Jan. 29, 2006

- Complete St. Francis PA Game Notes in PDF Format

SECOND OF THREE: The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team visits Northeast Conference opponent St. Francis (PA) on Monday, Jan. 30. The 7:00 p.m. tip-off provides a rematch for the two squads whom met on Jan. 9, when the Red Flash edged FDU at the buzzer, 85-83.

SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS: The Red Flash enter Monday's game with three wins on the season, all of which represent conference victories. On Saturday, the NEC defending champs lost to Monmouth University, 72-62.

Senior guard Amber Hein leads St. Francis, averaging 10.43 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.1 apg. Hein also represents the Red Flash's top outside shooter, connecting on 25-of-69 three-point attempts, good for a 36.2 shooting percentage.

Junior center Beth Halter leads SFPA in rebounding, averaging 6.3 boards per game, in addition to 8.2 ppg. Freshman forward Kanisha Garrett poses another threat on the block, averaging 6.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg.

Nine different Red Flash players have started a minimum of two games. Hein leads the squad averaging 39.2 minutes per contest.

VERSUS SFPA ON JAN. 9: The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team hosted St. Francis (PA) on Monday night, Jan. 9 in the Rothman Center, falling 85-83 at the buzzer to the defending NEC champions.

The Knights jumped out to an early 12-5 lead on the strength on a 10-2 surge. Sophomore guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY) energized the Knights with a hoop and the foul, completing the old-fashioned three-point play.

The 5-foot-8 guard went to the charity stripe three times in the opening 20 minutes, splashing home all of her attempts en route to a team-high 17 points in the first-half. Freeman matched her previous career-high in points by the end of the first-half and pushed on to pour in 21 points, three assists and two steals.

With Freeman shooting 7-of-10 from the field early in the contest and the Knights securing a 22-9 lead, Fairleigh Dickinson went on the offensive on the block, powered by sophomore forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD) and freshman Katie Warehime (Littlestown, PA). The tandem would strike for a combined 23 points on the night, with Walkling recording 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Warehime chipped in nine points and four steals.

Coach Sandy Gordon's squad forced the Red Flash into committing 27 turnovers in the game.

Sophomore point guard Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA) recorded two career highs and Knight individual season-highs with eight assists and six steals, in addition to scoring eight points.

The Knights would take a 44-39 advantage into halftime, despite St. Francis out-rebounding FDU, 23-18, in the first-half.

Senior guard Krissy Suckow (East Brunswick, NJ) provided the Knights with a second scoring threat from the perimeter with 10 points. The senior also contributed six assists, four rebounds and two steals.

The Red Flash were led by freshman guard Shawna Scott (Baltimore, MD) and junior center Beth Halter (South Milwaukee, WI), whom recorded 12 and 22 points, respectively.

Freshman forward Kanisha Garrett (Gaithersburg, MD) scored the game-winning basket as time expired.

THE SERIES: The Red Flash won the first meeting versus Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 9 in the Rothman Center, 85-83. St. Francis (PA) holds a 23-13 advantage in the all-time series. The Knights' most recent victory came on Jan. 27, 2001, with a 62-59 win.

NEXT UP: The Knights play the third of three-straight road contests, taking on Monmouth at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. The intrastate conference battle is the first of two meetings this season.

LAST CONTEST: The Knights held the lead for all but a combined 2:58 in Saturday's game in the Sewall Center on the campus of Robert Morris University. Despite 16-point performances by sophomore forward Jennifer Walkling and senior guard Krissy Suckow, the Knights were edged in the final minute of play, 68-65.

FDU (4-12, 1-7 NEC) opened the game on a 4-0 run, following lay-ins by sophomore guard Shanay Freeman and junior guard .

Robert Morris (11-6, 7-1 NEC) quickly responded, netting five-straight points, led by junior guard Natasha Summerville punctuating the run by canning a three-pointer. Fairleigh Dickinson's Suckow answered with a three-ball of her own, as the Knights went on a 5-0 spurt, pushing their lead to 9-4.

