THE BIG DANCE
For the second-straight year, Conference USA will be represented by four teams in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Regular season champion DePaul earned the league’s highest seed winding up as the fifth-seed in the Chattanooga Regional, while C-USA Tournament champion TCU is the seventh-seed in the Tempe Regional. Louisville, who fell to the Horned Frogs in the tournament’s championship game, is a No. 9 seed in the Kansas City Regional and Houston joins DePaul in the Chattanooga Regional as the No. 10 seed.

DePaul is making its fifth tournament appearance as a member of C-USA and 10th overall. Houston is making its first back-to-back tournament appearances after picking up the school’s first NCAA victory last season with a 62-47 first-round victory over UW-Green Bay. The Horned Frogs are making their fifth-straight trip to the tournament having advanced to the second round each time, while U of L is making its first appearance in the tournament since 2001 and ninth overall.

2005 NCAA TOURNAMENT
For the second-straight year, Conference USA will be represented by four teams in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Below is a schedule of those headed to the Big Dance.

Saturday, March 19
KANSAS CITY REGION (Minneapolis, Minn.)
(9) Louisville vs. (8) USC (ESPN) Noon

TEMPE REGION (Seattle, Wash.)
(7) TCU vs. (10) Oregon (ESPN 2) 4:30p

Sunday, March 20
CHATTANOOGA REGION (College Park, Md.)
(5) DePaul vs. (12) Virginia Tech (ESPN2) 7:00p

CHATTANOOGA REGION (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
(10) Houston vs. (7) Boston College (ESPN) 2:30p

All Times Eastern.

2005 WNIT TOURNEY
Three C-USA schools will take part in the 2005 Sportsview.tv Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Charlotte, Marquette and USF will each participate in the 32-team field, which opens play on Wednesday. Charlotte and USF are each participating in the WNIT for the second consecutive season.

Thursday, March 17
Nebraska at Marquette 8:00p
Florida at USF 7:00p

Friday, March 18
Charlotte at Wake Forest 7:00p

All Times Eastern.

CONFERENCEUSA.COM
For the latest news on Conference USA women’s basketball and the league’s 18 other sports, visit the official website at: www.conferenceusa.com.

2005 PEPSI C-USA TOURNEY
The 2005 Pepsi C-USA Women’s Basketball Tournament was held March 3-6 at the Dale F. Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte served as host for the four-day event. The semifinals were televised on the C-USA Television Network, while the championship game was carried on ESPN2.

Thursday, March 3
(9) Memphis 76, (8) East Carolina 67
(5) USF 68, (12) Southern Miss 47
(6) Charlotte 63, (11) Cincinnati 46
(7) Marquette 78, (10) UAB 53

Friday, March 4
(1) DePaul 78, Memphis 55
(4) TCU 65, USF 57
(3) Houston 75, Charlotte 73 (OT)
(2) Louisville 69, Marquette 54

Saturday, March 5 (SEMIFINALS)
TCU 87, DePaul 77
Louisville 54, Houston 48

Sunday, March 6 (CHAMPIONSHIP)
TCU 60, Louisville 41

2004-05 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
N22 – Jenni Dant, DePaul
N29 – Sandora Irvin, TCU
D6 – Sancho Lyttle, Houston
D6 – Sakellie Daniels, Charlotte
D13 – Ezria Parsons, USF
D20 – Missy Taylor, Louisville
D27 – Khara Smith, DePaul
J3 – Lakethia Hampton, Tulane
J10 – Lesley Juedes, Marquette
J10 – Sandora Irvin, TCU
J17 – Sandora Irvin, TCU
J24 – Jazz Covington, Louisville
J31 – Khara Smith, DePaul
F8 – Sandora Irvin, TCU
F14 – Jennifer Jackson, East Carolina
F21 – Sancho Lyttle, Houston
F28 – Jenni Dant, DePaul
F28 – Jessica Dickson, USF

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
First Team
Jazz Covington, Louisville
Jessica Dickson, USF
Sandora Irvin, TCU
Sancho Lyttle, Houston
Khara Smith, DePaul

Second Team
Sakellie Daniels, Charlotte
Jenni Dant, DePaul
Jennifer Jackson, East Carolina
Carolyn Kieger, Marquette
Christina Quaye, Marquette

Third Team
Victoria Crawford, Memphis
Natasha Lacy, TCU
Lakethia Hampton, Tulane
Joann Overstreet, Houston
Allie Quigley, DePaul

All-Freshman Team
Allie Quigley, DePaul
Mia Johnson, Saint Louis
Yuliya Tokova, Louisville
Shannon Stueber, Southern Miss
Erin Carney, DePau

