Women's Basketball Notes--March 5

March 05, 2008

St. Thomas 27-Game Women's Basketball Notes/March 5

--UP NEXT: The Tommies (21-6 overall) received an NCAA Division III berth for the first time since 2001.  St. Thomas received one of 21 at-large invites into the 63-team NCAA playoffs -- the school's first women's hoops berth since 2001. The Toms will play Friday night at a four-team grouping in Stevens Point, Wis.

At 6 p.m., UST (20-7) faces the University of Chicago (20-5). At 8 p.m., St. Norbert (21-4) plays hosts UW-Stevens Point (24-4). Friday's winners play Saturday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to the round of 16.

--LIVE STATS: This weekend's NCAA games will have live stats from the UW-Stevens Point athletic website:

http://livestats.internetconsult.com/uwsp/wbball/

--DID YOU KNOW?: UST has a 34-16 all-time record in NCAA playoffs... St. Thomas had Division III's women's basketball's best winning percentage in the 1990s. Over the last 26 seasons, St. Thomas has posted 21 top-three MIAC finishes including 11 championships. In a 12-year span from 1991-2002, UST had 10 Kodak All-Americans and had the conference Player of the Year nine times. The Toms made 15 consecutive NCAA playoff trips from 1987-2001, won the 1991 national title and placed third nationally in 1995, 1996 and 2000.... The Tommies' 16-point win over St. Mary's in November marked the program's 600th victory in 31 seasons. UST is now 619-218 all-time, and its league-best .740 win percentage ranks in the top 10 of Division III... UST is 4-4 this season vs. teams in the NCAA playoff field -- with losses at Simpson (79-52) and to McMurry (Tex.) (70-60); and 2-1 records vs. both Carleton and Gustavus... St. Thomas, Chicago and UW-Stevens Point are three of only 12 D-III institutions to have both women's and men's teams reach the NCAA playoffs.

--POSTSEASON SAVVY: While none of the Tommies have played in an NCAA basketball tournament, senior Carrie Embree (softball), junior DeJurnett Prioleau (volleyball) and sophomore Sheena Porter-Wrzos all have high-level experience in NCAA competition. Embree was a part of two NCAA champion teams and a 34-4 postseason record over her four softball seasons. Prioleau has played in eight NCAA regional volleyball matches over three seasons. Porter-Wrzos, a two-time conference sprint champion, was a relay All-American at nationals last May.

--MIAC PLAYOFFS: In the March 1 finals, UST built an 11-point lead after halftime at home vs. Carleton but lost in overtime, 53-50. Carrie Embree had 15 points to lead the Toms. In the Feb. 27 semifinals, Tte Toms used a 17-2 game-closing run to eliminate third-seed Gustavus, 77-61. Embree scored 25 points, Jessica Katch had 12 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and five blocks, and Sheena Porter-Wrzos had 13 points and five assists.

--CONFERENCE CO-CHAMPS: St. Thomas was picked fifth in the MIAC preseason coaches' poll. UST tied for the MIAC women's basketball championship as it closed the regular season with a 56-55 home overtime win over St. Benedict on Feb. 23. The Tommies ralled from a 16-point deficit in the final 8:45 to force OT. The Blazers were held scoreless for more than eight minutes in regulation and overtime. It marks St. Thomas' first MIAC women's basketball crown in six seasons.

--PLAYOFF TALK: The Tommies have qualified for the postseason for the 21st time in 22 seasons and were in the MIAC playoffs for the seventh time in the eight-year history of the event. They had a first-round bye for just the second time... In seven all-time conference playoff trips, UST is 3-6 (0-4 on road).

--TWO-SPORT STAR: The Toms have received a huge lift this season from fifth-year senior Carrie Embree, who's playing basketball for the first time since 2002-03, her prep senior season at Waukee, Iowa. Embree is averaging 15 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 1.5 spg... Embree was a four-year standout in softball for the Tommies and is student teaching this year to complete her degree requirements... She's the lone female in MIAC history to be voted a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, selected a two-time All-American, and play on two NCAA champion teams. (Augsburg wrestler Josh Cagle is the lone male with those credentials)... In Embree's four-year era, St. Thomas softball went 169-18, including a 98-2 mark vs. conference foes. She started 146 of the Toms' last 147 softball games since 2005. She was a three-time all-conference honoree. Embree was named Division III National Player of the Week last March 28 after she led the Toms to an 11-1 finish on their spring trip to California... In 169 career games, Embree had 218 hits, 160 runs, 115 RBI, 51 walks, 30 2Bs, seven 3Bs and 16 HRs. She broke the conference record with 109 stolen bases; and closed third in conference career hits. In 53 career pitching appearances she went 14-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 171 strikeouts and 30 walks in 182 innings.

--HOT STREAK: UST has won 16 of 20 games in 2008. Coach Ruth Sinn's team reached 20 wins for the first time in six seasons. St. Thomas had 20-win campaigns in women's basketball in 14 of 15 seasons from 1987-2001... Since January 2007, the Tommies are 27-7 in MIAC play... At home, UST went 19-5 in the last two seasons... The Tommies were the lone MIAC team to win nine conference road games this season...  Carrie Embree has eight double-doubles in points and rebounds... Soph guard Sheena Porter-Wrzos missed three January games with an injury. St. Thomas is 17-1 this season when she scored five or more points. In two of the Toms' seven losses, she was held scoreless. Porter-Wrzos scored a career-high 31 points in a Feb. 6 victory over Bethel. It was the first 30-point scoring game by a Tommie women's player in four seasons. Porter missed three January games with an injury, and UST is 15-2 in its last 17 MIAC games when she has played... Carrie Embree has eight double-doubles in points and rebounds.

