WOU

RECAPPING THE WOLVES
Western Oregon finished the 2009-2010 season with an 11-19 mark overall and a 6-10 record in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, to tie for fifth place. The 11 wins were the most since WOU won 13 in 2002-2003, and the fifth-place GNAC finish was the second-best for Western in the nine years of the league’s existence. The Wolves’ overall winning percentage and conference winning percentage were the highest in seven years. WOU’s six home wins are the most since 2002-2003. Western’s three-game winning streak that lasted through late November and early December was the first streak of its kinds since the 2007-2008 season. Before that, no Western team had a three-game win streak since 2002-2003. Conversely, the Wolves lost no more than three games in a row this season. The last time that happened was the 2002-2003 season. Not counting the exhibition season, the most days Western went without a victory 18, the fewest since 2002-2003. Western also set marks for the fastest to four, six, and 11 wins this season, compared to the 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003 seasons, respectively. This season also marked the second time in six seasons that any WOU team has won three games after January.

TORLAND NAMED TO ALL-GNAC FIRST TEAM
Senior forward Katie Torland (Burns, Ore/Burns) was named to the All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference First Team this season and for the second consecutive time in her three-year WOU career. She is the second Wolf to earn back-to-back First Team honors in GNAC history; Leada Berkey was named to the first team after the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons.

Torland ranked in the top 15 in the GNAC in points (fourth, 16.1), rebounds (seventh, 6.9), free throw percentage (sixth, 82.0), steals (12th, 1.6), three-point percentage (11th, 39.3), made three-pointers per game (third, 1.9), offensive rebounds (13th, 1.8), defensive rebounds (fifth, 5.1), and minutes played (seventh, 31.3). Torland also set the GNAC record this season for free throws made (16) and free throws attempted (20) in a single game, while leading the league with 132 made free throws and finishing second in total points with 483.

FOUR PLACED ON GNAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Seniors Shayla Corder (Winchester, Ore./Roseburg), A.J. Hawk (Ontario, Ore./Ontario), and Katie Torland, along with sophomore Erika Wilson (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington), earned spots on the GNAC All-Academic Team this season. This is the second honor for Corder in as many seasons, and marks the first time for Hawk, Torland, and Wilson.

Corder has accumulated a 3.57 grade point average as a communications major over her three years with the Wolves. She will graduate in March 2010. Hawk has posted a 3.39 GPA while majoring in business and will graduate in June 2010. Torland owns a 3.26 GPA as an exercise science major and will graduate next year. Wilson leads the team with a 3.65 GPA as a business major.

NO CUPCAKES HERE
The Wolves like a good challenge, and they experienced many this season, as their schedule was the toughest in WOU Division II history. Western played 12 teams that participated in post-season play for a total of 15 games. In the Disney Tip-Off Classic, WOU met NCAA DII tournament teams Southern Indiana and Fort Lewis, which reached the national championship game. They also played San Francisco State, who made the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. They faced off against CCAA tournament participant Cal State Monterey Bay in the WOU D2/Phoenix Inn Shootout and battled NCAA DII tournament participant Cal Poly Pomona in the GNAC/CCAA Challenge. WOU also played two NCAA DII tournament teams in the Colorado School of Mines New Year’s Classic (Adams State and Colorado School of Mines). Other high-profile opponents included two Big Sky Conference members (Portland State and Weber State), and the reigning NCAA DIII national champions (George Fox). Portland State won the Big Sky tournament and earned a bid into the national tournament. George Fox made it to the Elite Eight round of the DII tournament. In GNAC play, the Wolves faced three NCAA tournament teams twice (Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Alaska Anchorage). Seattle Pacific made it all the way to the national championship quarterfinals. Northwest Nazarene was also ranked in the regional poll for the majority of the season; they were ranked 27th nationally when WOU pulled the upset in early January.

