Coatney's Call: Saint Mary's Preview

#21 Nebraska (2-0) vs. Saint Mary's (2-1)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 - Time: 2:05 p.m.(CST)
Site: Lincoln, Nebraska - Devaney Center
Nebraska Radio: Husker Sports Network  (Matt Coatney-Play-by-Play; Jeff Griesch-Color Analyst) -105.3 KLNC -Lincoln (WOW-FM); 93.3 KTWI (Twister 93.3 FM)-Omaha and available to our entire 24-station network.
Internet: Live Radio on Huskers.com 

Huskers Close Homestand Saturday with Gaels
I've seen some pretty gutty efforts through the years of calling sports on television and radio, but the performance of Husker senior guard Dominique Kelley Wednesday night ranks right up there with the toughest I've witnessed.  Coming off recent arthroscopic knee surgery, Kelley  played 31 minutes, tied her career high with nine rebounds and added a career high 25 points to lead Nebraska to a 99-85 win over the talented Miami Hurricanes.  If you've ever watched 'Nique play, you know she doesn't get a lot of uncontested baskets.  All of her 25 were what I call 'lunch pail' points.  She scored 11 at the free throw line and had seven highly contested two-point baskets.  Big 12 Freshman of the Week Jordan Hooper continued her amazing play early in her career.  The 6'2" forward from Alliance had 22 points, six rebounds and hit four three-pointers.  5-9 sophomore point guard Lindsey Moore erupted for 22 points, hit a pair of triples and added nine assists.  6'3" senior Catheryn Redmon posted the fourth double-double of her career with 14 points and 13 rebounds.  With the win, 21-st ranked Nebraska extended its regular season winning streak to 33 games and stretched its home court winning streak to 22 games, including 19 straight home wins by double digits.  Next up for the Huskers is a Saturday afternoon meeting in Lincoln with the Saint Mary's Gaels.
 
Any conversation about Saint Mary's begins with 6'4" senior forward Louella Tomlinson.  She holds the NCAA Division I record for career blocked shots with 527.  She is the first Gael to ever be named to the Naismith preseason watch list.  Tomlinson  is the two-time West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and has set NCAA Division I records for blocks in each of her three seasons.  Last year she averaged 16.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg and had 20 double-doubles.  In Saint Mary's 70-46 win over Drake Thursday night in Des Moines, Tomlinson posted 13 points, six rebounds and seven blocked shots.  
 
Besides Tomlinson, SMC returns four starters from last season, although junior forward Ashlee Smith has not played yet this season due to a foot injury. Smith started every game last season and led all WCC players in field goal percentage (.609).  She averaged 10.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg.  5-8 junior guard Jasmine Smith  has been the leading scorer through the first three games of the season for Saint Mary's.  She had 24 career-high points in a season-opening win over Washington State and 23 game-high points in Thursday night's win at Drake.  Smith's ability to dribble penetrate into the lane caused Drake a lot of problems.  She is the sister of former Gael star Jontelle Smith, who ended her senior season last year as the school's all-time record holder in three-pointers and fourth on the career scoring list. 
 
5-8 sophomore guard Kate Gaze was a WCC-All Freshman team selection last season after draining 27 three-pointers.  She averaged 4.4 ppg last season, but has stepped up her scoring output this year.  Gaze  had a career 18 points against Washington State and added 11 against Drake.  She has made six of her 15 three-point attempts this season.   5-6 junior guard Alex Carbonel started eight games and played in all 31 last season for SMC.  She had nine points in the win Thursday night over Drake.  Rounding out Saint Mary's probable starting lineup is 6-4 forward Courtney Dunn.  If that name sounds familiar to you, it should.  Dunn  is a transfer from Colorado who started 28 games for the Buffaloes last season.  She scored 11 points and had five rebounds against the Huskers in Lincoln last February 20 and added 10 points in the game in Boulder on January 30. 
Fifth-year Gael Head Coach Paul Thomas  began his coaching career in Nebraska.  He was an assistant girls coach at Pender High and served as an assistant coach at Wayne State, his alma mater, for three years.  Now in his fifth season at SMC, he has fashioned a 63-61 overall record and has won 298 games in 18 years overall .  Last year Thomas' Gaels posted their most wins (21) since the 2000-01 season and their 12 conference wins were the most by an SMC squad in 20 years. 
Saint Mary's opened the season by defeating future Husker opponent Washington State 73-69 before losing at California 89-63.  The two-game road swing through the Midwest at Drake and Nebraska for SMC is a rematch of games played in their Thanksgiving Tournament in California last year.  NU bested SMC 84-73 behind Kelsey Griffin's double-double 28 point, 13 rebound effort.  Dominique Kelley added 18 points for the Huskers.  Tomlinson led the Gaels with a double-double of her own with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with six blocks - one below her season average. Ashlee Smith added 14 points and seven boards, while Jasmine Smith pitched in 10 points and five rebounds in a losing effort.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Saturday afternoon against Saint Mary's begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 1:45 p.m (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 2:05 p.m. on KLNC 105.3 FM (WOW-FM) in Lincoln, KTWI (Twister) 93.3 FM in Omaha and other selected affiliates.  All Husker Women's Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com.  I hope you can join us.  

Go Big Red!  Matt