Dec. 14, 2004

The Schedule
Game 5 • Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 • 6:00 p.m. • Tucson, AZ
UC Santa Barbara at Arizona • McKale Center (14,454)
Game 6 • Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004 • 7:00 p.m. • Santa Barbara, CA
UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 1 LSU • The Thunderdome (6,000)

2004-05 Gaucho Record
2-2 overall/0-0 Big West Conference
1-2 home/1-0 away/0-0 neutral
USA Today/ESPN Ranking: RV
Associated Press Ranking: NR

Gauchos Return from 10-Day Break Looking to Pull Above .500
Following a 10-day break from competition, the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team faces arguably its toughest two-game stretch of the 2004-05 season, taking on a pair of perennially powerful squads from major conferences. On Thursday, Dec. 16, the Gauchos will try to end Arizona's 32-game home winning streak in the McKale Center as they travel to Tucson, Ariz., for a 7:00 p.m. MST/6:00 PST showdown with the Wildcats (6-2 overall). In its final contest before the start of Big West Conference play, Santa Barbara returns to the Thunderdome on Tuesday, Dec. 21, hosting top-ranked LSU - an NCAA Final Four participant last season - at 7:00 p.m. The only other time UCSB has faced the nation's No. 1 team was Dec. 28, 1996, when Connecticut pulled out an 87-76 victory in the Thunderdome.

Gauchos on the Air
The Gaucho-Wildcat showdown will air live on KTMS 990AM with "Showtime" Steve Wendt handling play-by-play duties and Ben Alkaly attempting color commentary. Mercifully, "$1.98" Don Ford joins Wendt when UCSB hosts LSU on Dec. 21, and the dynamic announcing duo will move up the dial to KTLK 1340AM for their live broadcast. All of Santa Barbara's contests this season can also be heard live via the internet by pointing your browser to www.ucsbgauchos.com and purchasing the "College Sports Pass".

Heartbreaking Loss to Purdue, Win Over Oregon State Caps Homestand
In the latest installment of what has become an intense rivalry, 13th-ranked Purdue outlasted the UCSB 66-65 in overtime on Friday, Dec. 4, giving the Gauchos' back-to-back home losses for the first time in over four years. Santa Barbara held a 10-point advantage with just under nine minutes left in the game, but fell behind 58-53 at the 2:17 mark following a pair of Boilermaker free-throws. UCSB rallied to score the final five points of regulation, the last coming on an off-balance put-back by Brandy Richardson as the scoreboard ticked down to one second. The dramatics continued during the extra frame with five lead changes, the last being in favor of Purdue as Erin Lawless fought for an offensive rebound and nailed the game-winner with 4.6 seconds left. There was no such see-saw battle two days later as the Gauchos rebounded with a 76-71 victory over Oregon State to close their three-game homestand. The Beavers fired the opening salvo but would never lead again as UCSB shot a season-high 50.9% while ending their two-game losing skid.

Francophile
UC Santa Barbara alumnus Mark French enters his 18th season as head coach of the Gauchos and the 26th year of his immensely successful career. He currently owns a UCSB record of 361-157 (.697) and an overall mark of 459-271 (.629). Since the 1991-92 campaign, a period spanning 13 years, French's Gauchos have won 11 Big West Conference titles and advanced to ten NCAA Tournaments - including five second rounds and a Sweet 16 appearance - as well as one Postseason WNIT. Individually, French has earned an unprecedented seven Big West Coach of the Year honors, while in 2002-03 he was named WBCA District 8 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award. He is the dean of Big West coaches, with nine more years of experience in the league than any of his current counterparts.

Probable Starters	Notes
#15 • Brandy Richardson • Sr. • F	6.8 rebounds per game are tied for team high
#44 • Kristen Mann • Sr. • F	Gauchos' leading scorer in every game this year
#5 • Kate Bauman • Sr. • C	Personal best 11 points, 21 minutes vs. OSU
#21 • Mia Fisher • Sr. • G	Surpassed 1,000 career points in loss to Purdue
#32 • Karena Bonds • Jr. • G	6.2 ppg are over three more than career average
Reserves	Notes
#3 • Jessica Wilson • Fr. • G	Seven points vs. OSU were her first as a Gaucho
#11 • Sha'Rae Gibbons • Fr. • G	Played six minutes in the win over Oregon State
#12 • Courtney Young • Jr. • G/F	Sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury
#22 • Erin O'Bryan • So. • G	Buried two "treys" against both SMC and OSU
#23 • Ana Onaindia • Fr. • G	Scored all 18 of her points from three-point range
#24 • Hillary Jager • Jr. • F/C	Will miss 2004-05 campaign due to torn left ACL
#25 • Brittanie Taylor-James • Fr. • G/F	Six total minutes of floor time this season
#33 • Jenna Green • So. • C		Out at least seven weeks with torn left MCL
#34 • Autumn Nichols • Jr. • F	Five assists at Saint Mary's led all players
#42 • Kat Suderman • Fr. • F/C	#54 high school senior last year by Blue Star Index