The Colonials knotted the game at 15-15 following a lay-up by senior forward Tess Cooley at 11:05. Fairleigh Dickinson immediately fired back, as sophomore guard grabbed an offensive rebound and popped a jumper in the lane to retake the lead at 17-15. On FDU's next possession, Kirkland, who finished with nine points and eight rebounds, drove the lane for a lay-in, pushing the margin to 19-15.

At 4:54, Walkling ripped down an offensive board, converting the put-back to earn the Knights' their largest lead during the opening 20 minutes at 28-23. The sophomore battled down low, tallying 10 points in the first-half, converting 4-of-6 opportunities at the charity stripe. The 6-foot forward notched her second-straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

At halftime, Fairleigh Dickinson held a 35-31 lead, fueled by a 48.3 percent shooting percentage, in addition to out-rebounding RMU, 25-23.

Freeman drained a long deuce on the baseline to open FDU's scoring in the second-half, en route to posting 12 points and eight rebounds. However, Robert Morris pressed on to close the gap to 41-40 after junior guard Natasha Summerville's trey at 15:28.

The Knights went on an 11-4 surge in a 3:54 interval, sparked by four field goals in five-consecutive possessions. Suckow, who played all 40 minutes, converted old-fashioned three-point play at 15:03 to begin the offensive outburst which ended with Fairleigh Dickinson holding a 52-44 advantage.

Cooley hit 1-of-2 free throws with 2:43 remaining, as the Colonials took their first lead since 16:46 in the first-half, at 62-61. Suckow followed her own miss at the 1:42 mark, grabbed the rebound, and dropped in a lay-up to regain the lead at 63-62.

Senior guard DeSheyna Perry swiped a pass and converted a lay-up with 50 seconds remaining, shifting RMU ahead until the final buzzer.

LUCKY 7'S: Sophomore forward Jennifer Walkling ripped down seven offensive boards at Robert Morris University on Jan. 28, marking the second-straight game where the six-foot power forward grabbed seven rebounds on the offensive glass.

In the Knights' last two contests, Walkling has notched double-doubles with 10 rebounds at RMU as well as Sacred Heart on Jan. 25. Versus the Colonials, the sophomore scored 16 points, notching 15 against the Pioneers.

PROTOTYPICAL KNIGHT: Sophomore forward Jennifer Walkling broke out on Jan. 25 in FDU's 76-55 loss to conference-leader Sacred Heart University. The power forward recorded five then-season-highs versus the Pioneers, including: points, rebounds, field goals made, field goals attempted and minutes.

In 30 minutes of action, Walkling posted 15 points and 10 boards, marking the Knights' second double-double of the season, and first of 2006. The six-foot sophomore converted 6-of-11 field goals, grabbing a Knight season-high of seven offensive rebounds.

PROTECTING THE HOOP: Junior forward Mercedez Walker matched her career-high of six blocks versus St. Francis (NY) on Jan. 20. Walker paces the NEC with a rate of 2.8 blocks a game.

The 6-foot-3 defensive stud poses a threat to set the FDU single-season record for blocks, as she is on pace for 75 blocks this season. The current record is held by Janice Reaves' 69 swats in the 1980-81 season.

Walker is one block away from tenth-place on the Knights' career blocks list, with 59 in her career. The junior entered the season with 14 rejections in 25 games.

TICKLING THE TWINE: Senior guard Krissy Suckow poured in a season-high 17 points in the Knight's first conference victory over St. Francis (NY) on Jan. 20. In a season-best 38 minutes, Suckow also converted 7-of-9 shots from the charity stripe, marking two other season-highs.

FRESHMEN FIREPOWER: The duo of freshmen forwards Heather Coombs and Katie Warehime carried the FDU offense versus Quinnipiac on Jan. 16.

Coombs knocked down a career-high two three-pointers in two attempts, en route to her best scoring performance of the season with 11 points. Her ability to shoot from the outside and post inside - collecting a team-best and career-high five rebounds - enabled Warehime to get to work down on the block.