Coach of the Year
Doug Bruno, DePaul

Player of the Year
Sandora Irvin, TCU

Freshman of the Year
Allie Quigley, DePaul

Defensive Player of the Year
Sandora Irvin, TCU

Sixth Player of the Year
Anne Stephens, Cincinnati

FOURTH SEED TCU EARNS 2005 C-USA TOURNEY CROWN
Sandora Irvin and Ashley Davis led the TCU Horned Frogs to a 60-41 win over Louisville on March 6 in the championship game of the 2005 Pepsi Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament. Davis, the Horned Frogs’ top three-point shooter, went scoreless in 10 minutes of play in the first half, but ignited TCU’s offense in the second as she scored all 13 of her points in the second half. 2005 C-USA Player of the Year Irvin also found her offensive touch in the second half, scoring 14 of her game-high 21 points. The victory gave TCU its second conference tournament championship in three seasons and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

DE PAUL CLAIMS C-USA REGULAR SEASON TITLE
Following a 77-56 victory over Marquette on Feb. 27, DePaul set a Conference USA record with 13 consecutive league victories to finish the C-USA season with a 13-1 record. The then-ranked No. 12 Blue Demons claimed their first Conference USA title since the league’s inaugural season in 1995-96. The league championship is the sixth in DePaul’s 31 seasons of women’s basketball. DePaul claimed the North Star Conference title three times before taking the 1991-92 Great Midwest and 1995-95 Conference USA championships. DePaul closes the 2005 season with a perfect 14-0 record at home. The victory was also the 23rd straight at home, extending the school-record home-floor winning streak. The Blue Demons have won 39 straight at home over unranked opponents and are 41-1 in the last three seasons.

WOODEN AWARD FINALIST LIST
The John R. Wooden Award Committee has named TCU's senior Sandora Irvin and DePaul's junior Khara Smith as two of 17 finalists for its honor. The Women's Wooden Award, presented annually to the nation's top female collegiate basketball player, will be presented Saturday, April 9, during a national CBS telecast airing live at 1 p.m. (EST) from The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

A panel of over 200 voters comprised of sports media members and women's college basketball experts from around the country will have until 2 p.m. Monday, March 28, to cast their votes for both the five-member All-America Team and Wooden Award recipient as the most outstanding female collegiate basketball player in the United States. The Wooden Award opts for the March 28 deadline because it allows voters to evaluate players up until the Elite Eight has been determined.

LIEBERMAN’S LIST
DePaul senior guard Jenni Dant was named a finalist for the sixth annual Nancy Lieberman Award given to the nation's top point guard. After playing the off guard position for the first three seasons of her career, Dant moved into the point guard role for her senior campaign. Dant is third in scoring for the No. 12 Blue Demons and is the lone active senior on the roster. She has led the club that also starts two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior to a 21-3 record while averaging 12.9 points and 4.1 assists per game. Twice this season she has recorded games of at least 10 assists, including a career-high 11 helpers against Charlotte on Jan. 16. It was the most assists in a game by a DePaul player since the 1995-96 season.

The Nancy Lieberman Award enters its sixth year and continues building national recognition. The criterion for the award is the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country select three finalists and one winner at the end of March 2005. The three finalists and one winner will be announced during the Final Four Weekend (April 3-5th, 2005) and the winner will be invited to attend the award luncheon in Detroit, Mich.

2005 NAISMITH TROPHY MIDSEASON CANDIDATES
Three Conference USA women’s basketball players have been named to the 2005 Midseason Naismith Trophy Candidates presented by Cingular Wireless, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Feb. 21. TCU’s senior forward Sandora Irvin, Houston’s senior center Sancho Lyttle and DePaul’s junior forward Khara Smith have all been named as candidates for one of the most prestigious national awards presented annually. All three players were also chosen for 2005 C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team and to the 2005 Naismith Trophy Preseason list.

The Top 30 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The list was narrowed down from the preseason list of 50 candidates who were announced at the beginning of the season. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

Irvin, who was the 2004 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year, broke the NCAA Division I career record for blocked shots on Feb. 5 in a 74-64 victory against Memphis in Fort Worth, Texas. This season, Irvin has also set the NCAA's single-game record for block shots against UAB on Jan. 16 with an impressive 16 rejections. The senior was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Player of the Month for her December performance. Irvin currently averages 20.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 2.4 steals per game. She leads the nation in rebounding and ranks second for blocked shots.

Leading Houston this season is Lyttle, the Cougars top offensive and defensive threat. Lyttle tops the league charts for rebounding (12.5), which will also catapult her into first in the country in this week’s NCAA statistics, and ranks second in the league in scoring (18.8). Lyttle posted 16 boards against East Carolina on Friday to give her 310 on the season, a mark that set the all-time UH single season record. The Cougar standout now has 324 rebounds for the season.

Smith, the 2004-05 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, remains one of the top players in the country. She leads the nation’s top scoring offense with 18.6 points per game. Smith helped her No. 21 Blue Demons earn the 2005 C-USA regular season title and 13 consecutive C-USA victories. Smith averages 11.8 rebounds per game, which places her third in the nation, behind only league opponents Irvin and Lyttle. Smith has recorded 19 double-doubles for the season and 50 for her career.

