Willamette University

Men's Basketball | Monday, January 13, 2003

Men's Basketball News Release

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Bearcats (9-2, 3-0 NWC) run win streak to four games;
Hepp named Northwest Conference Player of the Week

THIS WEEK: Willamette takes NWC lead to Whitman, Whitworth
Jan. 17 at Whitman (4-9 overall, 1-3 NWC), 8 p.m.
Jan. 18 at Whitworth (12-1 overall, 3-1 NWC), 8 p.m.
(Whitworth was ranked No. 11 in last week’s D3hoops.com top 25 poll)

LAST WEEK: Willamette rallies past L&C in overtime, rolls over Linfield
Jan. 7 Willamette 77, at Lewis & Clark 70 (OT)
Point guard Ryan Hepp (Sr., Century HS) helped rally Willamette from a 16-point second-half deficit at Lewis & Clark to force overtime, and the Bearcats outscored the Pioneers 10-3 in the extra period to remain undefeated in Northwest Conference play with a 77-70 victory over the hosts. Willamette trailed by 16 points twice in the second half and was behind 65-51 with 4:43 left to play before Hepp led the Bearcat rally. The senior point guard fueled a 16-2 run to close out the period by scoring 11 straight points for the visitors. Post Marques Johnson (Sr., Grant HS) made the second of two free throws with five seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 67-67 and force overtime. Hepp scored all 11 points in a span of 81 seconds. He led all scorers with 24 points. WU’s Miles Sandgathe (Jr., Pleasant Hill HS) finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. Harold Sublett Jr. (So., Hayden HS, Phoenix, Ariz.) scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half. Johnson ended up with 11 points and, for the second straight game, 11 rebounds. Willamette shot 51 percent for the game and committed just eight turnovers

Jan. 10 at Willamette 87, Linfield 67
Point guard Ryan Hepp (Sr., Century HS) had game-highs of 24 points and six assists Saturday as Willamette remained undefeated in NWC play with an 87-67 win over Linfield in Cone Field House. Willamette led by just five points at the half, but went on a 16-2 run in the first 6:20 of the second half. When Ryan Rahlfs (Jr., Eastside Catholic HS, Wash.) converted a reverse lay-up on the baseline with 12:10 remaining, the Bearcats garnered their first 20-point lead of the night at 62-42. WU shot 59.7 percent for the game, compared to 47.2 percent for Linfield, which was playing without all-star point guard O.J. Gulley. Willamette’s defense stifled Linfield’s 6-foot, 11-inch center Nick Fusare, the MVP of the recent Cactus Jam tournament. Fusare finished with just five points and four rebounds. The Bearcats got another solid game from junior wing Miles Sandgathe (Jr., Pleasant Hill HS), who scored 17 points and dished out four assists. WU also got plenty of help off the bench. David Force (Jr., Lakeridge HS) had 11 points and Rahlfs added 10 on 5 of 6 shooting from the field. Also, B.J. Dobrkovsky (Sr., Lebanon HS), hampered by an injury most of the season, had eight points, five rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes of play. Hepp converted 11 of 18 shots from the field, following up on his heroics from Tuesday night.


HEPP HONORED BY NWC: Point guard Ryan Hepp (Sr., Century HS) was named on Monday as Northwest Conference Player of the Week. In leading the Bearcats to two big wins last week, Hepp scored 48 points, dished out 10 assists and had five steals. He converted 21 of 36 (58.3%) shots from the field.


NOTES: The Bearcats are now 5-0 at home this season and have won all 10 periods in those games. Willamette leads the NWC in scoring defense (63.0 ppg) and turnover margin (+3.00). The Bearcats are No. 2 in scoring margin (+11.0), field goal percentage (51.5%) and three-point field goal percentage (39.6%). Individually, Marques Johnson (Sr., Grant HS) ranks fourth in the NWC in scoring (16.5 ppg), second in field goal percentage (58.5%) and sixth in rebounding (5.5 rpg). Ryan Hepp (Sr., Century HS) ranks sixth in scoring (16.2 ppg), fifth in free throw percentage (82.9%), tied for fifth in field goal percentage (57.1%), fourth in assists (4.27 apg), fifth in steals (1.64 spg) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62:1). Miles Sandgathe (Jr., Pleasant Hill HS) leads the NWC in three-point field goal percentage (57.1%), and is eighth in scoring (14.9 ppg), third in field goal percentage (57.8%) and third in free throw percentage (87.2%).


PREVIOUS ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Post Marques Johnson (Sr., Grant HS) has been named to the all-tournament team in each of the three tournaments Willamette has played in. He also was named MVP of the Bud Presley Classic and Co-MVP of the John Lewis Holiday Classic. Point guard Ryan Hepp (Jr., Century HS) was the other Co-MVP of the John Lewis Holiday Classic and was named to the all-tourney team of the Bud Presley Classic. Wing Miles Sandgathe (Jr., Pleasant Hill HS) was also named to the Bud Presley all-tournament team.


