Nov. 12, 2007

THIS WEEK: Saint Louis women's basketball (0-1) makes the first of 17 2007-08 road trips this week, traveling to Akron on Wednesday, Nov. 14, for a non-conference clash with the Zips that starts at 6 p.m. (CT). The Billikens return to the Bauman-Eberhardt Center on Sunday, Nov. 18, to host defending WNIT champion Wyoming in a 2 p.m. tipoff.

FOLLOWING THE ACTION: All home games may be followed live on GameTracker on SLU's official website, www.slubillikens.com. Also, 11 Saint Louis women's basketball games will be shown on the Internet via the Billiken All-Access Channel. Those games are remaining home contests against Wyoming (Nov. 18), Duquesne (Jan. 16), Rhode Island (Jan. 23), Richmond (Jan. 26), La Salle (Feb. 10), Massachusetts (Feb. 16) and Temple (Feb. 27), and road tilts at Kansas (Dec. 2) and Dayton (March 1). Tickets may be purchased at the gate, on-line at www.slubillikens.com or by calling the Billiken Ticket Office at (314) 977-4SLU.

LAST TIME OUT: Hayley Leake's layup in the waning seconds of regulation sent the game into overtime, but Hampton dominated the extra period and escaped the Bauman-Eberhardt Center with a 71-57 victory on Sunday in the Billikens' season opener. Katie Paganelli tallied 14 points and eight rebounds, while Amanda Kemezys chipped in 11 points and eight boards. Saint Louis claimed an 84-59 exhibition-game win over Missouri Baptist last Wednesday as Jackie Gilbert topped the Bills' scoring chart with 15 points. Hope Elam, Amanda Kemezys and Leake joined Gilbert in double digits with 14, 11 and 10 points, respectively. Leake dished out eight assists and Katie Paganelli snared 11 rebounds.

SCOUTING AKRON: The Zips started two true freshmen and two sophomores in a 67-55 loss at Michigan in their season opener last Saturday. Freshman guard Keyla Snowden was 4-of-8 from 3-point range and led all players with 18 points, while sophomore guard Sarah Tokodi scored 14 points and freshman guard Kara Murphy added 11. Tokodi, a Mid-American Conference All-Freshman team selection last season, and junior forward Lauren Stephenson are the only two returning starters from last year's squad that went 10-19 overall and 3-13 in the MAC. Head coach Jodi Kest, who is in her 16th campaign overall and second season at Akron, owns a 236-173 career record.

THE AKRON SERIES: The SLU-Akron series is tied 1-1. The Billikens hammered the Zips 85-58 in the season opener in St. Louis last season behind 21 points from Katie Paganelli and 18 points apiece from Amanda Kemezys and Theresa Lisch. Akron captured a 79-70 win on Nov. 22, 1998, in a game played in Bloomington, Ind.

SCOUTING WYOMING: The Cowgirls return all five starters and five additional letter winners from last year's team that posted a school-record 27 wins (27-9) en route to winning the WNIT title. Wyoming was 11-5 (tied for second) in the Mountain West Conference. Senior forward Hanna Zavecz garnered All-MWC first-team honors a year ago, and senior forward Justyna Podsiemska was named to the All-MWC third team while also earning the league's Newcomer of the Year award. The Cowgirls outscored Idaho State 46-29 in the second half and breezed to a 76-50 triumph in their season opener last Friday. Wyoming hosts Kansas State on Thursday before visiting the Bauman-Eberhardt Center. Head coach Joe Legerski is in his fifth season at the helm and takes a 76-48 record into the Kansas State game.

THE WYOMING SERIES: The Billikens and Cowgirls will be meeting for the first time this Sunday.

HEAD COACH Shimmy Gray-Miller: Third-year head coach Shimmy Gray-Miller, who recently signed a contract extension that will keep her at Saint Louis through the 2011-12 campaign, has the Billiken program headed in the right direction. Inheriting a team that won only four games the year before, her first SLU squad went just 7-20, but Gray-Miller led the 2006-07 Bills to a 13-17 record that included the program's first conference tournament victory since 2002, a 69-61 win over Richmond. Part of last season's record were nine single-digit defeats, including a one-point loss to Xavier in the Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals; two-point losses to Saint Joseph's, Weber State and Miami (Ohio); and a seven-point loss to nationally ranked Arkansas. Gray-Miller is the sixth head coach in Saint Louis women's basketball history and carries a 20-38 career record.

CHAIFETZ ARENA: The new Chaifetz (SHAY-fetz) Arena is slated to open in April 2008. The arena will have a seating capacity of 10,600 and is being built on the SLU campus at the corner of Laclede and Compton avenues. It will function as a true multi-purpose campus events center, hosting a myriad of SLU events including men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, commencement, cultural events, conferences and conventions. The arena will house the department of athletics' offices as well as a practice facility for the basketball and volleyball teams.