BILLBOARD BRUNO
DePaul's Doug Bruno was named one of 20 finalists for the 2005 Naismith Award, which was announced on March 3. The Naismith Award is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men’s and women’s college basketball coaches of the year. The 20 finalists will be on the ballot in March when the Board of Selectors votes to select this year’s top collegiate coach in the nation. The winner will be recognized at the Naismith Awards Banquet on April 8 in Atlanta.

IRVIN NAMED SENIOR CLASS FINALIST
The Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award Organizing Committee named TCU forward Sandora Irvin one of 10 finalists for the honor. Other finalists include Jacqueline Batteast (Notre Dame), Steffanie Blackmon (Baylor), Shyra Ely (Tennessee), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Caity Matter (Ohio State), Janel McCarville (Minnesota), Kendra Wecker (Kansas State), Tan White (Mississippi State) and Tanisha Wright (Penn State). Earlier in the season Irvin was joined by Houston’s Sancho Lyttle and DePaul’s Charlene Smith as nominees for the fourth annual Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, designed to honor the attributes of seniors who remain committed to their university and elect to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.

The Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award is presented annually to the nation's senior player of the year for NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball. From the preseason candidate list, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the award in February. When the season reaches the NCAA Championship in March, nationwide fan balloting will be coupled with results from voting by coaches and media to determine the male and female winners. Legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg, who initiated the idea for the award and now serves as honorary chairman, will announce the winner during the CBS telecast of the NCAA Men's Final Four.

THE MONTH OF IRVIN
TCU senior forward Sandora Irvin was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Player of the Month for her December performance, the WBCA announced Jan. 10. Irvin averaged 22.5 points, 13 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.8 steals in TCU's eight games during the month. She tallied a career-high 32 points vs. Oklahoma in an 81-65 victory on Dec. 9. Irvin scored at least 20 points in six of the eight contests and was in double digits in the rebounds category in all but two games. The Frogs went 4-4 during the month, with two of the losses coming from ranked opponents, then-ranked No. 9 Tennessee and No. 23 Utah.

PROGRAM MILESTONES
Louisville joined two other C-USA teams this season in tallying the program’s 500th victory, Houston and Southern Miss. The Cards posted a 69-54 victory over Marquette in the quarterfinals of the 2005 Pepsi C-USA Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 4. Houston, led by 2004 C-USA Coach of the Year Joe Curl, tallied its 500th victory in program history on Jan. 1. For the mark, the Cougars posted a 48-46 victory over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. On Feb. 5, the Cougar men’s basketball team earned their 1,000th program victory with a win over Memphis. Curl challenged men’s head coach Tom Penders to remain exactly 500 wins ahead of the women. Another milestone was reached on Feb. 5 as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles defeated Tulane, which catapulted the school to reach its 500th win.

10TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS
Conference USA is celebrating its 10th anniversary during the 2004-05 season. In conjunction, the league is naming a Team of the Decade for each of the conference’s 19 sports. Women’s Basketball is the latest sport to have its All-Decade team released and the squad is led by former Houston star Chandi Jones, a three-time C-USA Player of the Year, who was named the Player of the Decade. The Women’s Basketball Coach of the Decade award was won by DePaul’s Doug Bruno, who led the Blue Demons to their second regular season title this season. Voting on the awards was done by each of the league’s current women’s basketball coaches. DePaul and Tulane were the only schools to produce multiple members of the team with two players apiece. Seven other schools had one representative on the squad.

C-USA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-DECADE TEAM
Chandi Jones, Houston (2000-04) - PLAYER OF THE DECADE
Valerie King, Cincinnati (2001-2004)
Khara Smith, DePaul (2001-present)
Lenae Williams, DePaul (1998-02)
Sara Nord, Louisville (2000-04)
Abbie Willenborg, Marquette (1996-2000)
Tamika Whitmore, Memphis (1995-99)
Sandora Irvin, TCU (2001-05)
Grace Daley, Tulane (1996-2000)
Janell Burse, Tulane (1997-2001)
Deanna Jackson, UAB (1998-02)

C-USA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH OF THE DECADE
Doug Bruno, DePaul (1976-78, 1988-present)

AROUND C-USA
CHARLOTTE (22-8, 9-5 C-USA)
Charlotte will make its third straight postseason appearance, following one of its best regular seasons in school history. The 49ers will travel to ACC foe Wake Forest (15-14) for their first round game of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), Friday, March 18 at 7 pm. (EST). The 49ers enter the Wake Forest game with 22 wins, which is tied for the third-most victories in school history. This season, Pam Brown and Sakellie Daniels have both scored their 1,000th career point, which is the first time in school history that two players have reached the 1,000-point plateau in the same season. Also, this season, Monica League has become the program's all-time career leader in games played (120), games started (119) and minutes (3,736).

CINCINNATI (9-19, 4-10 C-USA)
Cincinnati was eliminated from the C-USA Tournament by host Charlotte, 63-46, on March 3. The Bearcats shot just 30 percent from the floor and committed 21 turnovers in the game. UC finishes the season with an overall record of 9-19. 2005 Sixth Player of the Year Anne Stephens led her Bearcat squad in scoring with 12.0 points per game, while sophomore Toni Slaughter topped the team in rebounding, averaging 6.6 boards per game.