Scouting the Wildcats
Following a 70-62 loss at 11th-ranked Georgia on Sunday, Dec. 12, Arizona fell to 6-2 overall and dropped out of both weekly top-25 polls. The Wildcats return to McKale Center where they have won their five games this season by an average of 29.8 points, and currently own the nation's second-longest home winning streak of 32 straight dating back to 2002-03. Senior guard Dee Dee Wheeler and junior center Shawntinice Polk - both All-America candidates - are UA's top scorers, averaging 15.6 and 14.0 points per game, respectively. The Gauchos are 5-6 all-time against Arizona, having won the last two meetings including a 75-65 decision in the Thunderdome last season. On UCSB's last trip to McKale Center on Jan. 14, 2002, Kayte Christensen made a school-record 16 field goals on 17 attempts to lead Santa Barbara to a 94-80 victory.

Lady Tiger Lingo
Currently the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, LSU will play tough road games at Minnesota and Southwest Missouri State before venturing to the Thunderdome. Junior forward Seimone Augustus averages 20.9 points per game and is a National Player of the Year candidate. On Feb. 15, 2003 the Gauchos played at then-No. 4 LSU and lost a 94-90 triple-overtime thriller that was widely regarded as the "Game of the Year" in women's college hoops. The Lady Tigers are 2-0 all-time vs. UCSB.

Tempo Up, Turnovers Down
Despite running a more up-tempo offense in 2004-05 and experimenting with a host of different lineups - including four freshmen playing simultaneously - the Gauchos' turnovers are noticeably down from this time a year ago. UCSB has committed only 58 total miscues - and no more than 16 in any single contest - compared to its 72 through its first four games in 2003-04.

The Best Things in Life Aren't Free
For a program that has finished each of the past four seasons with a free-throw percentage above .700, the Gauchos can't be happy about their early-season efforts from the charity stripe. UCSB has made just 14-of-24 "freebies" for a .526 connection rate, as opposed to .717 by its opponents. In it two losses Santa Barbara has been outscored by just seven points combined, but missed a total of 15 free-throws.

Minute Management
With a 15-player roster entering the season, one concern was how the UCSB coaching staff would allocate minutes. While part of that dilemma has been unfortunately solved by the Gauchos' multitude of injuries, Mark French and Co. have spread out the playing time rather evenly, with 10 players averaging double-digit minutes. Leading the way with over 30 minutes apiece is Santa Barbara's senior trio of Kristen Mann (33.5), Mia Fisher (30.8) and Brandy Richardson (30.8), while the three averaging under 10 are all true freshmen.

Poll Position
While they have dropped completely out of the Associated Press ranking, the Gauchos remain among the "Others Receiving Votes" section of the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll with one total point this week. Despite their Sweet 16 appearance last season, UCSB opened 2004-05 ranked in just one of the many preseason prognostications, at No. 22 by the Women's Basketball News Service. Finally, the Gauchos were near-unanimous choices to capture yet another Big West regular season title in polls conducted of the league's head coaches and media members.

Super Six
The Gauchos' .813 winning percentage since the start of the 1997-98 campaign places them in some rather elite company. Only Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Duke and Purdue have won a higher percentage of their games over the past six-plus seasons than UCSB, which owns a 187-43 record during that span.

Home is Where the Wins Are
Winners of 40 of their last 43 games in the Thunderdome, the Gauchos have made Santa Barbara a most inhospitable place for opponents in recent years. UCSB has not dropped more than two home contests in a single season over the past 11 campaigns. Since its run of nine straight Big West titles began in 1995-96, UCSB can boast a 110-12 (90.1%) mark while playing in the Thunderdome, with only one of those losses occurring during league play.