LISCH ON THE LIST: Atlantic 10 Conference head women's basketball coaches and media representatives selected sophomore guard Theresa Lisch to the 2007-08 preseason All-Conference third team. Saint Louis was picked to finish ninth in the conference race.

THEY'RE BACK: Lisch is one of four starters and eight letterwinners returning from last year's team. The senior class is comprised of guards Jackie Gilbert and Hayley Leake and forward Heather King, while forward Jameela Haynes is the team's lone junior. Lisch is joined in the sophomore class by forward/guard Maggie Hennegan, guard Katie Paganelli, forward Amy Klotz and center Amanda Kemezys.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Coach Gray-Miller added two freshmen to the 2007-08 Billiken roster. Forward Hope Elam averaged 22.6 points and 13 rebounds, garnered a spot on the Illinois All-State third team and was an Illinois Miss Basketball finalist last season. Forward Lauren Woods averaged 15.8 points and was a fourth-team choice on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State team a year ago.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Billiken freshmen accounted for 96 of the team's 150 starts last season, which translates into 64 percent. Maggie Hennegan led the way, drawing the starting nod in all 30 contests, while Theresa Lisch started 28 games. Nearly 68 percent of the Bills' scoring was produced by the freshman class.

HOPE IS A DANGEROUS THING: Freshman forward Hope Elam (Champaign, Ill./Central) had two points and four rebounds in eight minutes off the bench against Hampton ... was 6-of-10 from the floor, scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds (four offensive) in 16 minutes off the bench against Missouri Baptist.

JACK ON TRACK: Senior guard Jackie Gilbert (Jonesboro, Ark./Jonesboro) tallied seven points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal while playing a career-high 41 minutes against Hampton ... drew a starting assignment against Missouri Baptist and responded with a game-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, four assists, one steal and just one turnover in 24 minutes.

WAIT `TIL WE GET OUR HAYNES ON YOU: Junior forward Jameela Haynes (Miami, Fla./Pace) did not play against Hampton ... played six minutes in a reserve role against Missouri Baptist, going 2-of-2 at the free-throw line and collecting a rebound.

HENNEGAN, BEGIN AGAIN: Sophomore forward/guard Maggie Hennegan (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) started against Hampton and tallied three points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal in 24 minutes ... had seven points, three rebounds and an assist in 18 minutes off the bench against Missouri Baptist.

AK-55 HITS THE TARGET: Sophomore center Amanda Kemezys (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) turned in career highs in free throws (five), free-throw attempts (six) and minutes (32) against Hampton ... scored 11 points, tied for game-high rebounding honors with eight boards (four offensive) and added two blocks and an assist in that game ... netted 11 points, collected a game-high five blocks and added eight rebounds, three assists and a steal in 20 minutes as a starter against Missouri Baptist.

THE KING AND I: Senior forward Heather King (Palos Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) posted three points, three rebounds (two offensive) and a steal in nine minutes off the bench against Hampton ... enjoyed a productive 15 minutes off the bench against Missouri Baptist, posting six points, seven rebounds (four offensive) and an assist.

KLOTZ PLAYED LOTS: Sophomore forward Amy Klotz (St. Louis, Mo./Notre Dame) collected six points, six rebounds (four offensive) and an assist in 18 reserve minutes against Hampton ... started and played 16 minutes against Missouri Baptist, tossing in six points to go with two rebounds and a steal.

LEAKE IS UNIQUE: Senior guard Hayley Leake (Silex, Mo./Silex) tied her career high of 40 minutes in the Hampton game and contributed nine points, three rebounds and three assists ... started and played a team-high 34 minutes against Missouri Baptist ... tallied 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added eight assists and seven rebounds while committing only two turnovers.

SWISH FOR LISCH: Sophomore guard Theresa Lisch (Belleville, Ill./Althoff) did not play against Hampton or Missouri Baptist due to injury.

PAGS TO RICHES: Sophomore guard Katie Paganelli (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) played a game- and career-high 41 minutes against Hampton ... scored a team-high 14 points, gathered eight rebounds (tying her career best and tying for the game high) and distributed three assists in that contest ... played 28 minutes in a starting role against Missouri Baptist ... grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and added nine points, six assists and a steal.

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET: Freshman forward Lauren Woods (Belleville, Ill/Belleville East) saw 12 minutes off the bench and notched two points, two assists and a rebound against Hampton ... played 21 minutes in a reserve role against Missouri Baptist and contributed four points, three rebounds and an assist.

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