Second Half of MWC Race Begins Hosting AF, UNM

All alone in the MWC standings, defending regular season champs BYU (16-5, 7-1) continues league play hosting AFA (4-16, 0-9) on Thurs., Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. Then on Sat., Feb. 10 the Lobos of New Mexico (15-7, 5-4) play at the Marriott Center in a 2 p.m. tip off.

Complete Broadcast Plans

On TV - The game between BYU and AFA on Thurs., Feb. 8 airs live on the mtn. Bill Doleman and Andrea Lloyd Curry will call the action. Saturday's game vs. UNM will air live on BYU-TV with Holly Rowe and Kristin Kozlowski providing the action.

On the internet - Both road games this week will have live audio streaming on BYU Radio. Veteran broadcaster Jay Monsen will call the action. To listen log on to: http://www.byuradio.org/streaming

Live stats - fans can follow the game action via stats by clicking on:

http://www.byucougars.com/Schedule.jsp?SP=112&YR=2006

BYU Probable Starters

Pos. # Name Ht Yr PPG RPG

G/F 15 Jennie Keele 5-10 Sr 6.9 3.4

G 30 Mallary Gillespie 5-10 Jr 12.4 3.4

G/F 35 Melinda Johnsen 5-10 Sr 5.7 2.9

C 45 Dani Kubik Wright 6-3 Sr 12.6 6.9

F 52 Lauren Riley 6-3 Jr 6.8 6.5

Reserve Players

Pos. # Name Ht Yr PPG RPG

G/F 32 Shawnee Slade 5-11 So 8.5 5.4

C 54 Cassie King 6-3 So 4.1 2.7

F 05 Ashley Cheesman 6-0 Jr 1.9 1.8

F 22 Brittany Faddis 6-0 So 1.0 1.2

G 13 Jaime Judkins 5-6 Fr 0.3 0.6

G 31 Rachel Aina 5-9 So 0.2 0.1

Team Stats

-- Shooting from the field: (.430, 488-1135)

-- Shooting from the free-throw line: (.613, 206-336)

-- Shooting from three-point line: (.326, 120-368)

-- Average points per game: 62.0

2006 Run In Preseason WNIT

The Cougar team ended their run in this year's Preseason WNIT with a disappointing 58-84 loss to No. 16 Baylor on Thurs. Nov. 16. BYU had advanced to the Final Four after a 73-50 home victory over Idaho State on Nov. 10 and then a come from behind 55-52 upset victory over No. 4 Stanford. Dani Kubik Wright was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Cougars Team Summary

After compiling the best season record in school history (26-6), making their seventh postseason NCAA Championships appearance and clinching the 2006 MWC Regular Season Champion crown, the BYU team looks to take that success and winning attitude into the 2006-07 year.

BYU returns a nucleus of four starters and five letterwinners that will make this year's squad tough to beat during its non-conference and league schedules.

Once again the Cougars should finish at the top of the MWC standings, leading the way to an eighth appearance in the NCAA Championships and advancing further in that national tournament.

-- 2006-07 Season Highlights and Noteables --

TEAM

-- The Cougars non-conference road record finished at 4-4.

-- With the 69-65 win vs. TCU on 02/01/07, the team improved to 12-0 when leading at the half.

-- BYU is 12-2 when outrebounding opponents. (Outrebounded Utah 38-35 on 01/27/07, and on 12/30/06 at Oregon, 37-29 but loss both games.

-- The 11 turnovers BYU had vs. UNLV on 01/20/07 were the lowest of the year. They had 13 vs. CSU on 01/18/07.

-- The nine blocks at SDSU on 01/25/07 are a new team high.

-- The Cougars have had three players scoring in double figures in seven games. BYU has won all but two (Baylor, Oregon) of those games.

-- Seven times this season, the Cougars have had two players scoring in double figures, the most recent, at SDSU on 01/25/07).

-- The 79 points scored against Weber State are the most scored by BYU this year and the (13) three-point goals, are a new team high.

-- The Cougars picked up season bests in 3-point field goal percentage .542 (13-24) in the Weber State game on 12/14/06.

-- To date, BYU has shot over 50 percent from the field in two games (vs. Weber State .542 on 12/14/06 and vs. UCR .521 on 12/20/06)

-- The Cougars have had four players score in double figures three times this year: (vs. SCU, @ Harvard, and @ UVSC).