Mann, oh Mann
As a candidate for all three major national player of the year awards, one might expect Kristen Mann to pace the Gauchos offensively in 2004-05. Well, through four games that's exactly the case, as Mann led or tied for the team lead each time out, including back-to-back performances of 20 points against both Purdue and Oregon State. The Santa Ana, Calif., native has taken an incredible 71 shots, 30% of the team's total attempts this season and 40 more than her next closest teammate, Mia Fisher. As a testament to her versatility, Mann also tops UCSB in steals and is tied for the team lead in rebounds. Mann is currently in the running for the John R. Wooden Award, Wade Trophy and Naismith Trophy, while she was also named one of only 10 First Team Preseason All-Americans by the Women's Basketball News Service. In 2003-04, she became the third Gaucho in as many years to garner Kodak District 8 All-American acclaim, and was also an honorable mention Associated Press All-American. The two-time First Team All-Big West choice currently ranks 15th in Gaucho history with 1,208 career points, just six-shy of 14th place.

Brandy is Dandy
Mann's versatility receives national attention, but often overlooked is the all-around game of her fellow senior forward, Brandy Richardson. In addition to equaling Mann's team-high rebounding average of 6.8, she is averaging 7.2 points per game and owns a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that is best among all Gauchos. The 2003-04 Big West Defensive Player of the Year barely missed out on her eighth career double-double with a nine-point, nine-rebound performance against Michigan on Nov. 26, and then led all players with five assists versus only one miscue in the loss to Purdue.

The Fisher Queen
Senior guard Mia Fisher joined an exclusive group during the Gauchos' heartbreaking overtime loss to Purdue, becoming the 20th member of UCSB's 1,000 career point club with a free-throw late in the second half. She scored 11 of her 14 points after halftime, and then added 12 points as Santa Barbara got back on the winning track vs. Oregon State. Not coincidentally, Fisher's scoring totals increased the past two games as she saw more time at the two-guard spot, after playing the point to open 2004-05. The three-time All-Big West honoree remains the most accurate-shooting guard in both school and conference history with a 52.8% career field goal mark.

Ana of Three Gables
The only thing hindering freshman guard Ana Onaindia's three-point shooting prowess is a reoccurring lower abdominal injury that sidelined the Bakersfield, Calif., native for the past two games. In the season opener at Saint Mary's, Onaindia entered late in the first half and drained a "trey", then buried two more long-bombs before finally misfiring. She finished with a four-for-six three-point performance, and her 12 points were the most by a player making her Gaucho debut in three years. Onaindia added another pair of trifectas while also seeing significant second-half court time at point guard in the Nov. 26 loss to Michigan. She is expected to return to action Thursday at Arizona.

Green Out At Least Seven Weeks with a Torn MCL
The near upset of Purdue wasn't UCSB's only disappointing loss the night of Dec. 3, as late in the second half sophomore center Jenna Green became entangled with a Boilermaker player and suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in her left knee. The injury will not require surgery but will keep the San Jose, Calif., native out of action at least eight weeks, making her the fourth Gaucho already this season to miss playing time due to a knee ailment. A decision on whether or not to redshirt Green will be made during the course of her rehabilitation. Prior to her injury, Green was leading the Big West with a 65.5% field goal marked and ranked second among all Gauchos at 13.7 points per game. She reached double-figures in all three contests, highlighted by a career-high-tying 19 points in the season opener at Saint Mary's.

Jager to Miss 2004-05 Campaign
In her first game back following two years away from competitive basketball, UCSB junior forward Hillary Jager scored six points and amassed seven points in just 14 minutes during the exhibition opener vs. Strakonice BBC on Nov. 7. However late in the second half she collapsed to the floor with a knee injury, which was later diagnosed as a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. Jager - who averaged 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 2001-02 - will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and miss the entire 2004-05 campaign. UCSB will petition the NCAA for a rare sixth season of eligibility on Jager's behalf.

Doozy of a Schedule
The Gauchos annually put together one of the nation's toughest schedules, and 2004-05 is certainly no exception with five games against teams which reached the postseason a year ago. Highlighting that group are NCAA Final Four participant LSU and two-time defending Big Ten Tournament champion Purdue, who both visit the Thunderdome in December. UCSB's non-conference strength of schedule was ranked sixth-toughest nationally by the WBCA entering this season.