ESPN3 Webcast | South Dakota Free Webcast | Live Stats
SEATTLE -- The Huskies head back out on the road this weekend to face South Dakota in the DakotaDome on Saturday evening at 6 p.m., PT. Washington (6-2) will be put to the test against the Coyotes (6-3) who have won 17-straight at home. The game will be broadcast online via ESPN3 or a free South Dakota webcast and on radio in Seattle at 1150 AM or 1150kknw.com.
What To Look For
- Washington is now 17-3 in non-conference games over the past two seasons.
- Kelsey Plum owns the national lead in scoring, averaging 28.4 points per game.
- The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in points per game, averaging 81.9 per contest.
- The Huskies are not ranked, but are receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.
- Chantel Osahor is averaging a double-double at 10.1 points and 10.6 rebounds.
- Osahor has three double-doubles this year, while Talia Walton has two.
- Osahor leads the nation with a 6.0 assist to turnover ratio (30 assists / 5 turnovers).
- Plum was named the No. 10 player in the country in the ESPNW preseason rankings.
- Plum was also named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 and the Naismith Watch List.
- The Huskies were picked sixth by both the coaches and the media in the Pac-12 preseason polls.
- Plum was chosen as preseason All-Pac-12 by the media.
- Osahor became the fourth player in program history with a 20-rebound game vs. Seattle U.
- Only Colorado of Pac-12 schools is not at or above .500 and the conference has an overall record of 69-18.
- Osahor (17), Katie Collier (16) and Brianna Ruiz (15) scored career highs against Fresno State.
- Walton's 33 points in the opener were a career high, while her eight 3's were second-most in UW history.
- Plum became the 12th player in program history to score 1,500 points vs. Seattle U. (She now has 1,685).
- Hannah Johnson and Deja Strother made their Husky debuts against Santa Clara.
- Dating back to last year, the Dawgs have won 15 of their last 18 home games.
- The Huskies only two losses this year came against ranked teams, No. 21 Oklahoma and No. 23 Syracuse.
- Washington is 24-7 in non-conference games under head coach Mike Neighbors.
- Kelsey Plum is tied for the national lead in free throws made with 63.
- Alexus Atchley earned her first career start against Texas Tech in Las Vegas.
- Mathilde Gilling tied a career high with nine points in the win over Texas Tech.
- Kelli Kingma saw her first extended minutes vs. Portland after missing time with a concussion.
- A win on Saturday would be the 50th of Mike Neighbors' young head coaching career.
- UW's top-three scorers (Plum/Walton/Osahor) have combined to shoot 96-108 (88.9%) from the foul line.
Previous Matchups With South Dakota
Washington leads the series against South Dakota 1-0, winning the lone battle against the Coyotes, 96-82, in last season's home opener. In that game Kelsey Plum netted 37 points, becoming the first Husky to ever score 35-plus points in back-to-back games after her 45-point effort at Oklahoma. Plum was not the only bright spot for the Huskies against the Coyotes, as three other players finished with double-figures. The Huskies forced 17 turnovers in the game and led by as many as 23 points in the second half.
Scouting South Dakota
The South Dakota Coyotes are currently on a six-game winning streak and sit 6-3 on the season. The most notable win for the Coyotes this season was against Drake, where they finished on top, 92-87. Coyotes are led by senior Nicole Seekamp who is averaging a team-high 15.1 points per game while also notching 4.0 rebounds. Junior Caitlyn Duffy, who has started every game for South Dakota, is averaging over 13.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Dakota Dome is a tough place to play for any opponent, as the coyotes have won 17-straight home gamees.
Plum's Preseason Honors
Kesley Plum in an All-America candidate and piled up some honors preseason. She was named the No. 10 player in the country on the list compiled by ESPNW. Plum was also named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30, the Naismith Early Season Watch List and the preseason All-Pac-12 Team.
Walton On The Perimeter
The Huskies have a bigger front line this season, allowing Talia Walton to see more time on the perimeter. That shift has been a positive for the match up nightmare as she is averaging career bests in scoring and shooting percentages. Walton has also been a defensive threat on the perimeter where she leads the team with 21 steals, using her long arms and instincts that made her the UW all-time leader in blocked shots when she played inside more.
Plum's Scoring Prowess
Kelsey Plum has now scored in double figures in 73 of 75 career games, incuding at least 20 points 48 times and 15 games of at least 30. The Husky record for 20-point games is 51 by Jazmine Davis, while games in double figures is 98 by Giuliana Mendiola. Plum already holds the record for 30-point games with 15 of the 41 total top-scoring games in Husky history. Plum also holds the Washington records with 746 points and 22.6 ppg scoring average both that led the Pac-12 last season. Plum also set Husky records with 45 points against Oklahoma and with 207 made free throws last year. She is currently 11th in the NCAA among active scorers with 1,685 points and the only junior in the top-21. Plum is on pace to become the 17th player in Pac-12 history to reach 2,000 points later this season and could become only the 11th player in NCAA history to score 3,000 points next year.
Size In The Paint
After being a perimeter oriented guard the past several seasons, the Huskies have a new look this season with some size in the paint. Talia Walton has moved mostly to the '3', while Chantel Osahor, Katie Collier, Deja Strother and Mathilde Gilling have played nearly all of the minutes inside. It gives the Huskies a big lineup with each being at least 6' 3". The results have been improved rebounding with the Dawgs being +6.0, which is fourth in the Pac-12. The starters Osahor (10.1 points and 10.6 rebounds) and Collier (7.1 and 5.5) have also both been highly efficient.
