`Canes Set to Host Women's Basketball Thanksgiving Tournament
Nov. 25, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. –
Date & Tip Time: Friday & Saturday, Nov. 26 & 27, at 5 and 7 p.m.
Location: Coral Gables, Fla. | BankUnited Center
Tickets: $5
TV: None
Radio: WVUM 90.5 – wvum.org
Video Stream: Hurricanesports.com/AllAccess/
Live Stats: HurricaneSports.com
GAMEDAY
The Hurricanes are set to host the 2010 University of Miami Women’s Basketball Tournament this Friday and Saturday at the BankUnited Center.
The `Canes welcome FAU, UNC Greensboro and Eastern Illinois to Coral Gables for the sixth edition of what has become an annual event.
UNC Greensboro will open the tournament on Friday as they square off at 5 p.m. while Miami and FAU will play in the night cap at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s consolation game will tip-off at 5 p.m. with the championship set for 7 p.m. to close out the action.
TICKETS
Season tickets are available for as low as $50. Tickets may be purchased online at HurricaneSports.com or by calling the UM Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-CANES.
Single-game tickets are also available for $5 for all fans. UM students receive free admission when presenting their valid Cane Card.
THE TEAMS
The `Canes moved to 3-1 on the season with a 68-52 win over UAB on Monday. Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams were honored before the game for scoring their 1,000th career points.
FAU had dropped three straight games before holding on to defeat Eastern Kentucky on Monday by a score of 60-57. Teri Stamps leads the Owls with 12.6 points per game while Vontrice Dennis is pulling down 10.2 rebounds per contest.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 1-3 on the season after a 77-72 loss to Bradley on Monday. Ta’Kanya Nixon (13.0 ppg) leads a trio of women that average 12.3 or more points per game. Nixon is also the team’s top rebounder (8.5 rpg) and ranks second on the squad with 13 assists on the year.
With its 77-67 loss to Charleston Southern on Monday, UNC Greensboro fell to 0-3 on the season. Monique Floyd and Sidnei Harmon score 13.3 and 11.0 points per game respectively to lead the Spartans. Dayshaun Richbow leads the squad with 12 assists so far this season.
HOOPS FOR HUNGER
The University of Miami announced that tickets to the women’s basketball games on Friday, Saturday and Monday will be available for $1 with the donation of a canned food item.
Recommended canned items are: Peanut Butter, Hearty Soups, Dried or Canned Beans, Canned Chicken or Tuna, Canned Fruit, 100% Fruit Juice, Canned Vegetables, Canned Tomato Products, Enriched Rice or Pasta, Iron Enriched Cereal, and Whole Grain Cereal.
Collections will only be taken on game days at the BankUnited Center.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The University of Miami will be hosting two different Tournaments this season at the BankUnited Center. Nov. 26-27, the `Canes will host the Thanksgiving Tournament and Dec. 28-30 the `Canes will host the Holiday Classic.
THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT
The 2010 University of Miami Women’s Basketball Thanksgiving Tournament will mark the sixth time that the Hurricanes have hosted the event.
The `Canes have posted a 9-1 record the previous five seasons, with its only loss coming at the hands of Butler in 2007.
LIVE STREAMING VIDEO
Miami women’s basketball home games will be streamed live on `Canes All-Access throughout the 2010-11 season. The only games that will not be streamed will be those televised on Regional Sports Network.
The service will be provided at a fee of $9.95 a month or $79.95 for a year. Visit hurricanesports.com/allaccess/ to sign up.
CHAT WITH FELLOW `CANES
Log onto HurricaneSports.com during Miami athletic events to chat with Miami insiders and other fans about the game and your favorite student-athletes. To join the chat, click on the Cover It Live program found online with each game’s preview beginning 30 minutes before tip-off.
Women’s Basketball: UM vs. Florida Atlantic
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
In a special ceremony prior to the UAB game on Nov. 22, Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams were recognized by Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt and head coach Katie Meier for scoring their 1,000th career-points.
Johnson reached the benchmark during Miami’s WNIT quarterfinal matchup at Providence with a career-best 33-point performance. Williams surpassed the threshold in an 18-point effort against Miami (OH) on Nov. 20.
Johnson currently sits in 14th place all-time at Miami with 1,153 career points and only needs five to pass Hope Butler (1984-88) for 13th place. With 1,024 points, Williams ranks 21st all-time.
INSIDE THE PROGRAM
The 2010-11 women’s basketball season will be the first to offer multiple social media outlets for fans and loyal supporters of the program to keep current with the Hurricanes.
You can follow all University of Miami teams on Twitter by visiting twitter.com/hurricanesports or follow just women’s basketball at twitter.com/miamiwbb. Fans can also check out HurricaneSports and University of Miami Women’s Basketball on facebook.com to get up-to-date news and information on the women’s basketball program.
HurricaneSports.com will also have all the most recent bio information and stats for all the team’s players.
For even more exclusive content – including video interviews, photos and more – be sure to visit the UWomen’s Hoops Blog at uwomenshoops.tumblr.com.
THREE-POINT STREAK
With nine threes against Miami (OH), the Hurricanes have made at least one three-point field goal in 295 straight games dating back to the 2000-01 season – currently the 11th-best active streak in the nation.
DOUBLE-FIGURE STREAK
With a season-best 24 points against Miami (OH), Shenise Johnson has now scored in double-figures in 40 straight games – the highest active streak of any Atlantic Coast Conference player.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES
University of Miami junior guards Riquna Williams and Shenise Johnson have been named to the 2010-11 Naismith Preseason Watch List as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Williams, known as `Fire’ for her explosiveness and ability to score in bunches is garnering national attention for the first time in her impressive career. Johnson, who has embraced the moniker `Ice’, because of her calm, cool and collected playing style, had previously been named to the Wade and Wooden Preseason Watch Lists.
Never before in program history has a pair of teammates been named to the list, but Johnson and Williams may come to expect national attention like this more often. In arguably the best women’s basketball conference in the country, the duo finished the 2009-10 season as the second- and third-best scorers in the ACC – Williams with 19.6 and Johnson with 19.0. Johnson was also the only player in the conference to rank among the Top 10 in scoring, rebounding (7.7 rpg) and assists (4.6 apg) from her guard position.
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.
`CANES INK THREE TO 2011 CLASS
The Hurricanes have signed Michelle Woods of Naples, Fla., junior college transfer Jessica Capers of Gastonia, N.C. and Tyler Hobgood of Oxford, N.C. to their 2011 incoming class.
Woods, out of Naples Community School has been ranked as high as the No. 44 overall prospect by ESPN HoopGurlz and as the 10th best shooting guard by All Star Girls’ Report.
Capers signed to play at West Virginia in 2007, but a knee injury sidelined her for her freshman season. During the Mountaineers’ 2009-10 campaign, the 6-2 forward saw action in 18 games, but she decided to transfer to Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla. at the conclusion of the season.
Capers is ranked as the No. 3 overall junior college power forward in the country and 10th overall JC prospect according to the Dan Olson Collegiate Report.
Hobgood, a 6-1 power forward from JF Webb High School enters her senior season with a long list of accolades. She has already been named an all-conference performer on three occasions and has led her league in rebounding each of the last three seasons. Behind her aggressive play, JF Webb has won its conference’s regular season championship three straight years.
You can follow all University of Miami teams on Twitter by visiting twitter.com/hurricanesports or follow just women’s basketball at twitter.com/miamiwbb . Visit HurricaneSports.com and Miami Hurricanes Women’s Basketball on facebook to get all the up-to-date news and information on the women’s basketball team.