--MORE KATCH HONORED: St. Thomas forward Jessica Katch was named MIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 18... Katch is the lone MIAC player to rank in the top 10 of conference stats in points, rebounds, steals, assists and blocks... In 77 career games, Katch has 910 points, 527 rebounds, 258 assists, 210 steals and 51 blocks... Last season, Katch had 20 points and a school-record 10 steals and led the Tommies to one of the biggest turnarounds in Division III history with a 57-55 overtime win over Bethel. Katch had a steal and the winning points on a lay up with 24 seconds left in overtime. The Toms rallied from a 29-9 halftime deficit in that contest. The 10 steals were the most by a men's or women's player in MIAC play since 2004.

--STRONG IN 2008: The Toms went 6-0 in a 15-day stretch from Jan. 5-19 and are 16-4 since New Year's Day... UST has won 45 of the last 46 meetings with Augsburg, including 23 in a row at Schoenecker Arena... UST went 8-2 in January with a 23-point win over previous MIAC leader Carleton; an eight-point win at Bethel; the 12-point win over Augsburg; a seven-point win at Gustavus; a four-point win over Concordia; a five-point win over CSC; a six-point loss to St. Ben's; a three-point win over St. Mary's; a five-point loss to St. Olaf; and a 11-point win over Hamline... UST is 6-1 in February with a road win at Carleton, a 15-point win over Macalester; a 78-70 comeback win over Bethel; a 55-52 home loss to Gustavus; a 27-point road win at Augsburg; a 70-67 road victory at St. Catherine; a 69-63 win at Concordia... UST also has losses to nationally-ranked McMurry (Tex.) and Simpson (Iowa) and a loss to Macalester in which it was outscored 16-2 over the last 6:00.

--TWO-SPORT STAR: The Toms have received a huge lift this season from fifth-year senior Carrie Embree, who's playing basketball for the first time since 2002-03, her prep senior season at Waukee, Iowa. Embree is averaging 15 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 1.5 spg... Embree was a four-year standout in softball for the Tommies and is student teaching this year to complete her degree requirements... She's the lone female in MIAC history to be voted a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, selected a two-time All-American, and play on two NCAA champion teams. (Augsburg wrestler Josh Cagle is the lone male with those credentials)... In Embree's four-year era, St. Thomas softball went 169-18, including a 98-2 mark vs. conference foes. She started 146 of the Toms' last 147 softball games since 2005. She was a three-time all-conference honoree. Embree was named Division III National Player of the Week last March 28 after she led the Toms to an 11-1 finish on their spring trip to California... In 169 career games, Embree had 218 hits, 160 runs, 115 RBI, 51 walks, 30 2Bs, seven 3Bs and 16 HRs. She broke the conference record with 109 stolen bases; and closed third in conference career hits. In 53 career pitching appearances she went 14-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 171 strikeouts and 30 walks in 182 innings.

--RUTH SINN: Third-year Tommie head coach Ruth Sinn and her staff have made steady progress in building the Tommies back into a title contender. Sinn has a three-year record of 44-33. In 66 MIAC games under Sinn the Toms have beaten every team at least twice... In 2005-06, UST ended an eight-game losing streak to Gustavus with a 14-point win in St. Peter. Her team started 5-3 before a key injury contributed to a 10-15 finish. Last season saw the end of long losing streaks to St. Ben's and Concordia... Sinn has 21 years of high-school coaching experience, including 16 as head coach at Apple Valley High... Sinn was a standout player for the Tommie women in the early 1980s. The teams were 80-36 in her era and claimed two MIAC titles. She also was the seventh female inducted into the St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame.

--MORE PLAYER NOTES: UST went 8-2 last season when center DeJurnett Prioleau scored in double figures. Prioleau was a member of the Toms' 2007 MIAC champion and NCAA Sweet 16 volleyball team, and got a late start this basketball season... Junior guard Chelsea Wirtz has been a three-year starter and in 75 games has made 121 baskets from 3-point range. UST is 10-2 on her career when Wirtz scores 12 or more points... Sophomore guard Sheena Porter-Wrzos was a two-time MIAC sprint champ and 4x100 relay All-American for the Tommies last season... Freshman guard Becky Theisen scored nine or 10 points four times in January. She's one of three Theisen siblings competing at UST -- fifth-year senior P.J. is an Academic All-American and All-American in track and field and football; and sister Katie was a cross country All-American and likely will make Academic All-America this spring in track and field with her 4.00 gpa... Junior Jenni Gillard and sophomore Andi Olson have come off the bench to play in 52 consecutive games.

--LAST SEASON: The Toms, who finished 15-11, claimed a postseason berth for the 20th time in 21 seasons and lost in the first-round of the MIAC playoffs to Carleton. In an eight-day stretch from Feb. 10-17 they ended a seven-game losing streak vs. Concordia-Moorhead and halted an 11-game losing streak vs. St. Benedict.