DEFENSE SPARKS TURNAROUND
This season, Western Oregon had its best record since 2002-2003, and its fifth-place finish in league play was the second-best in program history. Responsible for the turnaround was an increased commitment to the defensive end of the floor. WOU gave up 62.6 points this season, the lowest since 2001-2002. Their field goal percentage defense (.419) and three-point percentage defense (.330) were the lowest since the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons, respectively. WOU averaged 9.2 steals per game, the most since the 2001-2002 season. They also had three players with 40 or more steals, the most since 2001-2002. The Wolves forced more turnovers than they committed for the first time in eight seasons, and they rebounded 67-percent of their opponent’s misses, the fourth-highest percentage in 10 seasons.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL
Defense wasn’t the only thing the Wolves turned up this year; many of this season’s offensive numbers showed improvement, as well. This season marked the first time since 2001-2002 that WOU was not outscored by their opponents, as they scored the same amount of points they allowed on average. Western made 615 field goals this season, the most since 2001-2002. They also connected on 198 three-pointers, the most in its DII history. The 6.6 treys per game were the second highest in 10 years, and the 34-percent mark from beyond the arc is the third highest in DII history. They also set a school record for most threes made in a contest (14). The Wolves made 448 free throws on the year, the most since join DII. The 77-percent mark from the charity stripe is also a 10-year-best. The Wolves boasted eight players who scored more than 100 points this season, the most in DII history. They also assisted on 340 baskets, the most in five seasons.

SAYING GOODBYE
Western Oregon will bid farewell to three seniors: forward Katie Torland (Burns, Ore./Burns), guard Shayla Corder (Winchester, Ore./Roseburg), and forward A.J. Hawk (Ontario, Ore./Ontario). The three seniors have been huge contributors to the program’s resurgence. Torland and Corder have won the most career games (27) in three years since WOU joined the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Katie Torland leaves Western Oregon as one of the greatest players in school history at the Division II level. In her three years as a Wolf, she has amassed 1,257 points (13th-most in GNAC history), 561 rebounds, 124 assists, and 120 steals. She has 38 ten-point games and 24 twenty-or-more-point games to her name. She has played in 82 career games, starting 81, and her career scoring average of 15.3 points is a WOU DII-best. Torland is a career 41-percent shooter from the field, 37-percent from beyond the arc, and a remarkable 82-percent from the free throw line. She has made 400 field goals, 113 treys, and 344 free throws in her WOU career. Her career free throw percentage and free throws made both rank first in WOU DII history.

Shayla Corder will finish her three-year WOU career having been an integral part of the program’s amazing turnaround. She has 509 career points, 196 rebounds, and 102 assists. She has played in 80 games (39 starts) as a Wolf, and has made 181 field goals, 42 three-pointers, and 105 free throws. In her time at WOU, Corder has 15 ten-point games and three twenty-or-more-point games. She ranks in both career field goal percentage (40-percent) and free throw percentage (70-percent).

AJ Hawk spent two years as a member of the Western women’s basketball team, becoming known as the team’s inspirational leader for her unselfish contributions to the team. She played in 35 career games, starting 11. She is a career 33-percent shooter (36-for-109), and has a career 69-percent average from the charity stripe (25-for-36). Hawk has 101 career points and 81 career rebounds. She has also taken the most charges of any Western player in head coach Greg Bruce’s four-year tenure.

PLAYERS NOTES
Junior guard Sara Zahler (Newberg, Ore./Newberg) finished the year as WOU’s second-leading scorer at 8.5 points per game. She made 41-percent of her threes (43-104) and 84-percent of her free throws (61-73). She was also Western’s second-leading rebounder at 4.1 boards per game. Zahler led the team in assists (53), and was third in steals (43)... Freshmen guards Hannah Whitsett (Hermiston, Ore./Hermiston), Lorrie Clifford (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak), and Jamie Richardson (Grants Pass, Ore./Hidden Valley) provided an instant impact for the Wolves. The three finished as the third-, fourth-, and seventh-leading scorers, respectively, and all amassed over 120 points. Whitsett made 37 treys on the year and shot at a 36-percent clip from long range. Her 94-percent mark (34-36) from the charity stripe was a team-best. Clifford shot 35-percent (57-162) from the floor, and made ten three-pointers. Her 3.2 rebounds were the fourth-highest on the team, and her 38 offensive boards were third-most. Richardson finished the season shooting 39-percent (42-109) from the field and connected on 12 treys. She also led the team in steals with 48... Danielle Bellando (Eugene, Ore./Willamette) provided a spark inside, as she led the team with a 48-percent shooting mark. She ended the season averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game... Sophomore guard Erika Wilson (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) was fourth on the team in steals with 28. She also connected on 71-percent of her free throw attempts... Freshman guard Lindsey Shearer (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City) made 13-of-14 free throws, good for a 93-percent clip. She added 23 assists and 14 steals, and grabbed two rebounds per game to go along with her 2.4 points.