SBU BEARCATS (3-12, 1-7 MIAA) at NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS (8-7, 4-4 MIAA)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2010 • 1:30 PM
MARYVILLE, MO • BEARCAT ARENA
LIVE STATS: www.nwmissouri.edu/sports/womensbball/stats/xlive.htm
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SBU NOTES | NWMSU NOTES

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats will hit the road this weekend, traveling up to Maryville to take on the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats. The purple 'Cats look to end a four-game slide after suffering a narrow loss at the hands of Nebraska-Omaha. Northwest Missouri is tied for fifth in the MIAA with the UNO Mavericks.
   
Senior Rachel Graves continues to lead the Bearcats, scoring 13.0 points per game, 11th-most in the MIAA. Graves is also among the leaders in a few other key categories, including three-pointers made, (2nd, averaging 2.9 treys a game), three-point percentage, (3rd, at 40.6%) and minutes played per game (5th, with 31.3).
   
Point guard Ashleigh Gallio is one of the MIAA's top passers, averaging 3.9 assists a game, ranking her fourth among the league leaders. Courtney Heady is a key component for SBU, scoring in double figures in 8 of the last 9 games while coming off the bench. Heady's 10.7 points per game puts her 17th in the MIAA, best of any non-starter. Freshman forward Chasity Prince has come on as of late, earning just her second start of her career against UNO, putting up 14 points and five rebounds.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
SBU head coach J.C. Carter is in his second season on the bench for the Bearcats, where he has earned a career mark of 11-32. Last season, Carter led the 'Cats to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State on their own floor, and earned a berth into the MIAA Tournament.
   
Gene Steinmeyer has been head coach of the green Bearcats for eleven seasons now, and has compiled a record of 148-152 over that time. Before arriving in Maryville, Steinmeyer was coach at Doane College (Neb.) for 16 years, and has earned a career mark of 508-293. Northwest leads the all-time series, 25-20, and the recent matchups have been just as even. The two teams have split their home-and-home series the last two years. Before then, Northwest had won 12 straight against the Bearcats, although 8 of those games were either within five points or went to overtime.

SCOUTING NORTHWEST MISSOURI
The green Bearcats recently ended a three-game slide after defeating Truman on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Shelly Martin, then followed that up with a solid road win over Central Missouri. Northwest has a trio of offensive threats, in center Gentry Dietz (16.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg), and guards Gabby Curtis (14.0 ppg), and Abby Henry (12.5 ppg). Dietz also leads the MIAA with 2.3 blocked shots per game.

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
The SBU Bearcats will return home for three straight games, kicking off the homestand against Missouri Western. SBU defeated Missouri Western in the last game of the regular season to earn a berth to the MIAA Tournament. Four starters return from that Griffons' squad, led by sophomore Jessica Koch, who is among the MIAA leaders in points (15.4 ppg; 5th in MIAA), rebounds (6.7 rpg; 7th), assists (3.2 apg; 8th), steals (2.3 spg; 4th), and field goal percentage (47.6%; 2nd). Although they've gotten off to a rough start with a 5-10 overall record, the Griffons are tough at home, winning their last three conference matchups in St. Joseph.