The 6-foot-1 forward shot 2-for-4 from the field, in addition to getting to the charity stripe seven times. Warehime, a 71.6 percent shooter from the line - good for 11th in the NEC - hit six free throws to register 11 points.

HOME STATE HOT STREAK: Junior forward Mercedez Walker returned home to Connecticut on Jan. 14 against Central Connecticut State University and impressed Fairleigh Dickinson fans with the best offensive performance of her career.

The 6-foot-3 forward dropped in six field goals for a new career-high, notching a personal-best 12 points. Walker's 12 shots also marked a new high, in addition to her career-high 26 minutes.

ON THE RISE: The Knights posted five new team-highs versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, hard evidence of the strides the team has made over its first 11 games.

FDU's ball movement was smooth, as the team dropped in 32 field goals in 75 attempts. The open shots were a direct result of 24 assists and a season-low 15 turnovers.

The defense stepped up with 22 steals, however could not slow down the Red Flash's 56.4 field goal percentage, including 63.6 percent from long range and 80 percent from the foul line.

SHOOTER'S TOUCH: Sophomore guard Shanay Freeman zoned in versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, taking her game to a new level. The Laurelton, NY-native found her stroke from the outside, as well as successfully penetrating the lane to get to the charity stripe, draining 7-of-10 field goals in the first-half.

The sophomore's 17 first-half points matched her previous career high versus Wagner set last Feb. 2. Freeman hit 5-of-7 free throws and connected on 8-of-13 field goals for 21 points in 32 minutes of floor time. The guard also grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and grabbed two steals.

POST POWER: Fairleigh Dickinson's inside game caught fire when the Knights hosted St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9. The starting front court - junior Mercedez Walker and sophomore Nikki Lockhart - combined for 15 points and 13 boards. Walker notched eight points, seven rebounds and a career-high three steals. Lockhart tallied seven points and six rebounds.

The Knights' success down low continued when Head Coach Sandy Gordon substituted fresh legs into the game in sophomore Jennifer Walkling and freshman Katie Warehime. Walkling played a then-season-high 20 minutes, recording 14 points and eight boards, while Warehime contributed nine points, four steals and three rebounds.

When the final buzzer sounded, the foursome posted a combined 38 points, 24 rebounds, and nine steals in 80 minutes.

DIRECTING THE FLOW: Sophomore point guard Megan Kirkland truly embodied the role of her position versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, looking to pass first and score second. The sophomore recorded a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, on her way to posting two career-highs and Knight season-highs. FDU's floor general notched eight assists, in addition to six steals versus the Red Flash.

Kirkland also splashed in two three-pointers in four attempts, en route to eight points during a team-high 37 minutes.

NEC ELITE: The Knights rank fifth in the conference averaging 63.0 points per game. Defensively, FDU leads the NEC in blocked shots with 4.8 per game and 12.8 spg.

OWNING THE LANE: Junior forward Mercedez Walker proved one of the Knights' strong points in a physical contest versus Princeton University on Dec. 30. The 6-foot-3 intimidator put forth a season and-career-high 25 minutes, single-handedly defending All-Ivy League center Becky Brown.

Walker stepped up versus a dominating trio of Tiger post players, recording a game-high five blocks on the evening, in addition to ripping down a team-high seven rebounds. The defensive stalwart also chipped in a team-leading nine points, two steals and two assists.

Walker capped off her evening by draining her first-ever collegiate three-pointer.

A TOUGH WALK: The return of physical forward Jennifer Walkling to the Knights' lineup sparked FDU's post game versus Lafayette College, as the sophomore dropped in five points on 2-for-2 shooting in the first-half. Walkling finished the contest with 13 minutes of floor time, notching seven points, two rebounds and one block.

Through nine games this season, Walkling has posted season-highs of 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

FAST TIMES AT FDU: The Knights have begun three games this season with a bang. After running out to a 24-18 lead at Mount St. Mary's, Fairleigh Dickinson took a 17-5 advantage in the game's opening 10 minutes at Lafayette College. Hosting St. Francis (PA), FDU jumped out to a 22-9 advantage.

