Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics

Women's Basketball 12/16/2015 3:45:00 PM By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Storm Women Host No. 25 Azusa Pacific in PacWest Home Opener

DSU tries for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2011

Dixie State Women's Basketball vs. Azusa Pacific
Date/Time	Saturday, Dec. 19 - 1 p.m. MT - Burns Arena - St. George, Utah
TV/Radio	TV: CEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22) Radio: X 91.3 FM (Keric Seegmiller)
Game Notes	Dixie State
Live Video	Southern Utah Live ($)
Live Audio	Dixie State Athletics Stream
Live Stats	Northern Arizona Live Stats
DSU Social Media	@DixieAthletics (Twitter score updates) Facebook \| Instagram
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For just the second time this season, the Dixie State women's basketball team will play a home game Saturday when the Storm host No. 25 Azusa Pacific in the team's Pacific West Conference home opener.

Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Mountain Time inside the Burns Arena as DSU looks for its first win over APU and its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating Grand Canyon in 2011. Live coverage is scheduled on television (TDS Cable channel 22), radio (X 91.3 FM), and Internet (SouthernUtahLive.com), with Keric Seegmiller providing play-by-play.

MORE DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Senior center Taylor Mann (Castle Dale, Utah/Emery) recorded her third consecutive double-double on Saturday at Northern Arizona, finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds. She now has five double-doubles on the season and 27 career double-doubles (22 at Dixie State, 5 at BYU-Hawaii).

ALL-TIME PACWEST HOME OPENERS: Dixie State is 6-2 all-time in PacWest conference home openers. Its first PacWest home opener victory came on Jan. 3, 2009 vs. Chaminade. The Storm defeated Fresno Pacific, 79-71, in its most recent PacWest home opener last year on Dec. 13, 2014.

ALL-TIME VS. AZUSA PACIFIC: Saturday's game marks the seventh meeting between Dixie State and Azusa Pacific. The teams first met on Jan. 12, 2013 in Azusa, California. The Cougars won the inaugural matchup, 66-59, sparking a six-game win streak in the series. APU leads the overall series record at 6-0.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Azusa Pacific enters the game with an 8-2 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the PacWest. The Cougars are ranked second in the conference standings and sit at No. 25 in the NCAA DivisionII USA Today Coaches poll. Senior forward Kelly Hardeman (15.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg) leads the APU attack, while senior guard Cydnie Jones (13.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and senior forward Miriam Zabinksy (10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) also average double-figure scoring. Azusa Pacific leads the PacWest in blocked shots, averaging 5.9 blocks per game.

"We are excited to come home and play in front of our home crowd," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "We had a great second half against Northern Arizona, and we are continuing to build off of that. This has given us the momentum we need for this weekends matchup against Azusa Pacific."

LAST TIME OUT: The Storm rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit at Division I Big Sky Conference member Northern Arizona Saturday, but a game-tying buzzer beater rimmed out, sealing a 68-66 win for the Lumberjacks.

Trailing by two with 44 seconds remaining, the Storm (1-7, 1-1 PacWest) got the stop they needed to set up an opportunity to win or send the game to overtime. Head coach Jenny Thigpin called for timeout to draw up a play with seven seconds left. NAU fouled on the initial throw in, forcing DSU to call a different play. Senior guard Leslie Tademy (Phoenix, Ariz./South Mountain) took the ensuing inbounds pass, drove to the right baseline, and a fired a jumper that rimmed out as time expired.

Dixie State scored first to take its only lead of the game at 2-0 with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter, but Northern Arizona responded with a 16-4 run, keeping DSU off the board for the next seven minutes. Senior center Taylor Mann (Castle Dale, Utah/Emery) nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to break the scoreless stretch, and the first quarter ended with an 18-7 advantage for NAU.

DSU doubled its point total in the second quarter, but the Lumberjacks picked up where they left off in the first quarter, pouring in 21 points in the period to take a 39-22 lead into the halftime break.

And then the comeback was on. Senior guard Chermayne Moore (Pinole, Calif./Hercules) and sophomore guard Gabrielle Cabanero (Las Vegas, Nev./Valley) combined for three treys to spark a 14-3 run in the third quarter and the Storm cut the lead to single digits at 53-45 heading into the decisive period.

NAU pushed the lead back to 12 points to start the fourth quarter, but Moore refused to let the Storm go down easy, nailing two more 3-pointers and a pair of free throws to keep DSU within striking distance. The Lumberjacks would push the lead to double digits one final time at 68-58 with 2:58 to play and seemed destined to put the game away. This time, it was Mann's turn to take over, recording the Storm's next four baskets for a personal 8-0 run to set up Tademy's game-tying attempt that rimmed out as time expired.