No. 17 DE PAUL (25-4, 13-1 C-USA)
DePaul is making its third consecutive and 10th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A year ago as the No. 9 seed, the Blue Demons advanced to the second round before falling to top-seeded Tennessee in Tallahassee, Fla. The program is 4-9 all-time in NCAA Tourney action with four second-round appearances. Coming off a 2005 C-USA regular-season championship, the Blue Demons earned their highest NCAA Tournament seed in school history with a No. 5 slot in the Chattanooga Region. The squad will take on 12th-seed Virginia Tech in College Park, Md., on Sunday, March 20. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. (EST). 2005 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year Khara Smith leads DePaul with 21 double-doubles, while averaging 18.4 points and 11.8 rebounds. The first team All-Conference USA honoree is also a finalist for the Wooden Award, Naismith Award and Wade Trophy for the nation’s top player.

EAST CAROLINA (10-18, 6-8 C-USA)
East Carolina fell to Memphis in the first round of the 2005 Pepsi Conference USA Tournament March 3, 76-67 inside Dale F. Halton Arena. Jennifer Jackson, who was named second-team All C-USA, played in her 109th career game for the Pirates with her 76th start. She recorded her 71st double-digit game of her career with 12 points. Jackson finishes her career as the fifth all-time scorer in ECU's history with 1,490 points. Shanita Sutton recorded her 67th start and has played in 106 career games. Sutton tied a career high in points (20) and recorded a game-high (10) points for her third double-double of her career. Sutton recorded one block and finished her career with 65, which places her seventh all-time.

HOUSTON (21-8, 10-4 C-USA)
After posting a 10-4 final Conference USA record, including a thrilling 61-52 win over TCU in its final regular season match-up, Houston earned an at-large bid to play in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Cougars, who are the No. 10 seed, will play the seventh-seeded Boston College Golden Eagles in the Chattanooga Regional, Sunday, March 20. Houston lost to Louisville in the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament, 56-48, on March 5. The 2005 postseason appearance marks the Cougars' second consecutive trip to the Big Dance after entering as a No. 3 seed last year. Last year, Houston defeated UW-Green Bay in the first round of the East Regional, 62-47. In the second round, UH fell, 56-52, to UC-Santa Barbara, but it was the first time in school history Houston advanced past the first round in the NCAA Tournament. All-Conference First-Team and 2005 C-USA All-Tournament Team selection Sancho Lyttle leads the Cougs with 22 double-doubles on the season and tops the nation in rebounds with 12.4 per game.

LOUISVILLE (22-8, 11-3 C-USA)
The Cardinals return to the NCAA tournament field for the first time since the 2001 season. U of L is the No. 9 seed and will face No. 8 seed USC in the first round held in Minneapolis, Minn. at Williams Arena on Saturday, March 19 at Noon. Sophomore Jazz Covington leads the Cardinals in scoring and rebounding with 17.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in field goal percentage and ranks second in the conference, connecting on 56.7 percent. Covington became just the second women's basketball player and four player overall in Louisville history to score 1,000 career points as just a sophomore. She needs just seven rebounds to register 500 career rebounds, as well.

MARQUETTE (18-11, 8-6 C-USA)
Marquette received a bid to the Sportsview.tv WNIT after finishing the regular season with an 18-11 record. The Golden Eagles will host Nebraska on Thursday, March 17 at 7 p.m. (EST) at the Al McGuire Center. Marquette advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Marquette has wins over four NCAA Tournament teams, including DePaul, Penn State, Houston and TCU. Leading the Golden Eagles is sophomore center Christina Quaye and junior guard Carolyn Kieger. Quaye topped the 20-point mark nine times this season and leads the team in scoring at 15.7 per game. Kieger falls just behind Quaye in scoring and leads the conference in assists per game. Against UAB in the first game of the C-USA tourney, Kieger passed the 1,000-point mark and became the 17th player in school history to pass that mark. She is just one of three players in school history to have 1,000 points and 400 or more assists.

MEMPHIS (13-16, 5-9 C-USA)
After reaching the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament for the eighth time in 10 years, the Memphis Tigers fell to then-ranked No. 12 DePaul, 78-55, on March 4. Senior Victoria Crawford, who was named Third Team All-C-USA for the second consecutive year, led her squad with 16 points and eight rebounds. In addition to Crawford being named Third Team in 2004, she also received the league's Sixth Player of the Year Award. Crawford averaged 15.0 points, while senior Raven Rogers posted 7.6 rebounds per game, both marks topped the team.