In those three match-ups, Head Coach Sandy Gordon's squad made runs for a combined 63-24 scoring outburst.

ROLLING: Freshman forward Katie Warehime continues to build on her early season success, racking up a career-high 19 points in 27 minutes at Barry University on Dec. 4. In her NEC debut at Mount St. Mary's, the post player poured in a team-high 18 points.

On Dec. 11, the forward was named Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week, marking the second occasion this season.

In FDU's 11 games, Warehime ranks third on the squad with 9.5 ppg and has proven the Knights' leading scorer in four outings this season. Her 17.6 minutes per game top the Knights 11-player bench.

FRESHMEN FLOOR TIME: A youthful Knights' squad made significant strides versus the University of Miami, with five freshmen seeing double-digit minutes versus the home-standing Hurricanes.

Forward Katie Warehime sparked FDU with 13 points off the bench, including a 6-6 performance from the foul line.

Forwards Ashley Hayes and Jessica Naquin recorded career-high point totals with four and five points, respectively. The tandem also tallied career-highs in minutes, with Hayes playing 18 and Naquin 21.

Forward Heather Coombs matched her career-high minutes with 12, while setting a rebounding high with three.

SNEAKY SHANAY: Sophomore guard Shanay Freeman set a career-high in steals with five versus The University of Miami on Dec. 2. Freeman's new personal best came only two days after matching her previous career-high of four steals at St. John's University on Nov. 30.

ROLE PLAYER: Katie Warehime was named the Northeast Conference Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week, for the first time on Nov. 28.

Warehime came off the bench to score double-figure points in the Knights' 75-64 win over Binghamton. The Littlestown, PA native dropped in 14 points, posted a team-high eight rebounds, registered four steals, while shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes.

Her performance marked the second occasion the freshman dropped in 10-straight points to spark the Knights this season.

PLAYING BIG: Megan Kirkland notched her first career double-double versus Columbia with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The sophomore has proven more than just Coach Sandy Gordon's floor general, averaging a 4.2 rpg and an NEC-best 2.8 steals per contest.

Kirkland also averages 8.6 ppg. The 5-6 point guard is registering 28.5 minutes per game, shooting 37.0 percent from three-point land on 46 attempts, and dishing out 3.1 assists.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: In her collegiate debut at University of Maryland - Baltimore County's Retriever Classic, forward Rachel Ormsby turned some heads in her sixth-man role, averaging 15.5 minutes per game. The freshman scored a team-high 15 points versus Columbia University on Nov. 19, in addition to notching six rebounds. The following day in the championship game, Ormsby contributed seven points and three rebounds in the Knights' loss to UMBC.

At 6-2 she has proven an outside threat, posting a 68.3 shooting percentage (7-12) from behind the arc and is 11-for-26 from the field.

Her exceptional tournament performance garnered NEC Choice Hotels Rookie of the Week honors in the first week of the season.

SETTING THE BAR: Junior forward Mercedez Walker shattered her previous career-high of two blocks versus Columbia. The junior tallied six stuffs in the contest to accompany her seven points and five rebounds. Her 11-point performance against UMBC the following day also set a career-high.

Walker continued her defensive dominance at Barry University on Dec. 4, notching four blocks, then again on Dec. 30 at Princeton, the forward tallied five.

The junior averages an NEC-leading 2.8 swats per game.

SENIOR SHOW: Lone senior Krissy Suckow was named to the UMBC Retriever Classic All-Tournament team following an impressive two-game performance. The guard averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds en route to the Knights' runner-up finish.

COACH QUOTES:

Columbia (11/19):

• "She's our floor general and it all starts with the point guard," Coach Sandy Gordon said. "Megan (Kirkland) got us going and put forth a solid all-around performance at both ends of the court."

• "We got some big minutes off the bench from our freshmen," Gordon said. "I'm going to play a lot of freshmen because we're so young and it's good to see different people step up at various times."

• "Coming off a season like last year, the win is huge," Gordon said. "The team has worked so hard and notching this win as a result of that diligence provides a huge confidence builder."