-- In the game at home vs. Santa Clara University on 11/22/06, the .839 (26-31) free throw percentage was the best for the team in regular season games. In league games, they shot .800 (16-20) vs. TCU on 02/01/07 for the highest charity stripe percentage in league games to date.

-- The 55 total rebounds grabbed in the game vs. CSUN on 12/09/06 are a new season high for the team.

PLAYER

-- Dani Wright set a new season and career high in rebounds with 15 vs. TCU on 02/01/07.

-- Dani Kubik Wright - Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team

-- Dani Wright - In the game @ Stanford - played a total of 35 minutes, the most minutes played in her college career.

-- Melinda Johnsen - team's assist leader: (289) for her career, 93 this season, as of 02/05/07.

Balanced BYU Scoring (as of 02/05/07)

Games With Four In Double Figures (3)

vs. SCU 11/22/06 - Keele (12), Gillespie (14), Slade (22), Johnsen (10)

@ Harvard 11/29/06 - Gillespie (10), Hall (10), Wright (14), King (11)

@ UVSC 12/16/06 - Gillespie (14), Slade (13), Wright (12), Riley (13)

Games With Three In Double Figures (7)

@ Baylor 11/16/06 - Keele (12), Slade (11), Wright (17)

vs. UC Riverside 12/20/06 - Gillespie (11), Wright (27), Riley (10)

@ Oregon 12/30/06 - Johnsen (10), Wright (20), Riley (13)

@ Air Force 01/06/07 - Keele (10), Slade (13), Wright (13)

vs. Wyoming 01/13/07 - Keele (11), Slade (11), Wright (12)

vs. CSU 01/18/07 - Gillespie (16), Wright (15), Riley (12)

vs. TCU 02/101/07 - Gillespie (21), Slade (12), Riley (10)

Games With Two In Double Figures (7)

vs. Idaho St. 11/10/06 - Gillespie (10), Slade (10)

@ Stanford 11/13/06 - Gillespie (12), Hall (15)

@ Fresno St. 11/17/06 - Johnsen (12), Wright (10)

@ NMex.St. 01/06/07 - Gillespie (14), Wright (16)

vs. Weber St. 12/14/06 - Keele (13), Gillespie (30)

@ UNM 01/10/07 - Gillespie (18), Slade (16)

@ SDSU 01/25/07 - Gillespie (10), Wright (12)

Double Digit Scoring 06-07

-- Mallary Gillespie has scored in double figures in a total of 14 games this season.

-- Dani Wright has scored in double figures in 13 games including five of eight MWC games.

Cougar Double Doubles 06-07

-- Dani Wright picked up her third season and fourth career double double with the 21 points and 10 rebounds vs. Utah on 01/27/07.

-- Lauren Riley recorded her first double double of the season and the second of her career with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Long Range Gillespie

-- Mallary Gillespie continues to get hot from three point range. She scored 15 of her team and game high 21 points vs. TCU on 02/01/07 from behind the arc.

-- Gillespie scored a team and game high 16 vs. CSU on 01/18/07 scoring 12 of those from three-point range.

-- In the home league game vs. UNLV on 01/20/07, she had another game and team high performance with 17 points, 15 of which were from behind the arc.

Injury Update -

Freshman point guard Haley Hall is out for the rest of the season. She tore her ACL in her left knee at the New Mexico State game on 12/06/06.

2005-06 Season Review

-- Best record in school history 26-6

-- Tallied an impressive 13-1 record on the road

-- MWC Regular Season Crown with a 13-3 record

-- The squad advanced to the MWC Championship game before losing to Utah, 60-84

-- Made seventh appearance in NCAA Championships, seeded seventh, the highest seed for the Cougar program. The team advanced to the Round of 32 with 67-62 victory over Iowa, then lost to Oklahoma 70-86

-- Breaks into the national polls after going 15-1 to begin the season. Its first appearance came the week of Jan. 16 when both the AP Poll and the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll ranked the team at the No. 23 spot. The team moved as high as No. 16 in the USAToday/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll, the highest of the year and the highest ever in the program's history. BYU finished the season ranked 20th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll.

