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Issued: November 21, 2006
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO HOST THANKSGIVING SHOWCASE THIS WEEKEND
EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team will host the annual four-team Thanksgiving Showcase this Friday and Saturday in Zorn Arena. The first game of the showcase will feature Viterbo University and Morningside College (IA). In the second game, the Blugolds will face Otterbein College (OH). The winners will play each other on Saturday at approximately 8 p.m. and loser will face each other in the third place game at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Blugolds have won the showcase the last two years and Morningside won it back in 2003. The Blugolds have won two straight games after losing their season opener to Baldwin-Wallace College (OH). Junior Michelle Burns (Jr.-Eau Claire, WI/North) has led the way for the young Blugolds as she is averaging 18.3 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounding with 29 boards this season. Heidi Arciszewski (So.-Thorp, WI) is averaging 12 points per game and Brittanni Hakanson (So.-Wheeler, WI/Boyceville) is averaging 10.7 points per game. Eau Claire has seemed to get off to slow start in games this year as it is being out-scored 102-59 in the first half of games. They do get things going in the second half, outscoring their opponents 126-86. The Blugolds have been fantastic at the line this young season, hitting 40-of-48 attempts for 83%. Eau Claire's opponent Otterbein College is 0-2 to begin the season and is coming off an overtime loss to the College of Mount St. Joseph. The Cardinals do have a lot experience from last year's squad with eight returning letterwinners, including three starters. Last year the Cardinals lost to Baldwin-Wallace College in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) semifinals. Otterbein won 15 of their final 20 regular season games last year. A couple of honorable mention All-OAC guards return for the Cardinals in Laura Roth and Sara Fee. Fee is leading the team in scoring, averaging 14 points the first two games. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The other matchup features Viterbo University and Morningside College. Viterbo is 1-4 and is coming off of a loss to UW-La Crosse on Tuesday night. Viterbo lost two impact seniors from last year's team that went 9-22. Australian newcomer Katrina Mandylaris leads the team in scoring, averaging 10 points per game. Morningside College, a Division II NAIA school, is ranked seventh nationally and is the two-time defending NAIA Division II National Champions. The Mustangs are 5-2 so far this season and are coming off of a 70-68 loss to Mount Marty (SD). Morningside returns just two starters from last year's team with guards Dani Gass and Autumn Bartel. Gass is averaging 10.7 points per game to lead the team. The action gets underway at 6 p.m. Friday night when Morningside faces Viterbo. The Blugolds and Otterbein will get underway at approximately 8 p.m. All of the action will take place in Zorn Arena. 2006 Thanksgiving Showcase Web Page - JR -
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