USD Women's Basketball 2000-2001

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2000-200-f Torero Basketball

A Preview of the 2000-2001 Toreros

Head Coach Kathy Marpe

Head Coach Kathy Marpe enters her 28th season as a co ll egiate head coach and her 21st season at the helm of the USO women's basketball program. With two West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors and 329 career victories, Marpe is known as the "Dean" of the West Coast Conference. Her 300th career win came over Portland State in the 1998-99 season. Coach Marpe is only three WCC wins away from earning her I00th victory in the West Coast Conference. Good Byes to USO Greats Tne USO basketball program said good bye to four important seniors last year. The Toreros lost four-year letterwinner Andrea Burns. The 6' I" forward recorded 67 points and 39 rebounds while appearing in 64 games as a Torero. USO forward Maria Perez-Barris came to USO after attending Solano College for two years. In her junior and senior years for USO, she averaged 6.2 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game while appearing in 57 games throughout her Torero career. USO also had to say good bye to forward Jessica Gray. Gray was a four-year USO letterwinner, two-time all-conference

Senior Jamie Lucia

honoree and became San Diego 's second leading rebounder in Torero history with 700 career boards. The six-foot forward averaged 14.3 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game in her senior season. USO guard Susie

Erpelding also graduated last year. Erpelding became USD's all -time leading scorer with 1,510 points scored in her career. She was also a three-time all-conference selection and a two-time al l-academic selection . In their senior year, Gray and Erpe lding were top- IO scorers in the league and combi ned to average 31.3 of USD's 61.6 points per game. Gray and Erpe lding are currently playing professional basketball overseas. West Coast Conference The WCC is being nationally recognized in women's basketball. For the second straight year, West Coast Conference women's basketball improved its national RPI. The conference moved up two spots in the rankings , from # 12 in 1999 to # IO at the end of the 2000 season. This comes after advancing four teams into postseason play for only the third time in league history. Last season, San Diego and Pepperd ine appeared in the first round of the NCAA Tournament while Santa Clara and Saint Mary's each played in the WNIT. The Saint Mary's Gaels defeated Hawaii in the first round of the WNIT Tournament, the WCC's first post season victory since 1996 . Another ac hi evement made last year in the WCC was three teams winn ing 20 or more games, the third straight year that benchmark has been reached. The West Coast Conference looks to be

strong again in the 2000-200 I season, USO will host the WCC Tournament at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, March 1-4. New Look at USO The University of San Diego ath let ic department has been busy this past year. This year, USO has unvei led a new Torero logo and built the new Jenny Craig Pav il ion. The University of San Diego wil l remain the Toreros, but the logo has a new look. The new Jenny Craig Pavilion opened in October, 2000 and wi ll be home to the USO women's vol leyba ll team, women's basketball team and men's basketball team. The Pavilion seats 5, 100 people and wi ll host student events and concerts as we ll as athlet ic games and tournaments. The new faci lity was a result of generous USO donors , alumni and Sid and Jenny Craig. Head Coach Kathy Marpe says, "It 's a tremendous fee ling to finally be a big time program with a bi g time fac ility." Tournaments At the Jenny Craig Pavilion The Univers ity of San Diego will nost the 200 I men's and women's West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament as wel l as the annual Masry & Vititoe Tournamen t. The Masry & Vititoe tournament wil l be held December 29-30 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The tournament will feature Co lorado, Oak land, UC Riverside and San Diego. The women's West Coast Confe rence Tournament wi ll be held March 1-4, featuring all eight WCC teams.

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