NORTHWEST CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS
W L
WILLAMETTE (9-2) 3 0
Whitworth (12-1) 3 1
Linfield (9-3) 2 1
Puget Sound (7-6) 2 2
Pacific Lutheran (5-8) 2 2
Pacific (4-7) 2 2
Lewis & Clark (7-7) 2 3
Whitman (4-9) 1 3
George Fox (4-6) 0 3


2002-03 WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER

NO PLAYER POS HT WT YR/EL HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)
12 Ryan Hepp* PG 5-11 175 Sr./Sr. Hillsboro, Ore. (Century)
14 Drew Miller PG/W 6-1 170 Fr./Fr. Keizer, Ore. (McNary)
20 B.J. Dobrkovsky W 6-3 195 Sr./Sr. Lebanon, Ore. (Lebanon)
23 Henry Greeley W 6-3 185 Fr./Fr. Seattle, Wash. (Lakeside)
24 Harold Sublett Jr.* PG/W 6-1 190 Jr./So. Phoenix, Ariz. (Hayden)
30 Michael Plank PG 6-0 160 Fr./Fr. Stockton, Calif. (Franklin)
32 P.J. McDevitt W 6-4 165 Jr./Jr. Sacramento, Calif. (Jesuit)
34 David Force W 6-3 195 Jr./Jr. Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lakeridge)
40 Marques Johnson* P 6-5 205 Sr./Sr. Portland, Ore. (Grant)
42 Brennan Garrelts* P 6-7 205 Fr./Fr. Roseburg, Ore. (Roseburg)
44 Miles Sandgathe* W 6-5 210 Jr./Jr. Springfield, Ore. (Pleasant Hill)
50 Ryan Rahlfs P 6-5 215 Jr./Jr. Bellevue, Wash. (E. Catholic)
52 Jacob Baran P 6-5 230 Fr./Fr. Beaverton, Ore. (Beaverton)
55 Joe Carmichael P 6-7 220 Gr./Sr. Eugene, Ore. (Sheldon)

* Probable starters

HEAD COACH: Gordie James (16th year)
ASSISTANTS: Wally Wing (16th year), Nelson Lomax (4th year),
Kip Ioane (2nd year), Shawn Gahr (1st year)


THE BEARCATS UNDER COACH GORDIE JAMES:
OVERALL NWC PLACE
1987-88 18-10 10-0 1st
1988-89 15-12 9-3 1st
1989-90 25-6 10-2 1st (tie)
1990-91 19-10 8-4 3rd
1991-92 17-13 8-4 2nd
1992-93 29-4 11-1 1st (NAIA Division II National Champions)
1993-94 24-6 10-2 1st (tie)
1994-95 20-12 8-4 1st (tie)
1995-96 11-13 5-9 7th
1996-97 10-14 8-8 5th
1997-98 14-10 10-8 5th
1998-99 15-10 11-7 3rd (tie)
1999-00 15-10 9-7 4th
2000-01 10-14 7-9 5th
2001-02 18-8 12-4 2nd
2002-03 9-2 3-0
TOTALS #269-154 139-72

# The all-time school record for wins by a Willamette head coach is 277 by the late John Lewis. From 1947-67 (20 seasons), Lewis’ teams went 277-239 and won or shared seven conference titles. Lewis also coached baseball at WU and served as athletic director.


2002-03 WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER
22-23 Bud Pressley Classic Atherton, Calif.
22 Menlo vs. Willamette W, 86-83
22 Fresno Pacific vs. CSU-Hayward
23 Third-place game
23 WU vs. Fresno Pacific (Champ.) W, 66-58

DECEMBER
6-7 John Lewis Holiday Classic Salem
6 Southern Oregon vs. Linfield
6 Western Baptist vs. Willamette W, 80-73
7 Western Baptist vs. Linfield
7 Southern Oregon vs. Willamette W, 87-66
13 Warner Pacific Salem W, 72-60
14 Western Oregon Monmouth L, 61-57
28-29 Pioneer Classic Hayward, Calif.
28 Wisconsin-Whitewater vs. WU L, 60-55
28 Pacific Lutheran vs. CSU-Hayward
29 Wis.-Whitewater vs. P. Lutheran
29 WU vs. CSU-Hayward W, 86-58

JANUARY
4 Pacific Lutheran* Salem W, 62-37
7 Lewis & Clark* (KBZY 1490) Portland W, 77-70 (OT)
10 Linfield* Salem W, 87-67
17 Whitman* (KBZY 1490) Walla Walla, Wash. 8:00
18 Whitworth* (KBZY 1490) Spokane, Wash. 8:00
21 Pacific* Salem 8:00
24 George Fox* (KBZY 1490) Salem 8:00
25 Pacific Lutheran* Tacoma, Wash. 8:00
31 Puget Sound* Tacoma, Wash. 8:00

FEBRUARY
7 Linfield* (KBZY 1490) McMinnville 8:00
8 Lewis & Clark* Salem 8:00
14 Whitman* Salem 8:00
15 Whitworth* (KBZY 1490) Salem 8:00
18 Pacific* Forest Grove 8:00
21 George Fox* (KBZY 1490) Newberg 8:00
22 Puget Sound* Salem 8:00
27 NWC playoffs (No. 3 at No. 2) TBA TBA
29 NWC Champ. (Winner at No. 1) TBA TBA

* Northwest Conference game


TICKETS: Ticket prices for all Willamette regular season home games are:
$5 General Admission
$3 Students and seniors
Free Children 12 and under
To purchase tickets in advance, call (503) 370-6011.


WILLAMETTE ON THE RADIO: Selected Willamette University basketball games will be broadcast live on Salem radio station KBZY (1490 AM). The broadcasts begin at the conclusion of each women’s game. Mike Allegre will provide the play-by-play.


HOW TO CONTACT HEAD COACH GORDIE JAMES:
(503) 370-6063 Willamette University
(503) 949-9830 Cell
gjames@willamette.edu


MORE INFORMATION ON THE WEB:
/www.willamette.edu/athletics/mbasketball
http://www.nwcsports.com
http://www.ncaa.org
http://www.d3hoops.com