RECENT HEADLINES
January 30, 2012

BULLDOGS NATIONALLY RANKED

Bellevue College's men's basketball team has been ranked among the nation's best, coming in at #18 in the country. The Bulldogs are currently 14-1 and also ranked number one in the NWAACC Alaska Airlines Poll. Here is the link to the national rankings

BC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FINISHES TOUGH WEEK OF GAMES

Sophomore Sanda Milovic had 18 points and 9 rebounds in the overtime win over Peninsula. photo by Rich Dworkis

As a result of snow cancellations and reschedules the third week in January, the Bellevue College Bulldogs women’s basketball team found themselves faced with playing four games in seven days, a tough week of basketball for any team.  Last Saturday they started the stretch with a win over the Trojans of Everett 73-44 at Everett, but that game just started a stretch of games that won’t end until Wednesday February 1st.

On Monday, Jan. 23, the Bulldogs hosted the Orcas of Whatcom College. Both teams were in the hunt for a top four spot in the North and had extremely competitive battles last season, with the Bulldogs winning on a last-second shot during league play and by a single point at the 2011 NWAACC tournament. Monday’s game
st arted off well for the Bulldogs, getting out to an early lead, but the Orcas battled the entire first half and were able to close to within two, making it 37-35 at the break.  “At half time we talked about a lot about our defense, and how much effort we
were putting into that end of the floor,” said Coach Brent Hermanson. In the second half, the Bulldogs showed they had clearly heard the message and jumped out on the Orcas, holding them to three field goals for the half and 12 free throws for a total of 18 points. Bellevue finished the game with a 79-53 victory. The Bulldogs shot 56.3% in the second half and 100% from the line.  Kelsey Sparks led Bellevue in scoring with 19 points, Brittany Barrington added 17, and Sanda Milovic contributed 11.  “It was an important win for us at home and to continue to stay tied with Peninsula for second place,” said coach Hermanson.

Next up for Bellevue were the Dolphins of Shoreline Community College on Weds., Jan. 25. Traveling to Shoreline, the Bulldogs were looking to continue their winning streak and maintain their standing in the North Division. The game started out well for the Bulldogs, with a strong defense and hot shooting again the story. The Bulldogs went 15/27 in the first half from the field for 55.6% and 100% from the line, taking a 32-20 lead into the second half. Returning to the court, it was more of the same, although cooling off slightly, the Bulldogs were still shooting a high percentage from the field, and were able to hold their opponent to a mere 25 points for the half.  “Anytime you can keep your opponent under 50 on the road, and shoot a high percentage, the final result will generally take care of itself,” said coach Hermanson. “The most impressive part of the game was how we shared the ball, with assists on 17 of our 28 field goals.” Final score was Bellevue 67, Shoreline 45, extending the Bulldogs’ record to 5-1 in league play maintaining their tie with Peninsula, preparing for a tough match up on Saturday at BC. Milovic led Bellevue’s scoring with 22 points on 10-16 shooting and six rebounds, Sparks netted 12, and Anna Hobby would contribute 9.

The final game of the week, Bellevue hosted the Peninsula College Pirates on Saturday, Jan. 28. The teams came into the game tied for second in the North Division both 5-1, each looking to seize the advantage in the standings. The Bulldogs got off to a blazing start and dominated all phases of the game in the first half, heading into the locker room with a stunning 42-17 lead, holding the Pirates to 14.3% shooting on 6/42. Unfortunately, in the second half, the Bulldogs came out flat, but the Pirates were ready to get back into the game. It was the Bulldogs that couldn’t find the bottom of the net shooting 14.8% while the Pirates scotched the Bulldogs and were able to tie the game at 59-59, and send it into extra time. Coach Hermanson said, “I’m not really sure why we stopped doing the things we were doing in the first half, but for some reason, we lost our momentum and stopped playing as a team.”

In overtime, Bellevue quickly re-grouped and was able to outscore the Pirates 13-2 to take a hard-earned 72-61 victory, and control of second place in the division. Rebounds were a large part of the success for the Bulldogs with Barrington pulling in 15, plus scoring nine points, TyShana Burgess enjoyed a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, Milovic netted 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Sparks scored 16 points with 8 rebounds. “At the end of the day, a win is a win, but it certainly didn’t go down the way we wanted,” said Hermanson.

Bellevue’s (6-1, 14-4) tough stretch of games concludes with hosting with the Edmonds Titans (0-6, 0-14) on January 30, at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Olympic Rangers (0-5, 0-12) on February 1, also at 5:30 p.m.  Both games will be at home and both games are critical for Bellevue to continue to hold second place in the North.  When asked, coach Hermanson added the following, “For all the turmoil we’ve had this year, we’ve had success and we need to continue to build on that success, as we finish the first half of the league season and prepare for the second half.”

BC MEN LOSE TWO, THEN TAKE BIG ONE FROM PENINSULA

Keaton Hayenga scored 29 points in a key win vs. Peninsula. photo by Rich Dworkis

The Bellevue College Men's Basketball team faced a daunting schedule last week as they faced three of the top five teams in the North region over a six-day span. Bellevue came into the week still defending an undefeated record overall and the number one ranking in the NWAACC Coaches Poll. Bellevue also reached a milestone as the highest ranked NWAACC team ever in the jucorecruiting.com national poll. Bellevue is currently ranked 18th in the nation.

On Monday, Jan. 23, the Bulldogs hosted the Orcas of Whatcom Community College. Bellevue handed Whatcom one of its two losses on the year in the championship game of the Pierce College Thanksgiving Tournament. This game featured the last two remaining undefeated teams in North region play and a chance for an early season hold on first place. 