2005-06 MWC Honors/All-America Citations

Co-Player of the Year

Ambrosia Anderson

First Team All- Mountain West Conference

Ambrosia Anderson

Second Team All- Mountain West Conference

Dani Kubik

Honorable Mention All- Mountain West Conference

Mallary Gillespie

Melinda Johnsen

Jennie Keele

Coach of the Year

Jeff Judkins

Honorable Mention All- America Citations

Ambrosia Anderson - AP Women's All-America Basketball Team

Ambrosia Anderson - WBCA and Eastman Kodak Company

Head Coach - Jeff Judkins

Overall Record:119-57

2006-07: 16-5, 6-1

2006 MWC Coach of the Year Jeff Judkins begins his sixth year as head coach of the women's basketball program. Prior to heading up the women's program, he served one year (1999-2000) as Director of Basketball Operations for the BYU men's team. In 2000 he became an assistant coach on the women's team.

Last season under Judkins, the Cougars compiled their best finish in school history with a 26-6 record, clinched their first MWC regular season title since 1992 and received a no. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, the highest seed for any BYU program.

For the first time since the 2002-03 season, the team and its 13-1 record to start the year broke into the women's basketball collegiate polls, ranked No. 23 by the AP Poll and the USA Today/Espn/WBCA Coaches Poll. They would rank as high as 18 and 16 in the two respective polls, finishing the year at No. 20. Last season Judkins picked up his 100th win, a 69-67 victory over CSU on Mar. 2, the same time the team clinched the league's regular season title.

Under Judkins tutelage, the women's basketball program has had consistent success with four postseason appearances including three NCAA Championships, guiding the team to its first ever Sweet Sixteen finish in 2002. In 2005, the 19-11 team played in the first round of the WNIT.

Judkins has also coached two All-Americans in Erin Thorn and Ambrosia Anderson. Both have gone on to play in the WNBA for the New York Liberty. Thorn has been with the team for the past four years while Anderson just completed her first year playing professionally.

The longtime University of Utah coach and player came to Provo with a proven record of success dating back to his high school days at Highland HS in Salt Lake City. An all-state selection in basketball, football and baseball, Judkins went on to play for the University of Utah from 1974-78.

While playing at Utah, Judkins helped lead the Utes to one conference championship and two berths in the NCAA tournament. He was a second-team academic All-American and three-time District VII academic selection. He also earned three first team All-WAC honors and was a member of the 1977 United States World Games team that captured the gold medal.

Judkins also played five years in the National Basketball Association for the Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. He was a second-round pick of the Celtics in 1978, the same year the Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth pick overall.

After his NBA career, he returned to Utah in 1989 and was an instrumental part of that program's success during his 10 years, recruiting such players as Keith Van Horn, Andre Miller, Mike Doleac, Hanno Mottola, Alex Jensen, Trent Whiting, Garner Meads, Jeff Johnsen and Britton Johnsen.

Judkins, graduated from the University of Utah in 1978 with a degree in health and physical education. He and his wife Mary Kaye are the parents of five children: Jessica (26), (married to Paul), Jordan (24), Jenna (22), Jaime, who plays on the basketball team, (19), and Jaxson (16). Jenna plays on the volleyball team at BYU.

Hobbies: Waterskiing, horseback riding, hunting, golf, softball, and watching ESPN.

BYU Picked Second In MWC Preseason Media Poll

School (First-place votes) Points

1. New Mexico (8) 137

2. BYU (7) 134

3. TCU (4) 126

4. Utah 102

5. Wyoming 96

6. UNLV 71

7. San Diego State 41

8. Air Force 39

9. Colorado State 36

Preseason All-MWC Team

Dionne Marsh, Jr., F, New Mexico

Hanna Zavecz, Jr., F, Wyoming

Dani Kubik Wright, Sr., C, BYU

Adrianne Ross, Jr., G, TCU

Katie Montgomery, Sr., G, New Mexico

Top Returning Player

Dionne Marsh, Jr., F, New Mexico

Top Newcomer

Justyna Podziemska, Jr., F, Wyoming

IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE THIS WEEK

February 7 (Wednesday)

TCU @ CSU - 7 p.m.

February 8 (Thursday)

Air Force @ BYU - 7 p.m. (mtn.)

UNLV @ SDSU - 7 p.m.

New Mexico @ Utah - 7 p.m.

February 10 (Saturday)

Air Force @ TCU - 2 p.m.

Colorado State @ Utah - 3 p.m.

UNLV @ Wyoming - 2 p.m.

New Mexico @ BYU - 2 p.m. (BYUTV/mtn.)