Binghamton (11/23):

• "This is a lot of firsts, winning at home and winning the home opener," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "This is a huge win going into a tough stretch. We knew they were going to be good, so this is a good win going into the holiday."

• "The difference between last year and this year is our depth and our tempo," Gordon said. "We try to push the ball in transition. From day one we've been harping on intensity and solid defense."

St. John's (11/30):

• "Tonight was a great effort - a great effort for 30 minutes," Gordon said. "Unfortunately, games are 40 minutes long and we got killed on the boards. As young as we are, to play with a team like that, it's a positive."

• "They had a ton of points off put backs," Gordon said. "They made their run off the offensive boards. Regardless, we'll take this experience and build from here."

Mount St. Mary's (12/10):

• "Katie (Warehime) had a big game," Gordon said. "For her to come in and leave an impact the way she has in seven games has been a huge lift."

• "That's NEC basketball," Gordon said. "Every game is close. We got down 14 points but we still competed and didn't quit. The bottom line is 32 turnovers won't get it done."

Quinnipiac (1/7):

• "It's a disappointing loss," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "It was a game of runs and we had too many mistakes at key points, particularly turnovers at critical times. We missed too many lay-ups and in NEC basketball the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win the game."

St. Francis NY (1/20):

• "Tonight we played well with the lead," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "We played to win and the result was a victory. We finally got the monkey off our back and got a big win, which is a huge boost to our confidence."

• "That (Kirkland's three-pointer with 1:22 remaining) was a huge shot," Gordon continued, "Especially because of the way we have a tendency to give up leads late. We changed up the line-up a bit and Meg provided a spark off the bench with her confident shooting."

• "The win's even sweeter because it was televised (on Fox Sports Network - New York)," Gordon said. "We play hard regardless of whether it's on TV but we've been fighting and battling to get a win for (Assistant) Coach (Joymarie) Swanson, who we know was at home watching. Above all, it's great to see the kids smiling."

Robert Morris (1/28):

• "It's a heart-breaking loss," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "We did everything right, but come out on the right side of the scoreboard. It was a great effort, but we just came up short in the end - turnovers and missed foul shots cost us."

RULE OF 10: FDU remained close in nearly every contest last season, but couldn't seem to catch a break. How close were they? A total of 18 of their school-record 25 losses were by 10 or fewer points.

PRESEASON POLL: The Knights were chosen to finish tenth in the NEC preseason coaches poll, according to a vote of the league's head coaches. The rankings and preseason all-conference team were announced during a media teleconference with coaches.

The Knights, who ended last season 2-25 overall with a 1-17 mark in league action, finished ahead of only ahead of Staten Island's Wagner College.

The squad ended the season short of the conference tournament for only the second time in Coach Gordon's six seasons as Fairleigh Dickinson.

THE COACHES: Head Coach Sandy Gordon enters her seventh season with the Knights. She has led her team to the NEC Tournament in four of her six seasons manning the bench, with the team bowing out in the first round in each of those tournaments. Gordon expects her squad of 13 underclassmen to be competitive in every game.

In her first two seasons at St. Francis (PA), Head Coach Jill Poe has compiled a 46-16 overall record and a 40-2 mark against league schools. Poe, the fifth coach in Saint Francis history, led the 2004-05 edition of the Red Flash to 21 wins, tied for fifth-most in school history.

Last year, SFPA rattled off 11-straight wins and a 16-2 record to claim its fourth-consecutive NEC regular season title. Poe claimed Saint Francis' ninth postseason tournament title in ten years and advancing to its ninth NCAA Tournament.

In her first season in 2003-04, Poe led Saint Francis to a school-record 25 wins and the third undefeated full season in Northeast Conference history.

Prior to her record-setting inaugural season in Loretto, PA, Poe served as an assistant at Duquesne University. She joined the Duquesne staff in 1997 and helped direct the Dukes to a composite record of 98-101 during her seven years at the Atlantic 10 school, including a 19-9 mark during the 1997-98 season.