-point victory over Texas Southern, 64-44, in Houston on Dec. 5.

Both Houston and Tulane remain flawless when playing at home. The Cougars are 5-0, while the Green Wave is 5-0. Overall, C-USA teams sport a .694 winning percentage (50-22) when playing on their home courts. Six teams only have two or fewer home losses.

UTEP's 57-point victory over Savannah State on Nov. 22, 103-46, is the 15th-largest lopsided victory in C-USA history. The 103 points also ranks as the seventh-most points scored in a single NCAA women's basketball game this season.

East Carolina's 61-28 win over Presbyterian on Nov. 21 was the third-fewest points allowed in program and C-USA history.

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