GAME INFO: The Dixie State women's basketball plays at home for the first time this season on Saturday when they welcome Point Loma Nazarene University to the Burns Arena for an afternoon Pacific West Conference matinee. The game will have live stats, live audios and live video, with the links available on DixieAthletics.com.
John Potter, "Voice of the Red Storm," will cover play by play via DixieAthletics.com Showcase and 91.3 FM.
ALL-TIME vs. PLNU: DSU leads the all-time series 2-0. Both matchups took place last season, with the most recent a 67-65 DSU win on 3/2/13 in San Diego, Calif. The previous meeting in Burns Arena one year ago (12/15/12), had the Red Storm run away from Point Loma 80-63.
LAST TIME AGAINST the SEA LIONS:
Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial ) (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial ) worked her magic on Saturday afternoon by hitting a buzzer beating shot to give Dixie State a 67-65 win over Point Loma Nazarene in Golden Gymnasium. Brown also earned her 16th double double of the season with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Erica Hayes (East Palo Alto, CA/Menlo-Atherton) (East Palo Alto, CA/Menlo-Atherton) and
Kaylah Miller (San Diego, CA/La Jolla Country Day) (San Diego, CA/La Jolla Country Day) each scored in double figures with 15 and 14 points respectively. In game that featured eleven ties and five lead changes, it appeared the last team with the ball was going to win and this time is was the heroics of Brown. Brown gave the Red Storm the 63-61 lead with 1:35 left in regulation. Jessica Escorza missed a jumper, but the Callie Rhoads put back tied the game at 63-63 with 1:16 left. On the ensuing Storm possession,
Becca Thomas (Riverside, CA/Redwood) missed a jumper with 49-second left, but Hayes gobbled up the rebound and proceeded to hit a jumper to give DSU the 63-65 lead with 45 seconds remaining. The Sea Lions worked the ball around and Escorza was fouled with 25-second left and would be forced to make two free throws to tie the game. She knocked down both and the Red Storm would have the ball for the win or force the overtime with the last shot. The Red Storm worked the ball around to
Becca Thomas (Riverside, CA/Redwood) for a jumper at the free throw line with less than two seconds left. Her shot was short and hit the bottom corner of the hoop and the backboard and looked to be heading out of bounds, but Brown snagged the ball on the baseline and as she fell out of bounds, turned and shot the ball from out of bounds up and over the top corner of the backboard. SWISH!!!! Her shot found nothing but net for the win as Brown's teammates stormed the court in joy. That offensive rebound was Dixie State's 22nd of game as it dominated on the glass 50-37, including 22-6 in offensive boards and 22-8 in second chance points.
LAST TIME OUT: Setting a school record for points in a game with 42 points, senior guard
Haley Holmstead (American Fork, UT/American Fork) (American Fork, UT/American Fork) led the Dixie State University women's basketball team to a 86-84 Pacific West Conference victory over Fresno Pacific University on Saturday afternoon in the FPU Events Center in Fresno. Holmstead (14-21) scored her most important basket of the game with just 10 seconds left in the game that gave DSU (2-5/1-1 PWC) the courageous hard fought victory over Fresno Pacific (0-7/0-1 PWC). The Red Storm trailed at intermission by five points, allowing three first half three-pointers to help the Sunbirds take the 46-41 lead. In the second half FPU added a basket and a free throw to take its largest lead of the game at 49-41 with 18:53 remaining.
Brianna White (Phoenix, AZ/Tolleson Union) (Phoenix, AZ/Tolleson Union) found the net for three of her 20 points to cut into the Sunbird lead and send the Red Storm on an 8-2 lead. FPU maintained their lead over the next thirteen minutes before a Holmstead jumper with 7:18 gave DSU the lead for good. Off the bench Red Strom center Haleigh Emerine scored a career-high 12 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for her first double double of the season. The 16 rebounds were a Red Storm high for the season that helped them outrebound FPU 44-39. DSU shot 43.7 percent from the field to 45.5 percent for the Sunbirds.
TURNER TIME: "Early in the season not a big deal, but the big difference is in preparation between games." On Point Loma – "They average 20-something threes a game. We need to have a hand in their face and we don't wont to let them get hot. We need to just play our game and focus on our defense. Its hard to win a game when the other team is scoring 80, we have to hold them to 65. We have focused on that this past week and holding ourselves accountable for the little things."
SCOUTING POINT LOMA: PLNU is 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the PacWest. The last time out they defeated Dominican 78-46 on the road. They average 61.4 ppg and one third of their shots come from behind the arc. They shoot .341 percent from downtown and .329 from the field. They are led in scoring by Callie Rhoads at 17.7 ppg and Abby Boorman at 6.3 rpg. Two other players average double figures in points, as the lion's share of the offense runs through Rhoads, Jessica Escorza, and Savannah Erskine.
RED STORM NOTES: After going 1-1 last week, the Red Storm improved to 2-2 and return home for the first time this season. DSU averages 71.7 ppg, with
Haley Holmstead (American Fork, UT/American Fork) leading the way at 25.2 ppg.
Kaylah Miller (San Diego, CA/La Jolla Country Day) continues to help lead the Red Storm with 13.0 ppg. Newcomer Haleigh Emerine had a breakout game against Fresno Pacific earning her first double double as a member of the Red Storm with 12 points and 16 rebounds. She averages 5.5 ppg and 8.3 rebounds per game. The DSU team has been focusing on the lock down on the defense side and playing more of a physical style.