#21 Oklahoma Squeaks Past UW Late
Washington led by as many as six in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma used a late run to beat the Huskies, 71-68. Kelsey Plum finished with 30 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough. Chantel Osahor added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Huskies Down Portland
Portland got off to a hot start, making five 3's in the first quarter, but Washington took over in the second quarter. Kelsey Plum led the way with 29 points, making a season-high six 3-pointers to lead the Dawgs to a 83-65 win. Talia Walton added 17 points and Chantel Osahor had a double-double for UW.
Plum Propels UW Past Texas Tech
Washington trailed by eight at the half, but Kelsey Plum scored 19 of her 34 points in the third quarter to lead the Dawgs past Texas Tech, 77-73. Talia Walton added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds and was named to the All-Tourney Team, while Mathilde Gilling gave great minutes off the bench with nine points.
Huskies Suffer First Loss To #23 Syracuse
UW suffered their first loss of the season, falling to No. 23 Syracuse 66-62 in Las Vegas. The Dawgs got off to a sluggish start and trailed by as many 21, before a big comeback to get within one in the fourth quarter. Talia Walton led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, making four 3's, while Kelsey Plum added 19.
Dawgs Run Away From San Diego State
Kelsey Plum scored 32 points for the second-straight game as Washington pulled away from San Diego State in the second half. Leading by as few as three in the third quarter, the Dawgs ran away and won 80-51. Talia Walton added 19 points, while Brianna Ruiz had 12.
Dawgs Come Back To Beat Fresno State
The Huskies trailed by as many as seven points in the second half, but rallied to beat Fresno State, 89-79. Kelsey Plum led the way with 32 points and six assists, scoring 21 in the second half to lead the Dawgs back. Chantel Osahor (17), Katie Collier (16) and Brianna Ruiz (15) also had career highs.
UW Claims City Rivalry
UW claimed the city rivalry game, beating Seatte U., 96-55. Kelsey Plum led all scorers with 26 points and added six assists, but it was Chantel Osahor who posted the most impressive numbers. Osahor had 12 points, 20 boards, four assists and three steals. She became the fourth UW player with a 20-rebound game.
Dawgs Rout SCU In Opener
Washington blew out Santa Clara 100-55 in the opener behind a career-best 33 points from Talia Walton. The senior made 8-9 from behind the 3-point line, while adding nine rebounds, six steals and four assists. As a team the Dawgs shot over 50 percent from the field and Kelsey Plum added 25 points and eight assists.
2014-15 In Review
Washington returned to the NCAA Tournament last year off the strength of a 11-1 non-conference record and fifth-place finish in the Pac-12. Washington picked up some signature wins along the way, defeating Florida State at the Cancun Challenge, then upsetting No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 7 Oregon State at Alaska Airlines Arena. Overall, Washington now has three-straight wins over top-10 teams at home, having also upset No. 3 Stanford in 2014. For the season, the Huskies finished 23-10, falling to Miami (Fla.) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Washington was selected as a top-20 team during the midseason look by the NCAA and earned a No. 6 seed in the Big Dance. The Dawgs finished 11-7 in conference and beat Utah in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies also led the conference in scoring at 75.0 ppg and led the nation in free-throw shooting at 78.0 percent.
Graduated Greats
Washington lost two of the program's all-time great players to graduation in guard Jazmine Davis and forward Aminah Williams. Davis left as the Huskies all-time leading scorer, while Williams is the all-time leading rebounder. Both players will be missed, but the Huskies believe they have the depth to overcome the losses of two greats that helped rebuild the program from a Pac-12 afterthought to a NCAA Tournament team. The duo won 84 games at Washington, never less than 20 in a season. Davis scored 2,277 points in her Husky career, leaving as the all-time leading scorer, but also sixth in Pac-12 history. She also holds the Husky record for free throws, 3-pointers, field goals attempted, 3-pointers attempted and free throws attempted. Davis is also the only four-time All-Pac-12 Player in Washington history. Williams was probably the best rebounder in the country for her size, measuring at 6-0, but averaging 10.8 rpg as a sophomore, 10.4 as a junior and 9.3 as a senior. Her 1,142 total rebounds are a UW record, but she also holds the school record for games played at 132.
2014-15 Pac-12 Honors
Jazmine Davis and Kelsey Plum earned All-Pac-12 honors with Davis becoming the first four-time recipient in Washington history. Talia Walton was also named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12, while Aminah Williams was Honorable Mention All-Defensive Team.
2014-15 Pac-12 All-Academic
Washington had two players honored as Pac-12 All-Academic as Kelsey Plum and Aminah Williams were named honorable mention. Williams was nominated for the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year after graduating with a double major in Medical Anthropology/Global Health and Sociology.
Pac-12 Tourney In Seattle
Seattle will once again be an epicenter of women's basketball as the Dawgs have a great home schedule this season, while the Pac-12 Tournament will be played at KeyArena for a fourth-straight year. The Pac-12 Tournament is set to begin on March 3 and will continue until the final on March 6. Washington hopes 2015 will be the year they can make a deep run in the tournament in front of their home fans.