SAINT LOUIS (4-23, 3-11 C-USA)
The Billikens completed the 2004-05 season with a 4-23 overall record and a 3-11 mark in Conference USA. Saint Louis guard Mia Johnson was selected to the 2005 C-USA All-Freshman Team, after the 5-foot-9 shooting guard ranked fifth in the league with a 17.1 scoring average. Johnson scored 444 points this year, the fifth-highest single-season total at SLU. She was one of the top scoring freshmen in the country, tallied at least 20 points on 10 occasions and reached double figures in scoring 24 times. Johnson sank 64 three-pointers and set a school record with 110 free throws made. She ranked 12th in the league in assists and led all freshmen in assists and steals.

SOUTHERN MISS (9-19, 3-11 C-USA)
Fifth-seeded USF used a record-setting defensive effort to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pepsi C-USA Women’s Basketball Tournament posting a 68-47 victory over 12th-seeded Southern Miss on March 3 at Dale F. Halton Arena. The Bulls notched a tournament record in game two for steals with 19 and forced the Golden Eagles to make a tournament record 36 turnovers. Freshman Shannon Stueber, who was named to the 2005 C-USA All-Freshmen Team, lead the young squad in scoring this season with 15.1 points per game, while classmate Emer Foley averaged 6.7 rebounds per game.

TCU (23-9, 10-4 C-USA)
C-USA Tournament champion TCU will head west for its opening round match-up in the 2005 NCAA Division I Tournament. The Horned Frogs received a No. 7 seed in the Tempe Region Sunday and will face No. 10-seed Oregon in Seattle on Saturday, March 19. The Frogs climbed back into the national rankings March 7 after defeating Louisville 60-41 for the Conference USA Tournament championship the previous day. TCU currently stands in at No. 24 in both The Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls. At the helm of the Frogs is TCU standout Sandora Irvin. For the 2004-05 season, Irvin is averaging 20.1 points, 12 rebounds, 4.5 blocked shots, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals. She ranks 11th in the nation in scoring, second in rebounding and third in blocks.

TULANE (11-16, 3-11 C-USA)
Tulane closed out the 2005 regular season with a 79-49 win over Southern Miss, the largest margin of victory since the Green Wave defeated Southeastern Louisiana by 43 on December 19, 2002. Tulane ends its season 11-16, 3-11 in Conference USA. Leading the Wave this season was senior Lakeithia Hampton, who was named to the All-Conference USA Third Team. Hampton tallied three double-doubles and reached double figures in 19 of 22 games in which she played. She became the 17th player in Tulane women's basketball history to score 1,000 points as she ended her Green Wave career ranked No. 9 on the school's all-time lists for rebounds with 610 and No. 10 for free throws made with 254. This season marks the first time Tulane has failed to qualify for the Conference USA Tournament.

UAB (7-21, 4-10 C-USA)
UAB closed out its 2005 season with a 78-53 loss to Marquette in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament on March 3. Sophomore Carmen Guzman led all scorers with 22 points, including 15 in the second half for the Blazers. Guzman was also UAB's leading rebounder with seven. Additionally, sophomore Crystal McFadden had 15 points, six rebounds and a team-high four steals in the contest.

USF (20-10, 9-5 C-USA)
USF earned its second-straight postseason bid and will play its first all-time home postseason contest when it faces in-state foe Florida in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at 7 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, March 17. The winner will face the winner of the Wake Forest vs. Charlotte game that will be played at a time, date and site to be determined. The Bulls have enjoyed their best season in the program’s history, posting a record of 20-10 on the year. In addition, the team has recorded its best home record in school history with a 13-2 slate. Bull leader Jessica Dickson has been the go-to girl this year, netting 16.9 points per game, which is tops on the team. On Feb. 26, in the team’s win over Southern Miss she became the 14th player in school history to score 1,000 career points and the first woman to accomplish the feat prior to the end of her sophomore year.

ROAD-BLOCK
Instead of frogs being known for their ability to line the highway pavement, this Horned Frog is lining her own road on NCAA statistical charts. Senior forward Sandora Irvin broke the NCAA Division I career record for blocked shots on Feb. 5 in a 74-64 victory against Memphis in Fort Worth, Texas. Irvin came into the game with 426 blocks, just two shy of tying Genia Miller from Cal State Fullerton's mark established in 1991. Irvin also set the NCAA's single-game record for block shots against UAB on Jan. 16 with an impressive 16 rejections. The original record of 15 was held by Amy Lundquist from Loyola Marymount.

ROOKIE RADAR
DePaul’s Allie Quigley ranks third overall in three-point field goal percentage (.487). Quigley helped her then-ranked No. 15 Blue Demons to an 84-81 overtime victory over TCU on Feb. 13, as the rookie was one of five Blue Demon players to post a double-figure scoring effort. Quigley nailed 10 points in the team’s tenth consecutive win. Another freshman this season to standout was Saint Louis’ Mia Johnson, who joins Quigley on C-USA’s 2005 All-Freshman Team, ranked fifth in the league with a 17.1 scoring average. Johnson scored 444 points this year, the fifth-highest single-season total at SLU. She was one of the top scoring freshmen in the country, tallied at least 20 points on 10 occasions and reached double figures in scoring 24 times. Johnson sank 64 3-pointers and set a school record with 110 free throws made.