Dixie State shot 31 percent (23-of-73) from the field, 28 percent (8-of-28) from beyond the arc, and 80 percent (12-of-15) from the free throw line. Mann recorded her third consecutive double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, sharing the game-high point total with Moore, who finished with 16 points and four 3-pointers. Tademy added 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while sophomore center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman) chipped in eight points and nine rebounds.

YEAR TWO FOR THIGPIN: Head Coach Jenny Thigpin begins her second season at the helm of Dixie State women's basketball. She took over last season just two weeks before the season staårted, following the departure of Catherria Turner. Thigpin was named interim head coach in November, until the "interim" was dropped in January and she became the permanent head coach. Prior to her arrival at Dixie State, Thigpin spent two seasons as an assistant at Pacific West Conference member Fresno Pacific and four years coaching at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif. As the head coach at Buchanan in 2009-10, she led the team to a 22-7 record (the most wins in school history), reaching the final four of the Central Section playoffs.Thigpin is joined by Adam Ross who returns for his second year as an assistant at Dixie State, and new assistant Teddy Fletcher, entering his first year at DSU.

2015-16 ROSTER: The Storm return four starters from last year, led by senior center Taylor Mann (Castle Dale, Utah/Emery), who averaged 11.4 points and nine rebounds per game, and senior guard Leslie Tademy (Phoenix, Ariz./South Mountain) (7.5 ppg). Tademy led the Storm in assists in the 2014-15 season with 136 assists (5.2 per game). Also returning is senior guard Chermayne Moore (Pinole, Calif./Hercules) (7.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and senior forward Brianna Jessop (Hyrum, Utah/Mountain Crest) (4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg).

Five sophomore reserves also return in guards Shantel Roberts (Rialto, Calif./Miller) (2.4 ppg), Sandria Bolden (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) (2.1 ppg), and Gabrielle Cabanero (Las Vegas, Nev./Valley) (2.0 ppg), forward Nishiki Washington (Nagasaki, Japan/Miura) (3.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg), and center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman) (1.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg). Additionally, the Storm welcome back redshirt freshman guard Tramina Jordan (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial).

Three junior college transfers join the Storm in junior guards Tomorie Sangster (Vacaville, Calif./Will C. Wood ), Aliya Davis (Everett, Wash./Woodcreek), and Cassidy Carrillo (La Mirada, Calif./St. Paul). Sangster played at Napa Valley College, averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game in two seasons. Davis played two seasons at Sierra College, where she averaged 6.6 points per game. Carrillo played at Cerritos College, averaging 8.3 points and two rebounds per game in two seasons for the Falcons.

Freshman guard Raynie Maynes (Salome, Ariz./Salome) represents the only new freshman joining the team in 2015-16. Maynes comes to Dixie State after redshirting last season at the University of Great Falls, and is the younger sister of former Dixie State guard Taylor Maynes (Salome, AZ/Salome).

STORM PICKED NINTH IN PACWEST POLL: Dixie State was picked to finish ninth in the Pacific West Conference preseason coaches poll released in October, after finishing in the same spot with a 7-13 record in conference action last year. California Baptist was picked to win the PacWest, followed by Azusa Pacific, Academy of Art, Fresno Pacific, and Point Loma in the Top-5.

UP NEXT: The Storm take a holiday break and won't return to action until Tuesday, Jan. 5 when league-leading Chaminade comes to town. Tipoff against the Silverswords is set for 5 p.m. Mountain Time.

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Players Mentioned

#24 Taylor Maynes: Guard; 5' 9"; Senior

#1 Tramina Jordan: Guard; 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Cassidy Carrillo: Guard; 5' 8"; Junior

#4 Chermayne Moore: Guard; 5' 5"; Senior

#5 Aliya Davis: Guard; 5' 6"; Junior

#11 Brianna Jessop: Forward; 5' 11"; Senior

#12 Leslie Tademy: Guard; 5' 2"; Senior

#20 Ashlee Burge: Center; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#21 Sandria Bolden: Guard; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#22 Gabrielle Cabanero: Guard; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#23 Raynie Maynes: Guard; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

#24 Tomorie Sangster: Guard; 5' 7"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#24 Taylor Maynes
: 5' 9"; Senior
: Guard

#1 Tramina Jordan
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman
: Guard

#3 Cassidy Carrillo
: 5' 8"; Junior
: Guard

#4 Chermayne Moore
: 5' 5"; Senior
: Guard

#5 Aliya Davis
: 5' 6"; Junior
: Guard

#11 Brianna Jessop
: 5' 11"; Senior
: Forward

#12 Leslie Tademy
: 5' 2"; Senior
: Guard

#20 Ashlee Burge
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: Center

#21 Sandria Bolden
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: Guard

#22 Gabrielle Cabanero
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: Guard

#23 Raynie Maynes
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman
: Guard

#24 Tomorie Sangster
: 5' 7"; Junior
: Guard