Cougar MWC Season Honors to date for 2006-07

Player of the Week - Mallary Gillespie (Feb. 5, 2007)

Player of the Week - Mallary Gillespie (Dec. 18, 2006)

Player of the Week - Shawnee Slade (Nov. 12, 2006)

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S MWC OPPONENTS

AFA - Provo, UT (02/08/07)

As the second half of MWC play begins, the Air Force Academy is in last place with a (0-9) league record, and are 4-16 overall. In conference games they have one player scoring in double figures. Alecia Steele tops the list with 13.9 points and a game high 7.7 boards a game. Next is Pamela Findlay with 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest. Findlay also leads the team in assists with 24 and steals with 12. The Falcons were picked to finish in eighth place in the preseason poll announced last October. Head Coach Ardie McInelly is in her sixth season with Air Force. Last year they finished in seventh place with a 4-12 record.

AFA Probable Starters

Pos.# Name Ht Yr PPG RPG (conf. game stats)

F 32 Alecia Steele 6-0 Jr 13.9 7.7

G 30 Pamela Findlay 5-11 Jr 7.0 4.1

C 44 Jack Novak 6-2 Sr 5.9 3.8

G 04 Letricia Castillo 5-8 Sr 6.6 2.3

G 24 Andrea Taylor 5-7 Sr 2.3 2.6

Stat Comparisons BYU AF (conf. game stats)

Field Goals: .430 .361

Free Throws: .582 .671

Three-Pointers: .331 .184

Points Per Game: 60.9 51.8

Rebounds Per Game: 37.6 35.3

Series History

BYU has a commanding 17-0 advantage in the series.

Last Meeting

At the start of MWC play this season, BYU opened on the road at the Air Force Academy on Jan. 6 where they picked up the 59-46 win.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO - Provo, UT (02/10/07)

In this week's standings the Lobos have a 5-4 record in league play and are in fifth place. Overall, New Mexico posts a 15-7 record. They play at Utah on Feb. 8 before heading to Provo for Saturday's league contest. The team has three players scoring in double figures when playing in conference games led by Katie Montgomery's team high 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Julie Briody follows with 12.8 points and 4.6 boards a contest. The third player is Dionne Marsh who contributes 11.7 points and grabs a team high 6.9 rebounds per game. Montgomery tops both the assist and steals list dishing out 33 and getting 16 steals so far this year. Head Coach Don Flanigan heads the women's basketball program at New Mexico where he is in his 12th season

NEW MEXICO Probable Starters

Pos. # Name Ht Yr PPG RPG

F 15 Timi E-Nunu 6-0 Sr 2.9 4.0

F 33 Dionne Marsh 6-0 Jr 11.7 6.9

G 13 Katie Montgomery 5-11 Sr 13.2 4.2

G 40 Julie Briody 6-0 Sr 12.8 4.6

G 41 Brandi Kimble 5-8 Jr 5.4 5.1

Stat Comparisons BYU NM

Field Goals: .430 .397

Free Throws: .582 .717

Three-Pointers: .331 .322

Points Per Game: 60.9 65.1

Rebounds Per Game: 37.6 38.5

Series History

The series between these two league teams stands at 37-20 in favor of BYU. When the Lobos play at the Marriott Center, they have a 4-22 record. The last time UNM won a league game in Provo was on Jan. 22, 2004 when they sneaked out with a 58-52 victory.

Last Meeting

In this year's first conference game, the Cougars came away with a 63-59 win at the Pit, where they hadn't won since February 3, 2001 and a 79-72 victory. In last year's games each team won on its own home court.

Media Information

Thursday Shootaround - Feb. 8, 2007

-- AFA is scheduled to practice from 11 a.m, to noon.

-- BYU will practice from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 9, 2007

-- UNM is scheduled for a two-hour practice from 9-11 a.m.

Saturday Shootaround - Feb. 10, 2007

-- UNM has a practice from 8-9 a.m.

-- BYU has a practice from 9-10 a.m.

Regular Team Practice Times

--The team practices are held at the Marriott Center MWF from 11:30 a.m., to 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday's, practice is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m., and on Thursday's it is 12:30 to 3 p.m.

-- Coach Judkins and players are available for interviews prior to or after their practices. All interviews are scheduled in advance. Norma Collett is the Media Director for the team and can be contacted by phone or email. She travels to all of the away games. Office phone is 801-422-4908, cell phone is 801-372-0989 and email is norma_collett@byu.edu

Up Next

After the two MWC home games, the Cougars go on the road for two games. They will battle the Cowgirls of Wyoming on Thurs., Feb. 15 in a 7 p.m., start. Then it's on to Ft. Collins for a game with CSU on Sat., Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.