CRAWFORD JOINED THE RANKS
Memphis’ Victoria Crawford became just the 17th Tiger in history to hit the 1,000-point career mark, after the senior posted 13 points in Memphis’ loss to Western Kentucky on Dec. 20. The 2004 C-USA Sixth Player of the Year, Crawford is just the third Tiger in as many years to hit that mark, following Princess Swilley (2003-04) and Shannon Hamp (2002-03). Crawford, who set a new Memphis and C-USA record with 207 free throws converted last year and 261 attempted, is currently fourth on the Memphis’ career free throws attempted list (667). Crawford is also tied for second in school history for career free throws made (498) with Tamika Whitmore (1976-80).

ROGER THIS
Memphis’ forward Raven Rogers became just the third Tiger since 1998 to hit the 500 career rebound mark with four boards at Nebraska on Dec. 30. Since 1998, Memphis has had only two other 500-career-rebounders (Melissa Abraham, who finished with 685, and Shannon Hamp, who finished with 567). Rogers currently has 624 boards for her career after posting four against East Carolina in the first round of the C-USA Tournament on March 3 and three against then-ranked No. 11/12 DePaul in quarterfinal action.

FAB 50
In USF’s 76-36 win over Wagner on Dec. 22, Jose Fernandez realized his 50th career win. Fernandez, who is in his fifth year with the Green and Gold, turned in the most successful season of his coaching career last year. Fernandez signed a 33rd ranked class according to the All Star Girls Report - which included current Bull standouts of Jessica Dickson, Nalini Miller, and Rachael Sheats, along with junior college transfers Anedra Gilmore and Rae Rae Sayles. Fernandez helped the Bulls advance to the postseason for the first time in school history when they faced Richmond in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

RETIREMENT PARTY
Former University of Houston standout Chandi Jones had her No. 13 jersey retired on Feb. 5, immediately following the Cougars 92-47 victory over Saint Louis at Hofheinz Pavilion. Jones, who wrapped up her collegiate career in 2003-04, is one of the most heralded C-USA women’s basketball players of all-time as well as one of the most celebrated student-athletes in UH history. Among her many accolades, Jones was a three-time Conference USA Player of the Year, 2001 C-USA Freshman of the Year, Kodak All-American, Associated Press All-American, four-time All-Conference USA First Team selection, among other honors. She is the league’s all-time leading scorer (23.6 ppg), and was the nation's leading scorer among NCAA Division I players in 2002-03. Jones believed that the honor was as much her teammates as her own, so the sensation requested that the numbers of the 2003-04 Cougar squad be placed on the banner as well. In summation, UH head coach Joe Curl said, “A selfish team will make a great player average really quick.”

TOURNAMENT NOTABLES
FIRST ROUND, MARCH 3:
VICTORIA CRAWFORD, MEMPHIS
Senior guard Victoria Crawford, who played in a reserve role in Memphis’ first round match-up against East Carolina, sparked the second-half comeback as she scored 15 of her game-high 21 points after the break. Crawford, a third-team All-C-USA pick, nailed a season-high 12 free throws on 13 attempts with 10 of those coming after halftime.

SAKELLIE DANIELS, CHARLOTTE
Charlotte guard Sakellie Daniels netted a tournament-high 22 points in game three of the Pepsi C-USA Women’s Basketball Tournament to lead the 49ers to a 63-46 victory over Cincinnati on March 3. Daniels, who earned All-C-USA second-team honors this season, led the offensive charge making 7-of-10 shots and dishing out four assists in the opening 20 minutes. She finished 8-of-14 from the field with six assists, six rebounds and four steals.

CAROLYN KIEGER, MARQUETTE
Guard Carolyn Kieger had eight first-half points and with her fourth point of the game became the 17th Golden Eagle in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark for her career. She helped her seventh-seeded squad to a 78-53 defeat of 10th-seed UAB in the fourth game of the tournament on March 3.

DANIELLE KAMM, MARQUETTE
Marquette forward Danielle Kamm posted her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds on March 3 against UAB. The sophomore helped give the Golden Eagles a 41-34 advantage on the boards.

SECOND ROUND, MARCH 4:
SANDORA IRVIN, TCU
C-USA Player of the Year Sandora Irvin pace the Horned Frogs with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots to a 65-47 win over USF on March 4.

SANCHO LYTTLE, HOUSTON
Houston forward Sancho Lyttle, a member of the All-C-USA first team, scored a new tournament-high 31 points in a 75-73 overtime victory over host Charlotte on March 4.

SAKELLIE DANIELS, CHARLOTTE
Charlotte guard Sakellie Daniels scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists in the loss to Houston on March 4, which was just the second for the 49ers on their home court this season. Daniels attempted 15 foul shots, which is the second most in a tournament game. Daniels holds the record with 18, which she set last season in a victory over East Carolina.

