Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball News - 2009-10

Game recaps written by Tim McNicholas

Cash Nets 30 as Bees Improve to 3-0

Nov. 17, 2009

Megan Cash came off the bench to score 30 points in just 23 minutes to lead St. Ambrose to an 89-55 win over Rockford College. She dropped in 21 of her points in the first half as the Queen Bees moved to 3-0 this season.

Cash did much of her damage from beyond the arc, knocking down 6-of-8 3-pointers. She finished 11-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line while adding three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the win.

Rockford (0-1) scored the game's first four points before the Bees went on a 25-2 run, led by Cash's nine points, to take control. The lead was 11 before SAU scored the last nine points of the half to take a 44-24 halftime lead. The Bees were never threatened in the second half.

Senior Jenny Clark dropped in 4-of-9 triples to finish with 14 points. Seven different players hit a 3-pointer as SAU finished 15-of-40 from beyond the arc. Ali Dolphin and Sarah Medland each scored 11. Dolphin added four rebounds, seven assists and 10 steals.

The Bees limited Rockford to less than 31 percent shooting from the floor and also forced 33 turnovers. SAU committed only 10 turnovers.

St. Ambrose will host Illinois College Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

SAU Moves to 2-0 to Start Season

Nov. 12, 2009

The St. Ambrose Queen Bees women’s basketball team advanced to 2-0 yesterday with a win over McKendree at home. McKendree, who fell to 2-2 after the matchup, was outscored by the Fighting Bees 78-62.

SAU’s Ali Dolphin, who put up 26 points in the game, was Ambrose’s leading scorer and offensive leader. Fourteen of those points came in the game’s first half, where Annie Smith scored eight points and Jenny Clark put up seven.

Smith, along with SAU’s Lauren Ryan, finished the game with 10 total points. Clark capped off her offensive performance with 11 points.

The SAU women’s team will take on Rockford at home on November 17 at 5 p.m.

Clark Matches School Record for Threes in Season-Opening Win

Nov. 3, 2009

Video highlights, courtesy TV-11

Senior Jenny Clark tied a school record by knocking down eight 3-pointers in SAU's 86-74 season-opening win over St. Francis (Ill.). Clark hit 8-of-13 from beyond the arc to finish with a game-high 26 points.

The senior guard has buried eight triples in a game four different times in her career. She also shares the mark with Casey Breitbach who did it twice.

Clark hit four in each half but her biggest came right before the halftime buzzer when she banked in a deep 3-pointer to give the Queen Bees a 48-33 halftime edge.

Clark was just one of several Bees to find long-range success. Annie Smith hit four 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and Megan Cash knocked down a pair on her way to 15 points. Delaney Graziano hit her only attempt from beyond the arc as St. Ambrose made 15 threes.

Ali Dolphin was her consistent self, finishing with 15 points, a game-best 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

St. Francis got to as close as nine points on three separate occasions in the final five minutes but the Bees held off any potential charge.

SAU will host McKendree Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Queen Bees Preseason Favorites in MCC

Oct. 27, 2009

The 2009-10 Midwest Collegiate Conference women's basketball preseason poll has been released, and St. Ambrose has been predicted as the top team in the conference based on the vote of league coaches.

The Queen Bees, ranked 20th in the NAIA Preseason Poll, finished first in a close race at the top, receiving 74 points and three first-place votes. SAU edged out Mount Mercy for the top spot, as the Mustangs received 73 points and four first-place votes. Grand View was third with 67 points and two first-place votes, while defending regular season and tournament champion Iowa Wesleyan was fourth with 48 points.

St. Ambrose finished 20-11 last year, including an 11-5 mark in the MCC good for fourth place. The Queen Bees lost in the MCC Tournament Semifinals last year and return the past two MCC Player of the Year award winners in Jenny Clark (2007-08 winner) and Ali Dolphin (2008-09).

"With three different teams getting multiple first-place votes, it appears it is going to be a very competitive, tight and exciting year for women's basketball in the MCC," said St. Ambrose Head Coach Nathan Altenhofen. "Even though it has not fared well for some of the preseason favorites these past few years, we will enjoy the challenge of the upcoming season and appreciate the early October ratings."

MCC Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. St. Ambrose - 74 points (3 first-place votes)
2. Mount Mercy - 73 points (4 first-place votes)
3. Grand View - 67 points (2 first-place votes)
4. Iowa Wesleyan - 48 points
5. Waldorf - 41 points
6. Viterbo - 35 points
7. William Penn - 29 points
8. Ashford - 26 points
9. Clarke - 12 points

St. Ambrose Ranked 20th in NAIA Preseason Poll

Oct. 27, 2009

St. Ambrose is ranked 20th in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll, the NAIA announced Monday. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.

The Queen Bees graduated only one senior from a 2008-09 team that finished 20-11 overall and fourth in the Midwest Collegiate Conference with an 11-5 mark. Second team All-American and MCC Player of the Year Ali Dolphin and three-time all-conference pick Jenny Clark return to lead the Bees.

St. Ambrose will open the season Nov. 3 at home against St. Francis (Ill.).

Morningside College (Iowa), the defending national champion, received 15 of the 16 first-place votes to top the poll. Northwestern College (Iowa) is second and Davenport University (Mich.) received the other first-place vote and sits third. Hastings College (Neb.) and Shawnee State University (Ohio) round out the top five.

Conference foes Mount Mercy and Grand View did not crack the top-25 but received votes in the poll.

The first regular-season poll will be announced on Nov. 30.

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