In a game that went back and forth, Whatcom took the early first half advantage. The Orcas led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but Bellevue was able to close the gap to six at halftime. Trailing 42-36 at the half, Bellevue came out strong to start the second period of play. The Bulldogs rode a better defensive performance to their own double digit lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. Unfortunately this was enough time for Whatcom to mount a comeback. In the final minutes the game was decided by free-throw shooting. Whatcom shot 7-8 down the stretch as the Bulldogs only hit 50% of their opportunities at the line. Whatcom came away with a 77-75 victory to remain undefeated in North region play.

Bellevue was led in scoring by Tre Benton with 16 points. Keaton Hayenga scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, while Andrew Squiers scored 12 points, and Rex Nelson added 11.

Bellevue traveled to Shoreline Community College just two days later on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Shoreline plays a unique style of basketball developed in the late 80s at Loyola Marymount University where they put on constant pressure and look to shoot the ball as quickly as possible. The Bulldogs did an excellent job of dealing with the Shoreline pressure early in the game, jumping out to a 22-7 lead that the Bulldogs held onto, taking it to 53-44 at half time. However, the pace of the game eventually got to the Bulldogs. Bellevue was outscored 57-40 in the second half, losing their second game of the season and their second straight game 101-93. Free throws were an issue again as Bellevue shot 52% from the line in the second half. The Bulldogs were led by big nights from Hayenga and Nelson. Hayenga scored 32 points and grabbed a season high 20 rebounds. Nelson also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Squiers added 12 points and Benton scored 11.

Bellevue looked to bounce back in yet another big game in the North region. On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Bulldogs hosted Peninsula College. Peninsula came into the game ranked number 3 in the NWAACC coaches poll and number 42 nationally. Peninsula's only region loss was to Whatcom. An even match-up led to an even half time score of 33-33. In the second half, Bellevue took leads of eight and 10 points only to let them slip away as Peninsula mounted a comeback. The Bulldogs finally took a lead that would hold up in the waning minutes and converted key free throws for the first time in a week. Bellevue pulled out a victory with a final score of 94-84.

The Bulldogs were once again led by Hayenga who scored 29 points to go with 9 rebounds. Sophomore Jon Humphrie played on a badly sprained ankle and still turned in a tough performance scoring 19 points with six rebounds. Nelson scored 16 points, while Eric Turner scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds, and added five assists.

Bellevue (5-2, 15-2) continues their stretch of six games in 12 days with two home games this week. On Monday, Jan. 30, the Bulldogs host the Tritons from Edmonds Community College (1-5, 1-13) at 7:30 p.m. to wrap up the first round of North region play. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Bellevue plays Olympic College (2-4, 5-11) at home at 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS TRY-OUTS THIS WEEK

The Bellevue College women’s tennis team is looking for a few good women! The seven-time League Championship team is holding try-outs February 1-3, at the Robinswood Tennis Center, 2400 151st Pl SE, Bellevue. Tryouts will be held Feb. 1 and 2 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., then again on Feb. 3 from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. NWAACC eligibility rules require student-athletes to be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits during any season of participation, as well as maintaining a minimum 2.00 GPA. Other rules may apply and may be found at either the BC Athletics or NWAACC websites. If interested, please contact Head Coach Jason Chapman by phone or email: 425-829-3762 or jason.chapman@bellevuecollege.edu

GOLF TEAM FUNDRAISING TOURNAMENT MARCH 12

The Bellevue College Golf Team Annual Fundraiser Tournament will be held Monday, March 12, at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue. Entry fee is $150 per person with all proceeds benefiting the Bellevue College men’s and women’s golf teams. Registration forms available at the BC Athletics office or contact Kirk Johanson, BC Golf Head Coach at (425) 746-7377.

Q and A With This Week's Featured Athlete: Laura Friar, BC Volleyball

FreshmanVolleyball Sensation Laura Friar

Every two weeks, BC Athletics will feature a "Q & A" session to provide insight at a more personable level with a featured athlete. This week: Laura Friar who led Bellevue's volleyball team to a 22-13 record and was named First Team All-North Regon this past fall.

1. Where were you born?
Seattle, WA

 2. What is your most fond childhood memory?
Swimming with dolphins in Hawaii with my family.

3. What is your most memorable athletic experience from your prep days?
Winning volleyball state my senior year.

 4. Why did you choose Bellevue College to play in your sport?
My friend Patti played volleyball for BC and recommended me to go there, so I looked into the College and realized it was a great fit for me both athletically and academically.

 5. What has been the highlight of your time at Bellevue up to this point?
The volleyball NWAACC tournament in November.

 6. What are your goals for the team this year?
Win a NWAACC championship!

7. What are your goals for you individually this year?
Improve my overall game as a volleyball player, help my team to a NWAACC championship and hopefully earn a scholarship to a 4-year university.

 8. After my time here at Bellevue, I want to… (Complete this sentence)
continue my athletics at a four-year university.

9. One word that describes you....
humorous

 10. What’s your radio station set on right now.
93.3 Old School Lunch

11. Movie Character that best depicts you.
King Leonidas (in girl form)

12. Person who has had the biggest influence in your life.
Jesus Christ

13.Stranded on an island with one possession, what is it???
A volleyball of course!

Please visit the BC Athletics website http://bellevuecollege.edu/athletics/ for additional team information. For complete standings, coaches’ polls and up-to-the-minute results go to http://nwaacc.org

GO, BULLDOGS!