KATIE OLSON, LOUISVILLE
Reserve guard Katie Olson had a career-high 20 points, including 18 second-half points, after halftime as the Cardinals shot just over 18 percent better as a team than they did in the first half. Olson made 7-of-10 field goal attempts in the second half and stepped up for the Cards as they eliminated Marquette in the quarterfinals of the 2005 C-USA Tourney on March 4.

QUARTERFINALS, MARCH 5:
SANDORA IRVIN, TCU
2005 C-USA Player of the Year Sandora Irvin finished as the game’s high scorer with 24 points and she had 13 boards against DePaul on March 5. Irvin broke the school’s single-season record for rebounds for the fourth season in a row in the process. Her season totals with TCU have been 294, 320, 366 and now 374.

JAZZ COVINGTON, LOUISVILLE
Covington's last basket against Houston in the last semifinal game on March 5 was her 1,000th career point. Covington became only the second Cardinal in women's basketball history to achieve that feat as a sophomore. She is the fourth Louisville player in men's and women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points as a sophomore, Butch Beard, Wes Unseld and Gwen Doyle were the other Cardinal greats to do the same.

2005 FINAL FOUR IN INDY
Butler University and the Horizon League host the 24th edition of the Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis. The RCA Dome showcases the final two days of NCAA Tournament for the first time in the event’s history. With Indianapolis playing host to the 2006 Men’s Final Four, it becomes the fourth city to host the Men’s and Women’s Final Four in back-to-back years (Lexington, Ky., 1985 men’s and 1986 women’s; Atlanta, 2002 men’s and 2003 women’s and New Orleans, 2003 men’s and 2004 women’s). For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ESPN2 will broadcast all 63 games of the 2005 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

HONEY, I’M HOME!
Following an easy 77-56 defeat of Marquette on Feb. 27, the then-ranked No. 12 Blue Demons extended the school’s best home-court win streak with 23-straight, which is currently the second longest active streak in the country. The Blue Demons broke Louisville’s seven-game home winning streak with a 70-60 victory at Freedom Hall on Feb. 5. Western Illinois defeated Southern Utah on Feb. 21 to stay perfect in Mid-Continent Conference action and extend the nation's longest home-court winning streak at 39 games.

2004-05 RANKED WINS
N27 TCU def (3) Georgia, 64-63
N28 TCU def. (13) Michigan State, 80-75
N30 (24) Houston def. (14) Purdue, 63-60

NCAA LEADERS
Below is the latest 2004-05 NCAA statistical report through games of March 14.

INDIVIDUAL
Scoring
10. Sandora Irvin, TCU 20.1 ppg
24. Sancho Lyttle, HOU 19.1 ppg
31. Khara Smith, DPU 18.4 ppg
37. Jazz Covington, LOU 17.9 ppg

Rebounds
1. Sancho Lyttle, HOU 12.4 rpg
2. Sandora Irvin, TCU 12.0 rpg
4. Khara Smith, DPU 11.8 rpg

Assists
8. Anedra Gilmore, USF 6.2 apg
9. Carolyn Kieger, MAR 6.2 apg
T15. Joann Overstreet, HOU 6.0 apg
21. Natasha Lacy, TCU 5.8 apg

Blocked Shots
3. Sandora Irvin, TCU 4.5 bpg

Steals
8. Joann Overstreet, HOU 3.5 spg
22. Sancho Lyttle, HOU 3.0 spg

Field-Goal Percentage
4. Khara Smith, DPU 61.9
16. Jazz Covington, LOU 56.7

Free Throw Percentage
30. Jessica Dickson, USF 84.3

Three Point Field Goal Percentage
4. Allie Quigley, DPU 48.7

Three Point Field Goal Made Per Game
19. Allie Quigley, DPU 2.6
26. Mia Johnson, SLU 2.5

TEAM
Scoring Offense
1. DePaul 82.9
26. Charlotte 71.7

Scoring Defense
T28. USF 55.6

Scoring Margin
2. DePaul 21.6

Field Goal Percentage
9. DePaul 47.0
30. Louisville 44.3

Field Goal Percentage Defense
10. TCU 35.1

Rebounding Margin
2. DePaul 12.0
22. TCU 6.3

Three Point Field Goals Per Game
10. DePaul 7.3

Three-Point Field Goal Percentage
11. DePaul 37.9

Won-Loss Percentage
13. DePaul 86.2

Assists Per Game
1. DePaul 19.6
23. Charlotte 16.4
27. Marquette 16.2

Blocked Shots Per Game
4. TCU 6.6

Steals Per Game
13. DePaul 11.8
16. Houston 11.7
20. TCU 11.4
23. USF 11.3

2005 C-USA SIGNEES
Charlotte:
Danielle Burgin C 6-5 Asheville, N.C. /Asheville
Traci Ray G 5-5 Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair

Cincinnati:
Jill Stephens C 6-3 Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South
Michelle Jones F 6-1 Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame
Angel Morgan G 5-8 Springfield, Ohio/Springfield North
Kahla Roudebush G 5-8 Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern
Shelly Bellman G/F 5-10 Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glendorf

