Hurricanes Set to Host Miami Holiday Classic
Dec. 27, 2010
George Washington (5-6) at Miami (11-1)
Date & Tip Time: Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 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 University of Miami women’s basketball team will host George Washington in the opening game of the 2010 Miami Holiday Classic Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the BankUnited Center.
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 adults and $3 for children. UM students receive free admission when presenting their valid Cane Card.
THE TEAMS
After a homestand that saw the `Canes finish a perfect 9-0, Miami traveled to Ole Miss and won its 10th consecutive game in impressive fashion – dismantling the Rebels 82-46.
With a 11-1 overall record, Miami has matched its second-best start to a season in program history after 12 games. The Hurricanes started 12-0 in 2003-04 and were 11-1 in 1991-92 and 2009-10.
George Washington is coming hasn’t played since a 64-60 loss to its cross-town foe American on Dec. 18. In that game, three Colonial players scored in double-figures – led by Ivy Abiona’s 14 points – Brooke Wilson scored 13 and Tara Booker added 11.
The Colonials are without a scorer that averages in double-figures. Tara Booker is the team-leader with 9.8 points per game.
MIAMI HOLIDAY CLASSIC
The Hurricanes will be hosting the Miami Holiday Classic Dec. 28-30 at the BankUnited Center.
The classic will get underway when the `Canes face George Washington Tuesday at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, Morgan State will take on George Washington at 7 p.m. The Hurricanes will close out with Morgan State on Thursday at approximately 8 p.m.
The match-up with Morgan State will be just a part of a special day for Hurricane basketball. At 6 p.m. at the BankUnited Center, the men’s basketball team will tip-off against Pepperdine. Then during a 20-minute break before the women’s game, Miami’s all-time leading scorer, Tamara James will have her jersey honored in a special on-court ceremony.
Tamara James’ CEREMONY
The greatest player in Miami women’s basketball history will have her jersey honored prior to the Morgan State game on Dec. 30.
Tamara James’ jersey will be just the third to be honored at Miami, joining Maria Rivera (1984-88) and Frances Savage (1988-92).
James still holds the school scoring record at 2,406 points. The South Florida native is the only player from the University of Miami to be taken in the first round of the WNBA Draft, going to the Washington Mystics as the seventh overall pick in 2006.
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. George Washington
A WINNING STATEMENT
The Hurricanes 81-72 overtime win over No. 11 Georgetown on Dec. 7 was the first against a ranked non-conference opponent since Dec. 29, 2005, when Miami defeated No. 25 Ole Miss, 79-70, in the Hurricane Holiday Classic.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The University of Miami hosted and won the UM Thanksgiving Tournament with victories over FAU and UNC Greensboro. Miami will also play host to the UM Holiday Classic at the BankUnited Center Dec. 28-30.
ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK PT. 2
Riquna Williams earned the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honor as announced by the conference office on Dec. 27.
The honor is the fourth in Williams’ career after winning the award earlier this season (Dec. 13) and twice as a sophomore. The Pahokee, Fla. native scored a season-high tying 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Miami’s convincing 82-46 victory at Ole Miss on Dec. 21.
Williams earner her first player of the week accolade earlier in the season after scoring a game-high 23 points in a win over No.11 Georgetown (Dec.7), while grabbing six rebounds and swatting away a pair of shots. Williams also scored a game-high 18 points in Miami’s lopsided victory over Alcorn State on Dec. 11.
With her four weekly awards, Williams joins Boston College’s Carolyn Swords for the most ACC Player of the Week awards among active players.
IN THE RPI
Miami is one of seven ACC teams that ranks among the Top 50 in the latest RPI rankings.
Rank Team SS SS Rk RPI
1. Duke 71.4 3 75.3
12. Georgia Tech 68.0 9 65.8
19. Maryland 56.4 86 63.9
27 Florida State 59.1 56 62.3
31. North Carolina 44.0 252 61.8
32. Miami 51.5 136 61.2
45. Boston College 45.3 240 59.6
64. Virginia 59.8 52 58.1
118. NC State 53.0 118 53.3
138. Virginia Tech 49.0 183 51.9
156. Wake Forest 45.6 236 49.9
157. Clemson 51.8 131 49.8
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
The `Canes won their own Thanksgiving Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years. Morgan Stroman was the named the tourney MVP as Miami cruised to wins over FAU and UNC Greensboro. Shenise Johnson was also named to the all-tournament team.
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 12th place all-time at Miami with 1,264 career points and needs 21 to pass Desma Thomas (1992-97) for 11th place. With 1,150 points, Williams ranks 15th 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.
JOHNSON ALL-ACC
Miami guard Shenise Johnson was named to the Preseason All-ACC team as announced by the conference office on Oct. 26 from the ACC Women’s Basketball Media Day held at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Johnson becomes the first Hurricane since Tamara James in 2005 to be named a preseason all-conference member.
Duke’s Jasmine Thomas was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
Preseason Player of the Year
Jasmine Thomas, Sr., G, Duke
2010-11 Preseason All-ACC Team
Jessica Breland, Sr., F, North Carolina
Shenise Johnson, Jr., G, Miami
Carolyn Swords, Sr., C, Boston College
Jasmine Thomas, Sr., G, Duke
Courtney Ward, Sr., G, Florida State
THREE-POINT STREAK
With four three-pointers against Alcorn State, the Hurricanes have made at least one three-point field goal in 302 straight games dating back to the 2000-01 season.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR?
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.
GIMME THAT
With an average of 15.2 steals per game, the Hurricanes rank fourth in the nation. Shenise Johnson and Morgan Stroman get their hands in on 3.2 and 3.0 thefts per game respectively, while Riquna Williams is close behind with 2.7 per outing. Stefanie Yderstrom, Sylvia Bullock, Krystal Saunders and Shanel Williams each average one or more steals per game and as a team, Miami has scored 29.1 points per game off of turnovers – compared to only 11.5 from its opponents.
DOUBLE-FIGURE STREAK
With 14 points against Ole Miss, Shenise Johnson has now scored in double-figures in 49 straight games – the highest active streak of any Atlantic Coast Conference player.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Hurricanes are a perfect 10-0 at home this season and have won 14 consecutive games inside the BankUnited Center dating back to the `Canes regular season-finale overtime win over Boston College on Feb. 28, 2010.
The 14 straight wins at home tied Miami’s third-best home winning streak – matching a mark set during the 1988-89 through 1989-90 seasons. With wins in its next three home games, Miami would match the second-best total set during the 1997-1998 through 1998-99 seasons.
The longest home winning streak came during the 1990-91 through 1992-93 season. That streak spanned 24 games.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Miami has won 10 straight games overall. In program history, the Hurricanes have only reached a winning streak of at least 10 games five times previously and its the first such streak for the `Canes since the 1992-93 season, when they also won 10 consecutive games.
The longest winning streak in team history occurred during the 1991-92 season, when Miami won 30 straight games.
`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.