DePaul:
Erin Cattell F 6-1 Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg

East Carolina:
Jessica Slack G 5-11 Thornville, Ohio/Sheridan
Erica Gilley G/F 5-11 Lexington, N.C./Lexington Senior
Cherie Mills C 6-4 Ayden, N.C./Louisburg JC
Impris Manning G 5-9 Thomasville, N.C./Thomasville
Alicia Person G 5-9 Henderson, N.C./Southern Vance

Houston:
Sha'Ratta Hawkins G 6-0 Houston, Texas/Jesse H. Jones
Nikita Robertson G 5-7 Reserve, La./East St. John's
Nakazi Glover G/F 5-11 Bellaire, Texas/Bellaire
Nichelle Roberts* F 6-1 Houston, Texas/Westfield/Kansas
Ryan Meyers G/F 6-0 Arlington, Texas/Arlington/Grayson Co. CC
Sha'Quaylon McKinney*F/C 6-3 Dallas, Texas/Skyline/Trinity Valley CC

Louisville:
Angel McCoughtry F 6-1 Lenoir, N.C./Patterson
Neka Mixon G 6-0 Long Beach, Calif,/Long Beach Wilson
Chauntise Wright C 6-3 Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara

Marquette:
Krystal Ellis G 5-9 Racine, Wis./St. Catherine
Erin Monfre G 5-11 Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South
Marissa Thrower F 5-11 Detroit, Mich./Renaissance

Memphis:
Paris Leonard G 5-8 Memphis, Tenn./Wooddale
Sherika Montgomery C 6-2 Plantersville, Miss./Shannon

Saint Louis:
Amanda Kemezys C 6-4 Belleville, Ill./Belleville East
Evelyn Ruff G 5-7 Saint Louis, Mo./Gateway Tech

Southern Miss:
Pauline Love F 6-1 Luxora, Ark./Rivercrest
Ashley Boehnel G 5-10 Kiln, Miss./Hancock
Amber Eugene G 5-7 St. Rose, La./Destrehan
Rachael Manuel C 6-4 Grays Lake, Ill.
Kendra Reed F 5-10 Bay St. Louis, Miss.
Ashley Harrell G 5-10 El Dorado, Ark./El Dorado

TCU:
Brittany Purdom F 6-4 Rialto, Calif./Etiwanda
Micaela Younger C 6-2 Dover, Del./Caesar Rodney

Tulane:
Kendra Barnes F 6-2 Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa
Ashley Langford G 5-5 Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg
Sasha Staidum G 5-7 Houma, La./Ellender
Megan Valicevic G/F 5-11 The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands

UAB:
Tamika Dukes F 6-0 Birmingham, Ala./Huffman
Britney Jones G 5-7 Chicago, Ill./Marshall
Brianna Barry F 6-1 Flint, Mich./Flint Southwestern Academy

USF:
Shantia Grace G 5-8 Sarasota, Fla./Riverside
Jessica Jackson G 5-6 Roswell, Ga./Roswell

EMAIL DISTRIBUTION
Media may contact the Conference USA office by phone (214-774-1354) or e-mail to be included on the league’s e-mail lists for releases and information. Please contact Lindsey Rogers in the conference office (lrogers@c-usa.org) with requests or questions.

TOURNAMENT MVPS
With numerous tournaments dotting the schedules of most C-USA teams, a number of league squads and individuals have fared well by claiming tournament titles and MVP honors.

Moran Realty Classic (DePaul)
Champion: DePaul - MVP: Jenni Dant

Miami Jam (Florida International)
Champion: USF - MVP: Ezria Parsons

Houston Classic (Houston)
Champion: Houston - MVP: Sancho Lyttle

Tiger Classic (Memphis)
Champion: Memphis - MVP: Victoria Crawford

Rainbow Wahine Classic (Univ. of Hawaii)
Champion: TCU - MVP: Sandora Irvin

Mildred & Roger White Invitational (Northwestern)
Champion: Houston - MVP: Joann Overstreet

DoubleTree Classic (Tulane)
Champion: Tulane – MVP: D’Aundra Henry

Blue Sky Restaurant Classic (Valparaiso)
Champion: DePaul – MVP: Khara Smith

Blazer Invitational (UAB)
Champion: UAB – MVP: Carmen Guzman

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2005-06
The 2005-06 season will see the introduction of six new programs to Conference USA. Marshall University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Tulsa and will all begin competition in C-USA beginning with the 2005-06 season. These six schools will join current members East Carolina University, University of Houston, University of Memphis, Southern Mississippi University, Tulane University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Rice won the WAC Tournament Championship and will face Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Tulsa and SMU each received invitations to the WNIT. Tulsa Golden Hurricane will face Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. (CST) at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. SMU travels to Springfield, Mo. to take on the Southwest Missouri State Bears on Thursday, March 17 in a 7:05 p.m. tilt.

For more information about the future of Conference USA, please check out the website: www.conferenceusa2005.com.