Women's Basketball
Preseason Honors Kind to Cougars
October 29, 2009 – If the preseason awards are any indication of regular season success, the CCU women’s basketball team is headed for one memorable year. The ladies were picked second-overall in the hotly-contested RMAC East Division, while senior standouts Abby Rosenthal and Talmai Aguirre each earned a spot on the 2009-10 RMAC Preseason Team.
The Cougars return every starter from a 2008-09 squad that started the season on a tear. The ladies began the season by downing some tough regional opponents, came one bucket short of an upset over top-five foe, Alaska-Anchorage, and eventually advanced into the Central Region rankings before a rash of late season injuries derailed an otherwise record-setting year.
Leading the charge for the ladies will be the inside-out attack of 6-1 Rosenthal, and the high-scoring Aguirre.
Rosenthal nabbed a CCU women’s basketball-best five RMAC Player of the Week awards last year, while averaging a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Before being sidelined by a season-ending knee injury, Aguirre led the ladies with 15.7 points per game, while connecting on a team-best 60 buckets from long range, and gobbling up 4.4 boards per outing from her guard spot.
The regular season opener is just around the corner as the Cougars gear up to take on the Northern State Wolves on November 15 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. local time.
Cougars Bolster Roster with Addition of Juanise Cornell
August 3, 2009—The CCU women’s basketball team put the finishing touches on an already potent roster this past week by officially announcing the addition of Juanise Cornell, a senior Division I transfer from Colorado State University.
Hailing from Azusa, California, the 5’11” forward started 26 of 30 games last season for the Rams, while averaging seven points and a team-second five rebounds per contest. Juanise finished the 2008-09 season ranked first in made field goals, second in total rebounds and fourth in assists and steals, including a 19 point 12 rebound effort at Air Force.
During her three-year stint with the Rams, Juanise started 85 games, moved into 18th all-time at CSU in single season rebounds, while finishing top-10 in CSU history in free throws made, steals, offensive rebounds, rebounds per game and total rebounds for a freshman.
A two-sport (basketball and volleyball) prep star at Bishop Amat High School, Cornell led the Lancers to a 2006 state championship, which included a perfect 35-0 season record. Serving as team captain as a junior and senior, Juanise also compiled honors as all-league, all-state and CIF Co-Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006, while being named a McDonald’s All-American nominee in 2006. In her four year stay with Bishop Amat, she guided the team to a school-best record of 119-7.
"Juanise is a phenomenal player and person and will be a wonderful addition to our family,” stated coach Hays. “She could be one of the best individual athletes to ever attend CCU and has an incredible work ethic and knowledge of the game. She has proven already that she can be a great leader and player at the college level, and will have an immediate impact on our program. Maybe even more impressive than her playing accolades is her unselfish attitude and ability to make others around her better. She's a complete package, and we are very excited to have her here"
The women’s basketball season tips off on November 15, as the Cougars face the Northern State Wolves in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Caldwell Joins Coaching Staff for 2009-10
July 28, 2009—The CCU women’s basketball team is pleased to announce the addition of Jessika Caldwell, a former Division I and professional athlete, who will step in as lead assistant for the Cougars as they gear up for the 2009-10 athletic year.
A two-year team captain and four year letter winner at Baylor University, Caldwell earned a spot on the 2004 NCAA Mid West Regional All-Tournament Team and was named the 2003-04 Big 12 Sportswoman of the Year.
During her stay with the Bears, Jessika moved into first place all time in the Baylor record books in both single-season free-throw and 3-point percentage, while claiming the top spot in career free-throw percentage.
Following graduation, Caldwell spent a season with the Sparta Praha Basketball Club in the Czech Republic, where she continued her on-court dominance by averaging over 17 points per game, while being named Most Valuable Female Athlete.
Returning stateside to pursue a career in coaching, Jessika took the reins of fellow RMAC member UC-Colorado Springs in 2005. As head coach of the Mountain Lions, Caldwell recruited seven high school All-State players, two State Players of the Year and led UCCS to the RMAC conference tournament for only the fourth time in school history.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Jessika to CCU,” stated coach Hays. “She is an immensely talented coach and has the passion and character to serve in a Christian environment. Her experience as a player and leader at one of the top college programs in the nation (Baylor) and as a head coach in the RMAC makes her a valuable member of a program looking to take the next step towards being nationally recognized. She is one of the highest quality individuals I have ever spent time with and will have a major impact on our program."
Caldwell is replacing former assistant Nikki Long, who recently accepted an opening as head coach of the CCU women’s golf team.
Cougars Earn Spot in WBCA Academic Top-25
July 10, 2009—Demonstrating success in the classroom as well as on the court, the CCU women’s basketball team earned a ranking of 22nd in the 2008-09 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top-25 Honor Roll, holding an impressive team GPA of 3.394.
The WBCA Honor Roll, given in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College, awards teams throughout the nation that carry the highest grade point averages for the entire season, based on the nomination submitted by WBCA-member head coaches.
“The girls have worked very hard this year to get the job done in the classroom,” stated coach Hays. “Our aim is to achieve excellence in every area of our lives and this recognition goes to show that the girls are doing exactly what we’ve set out to do.”
2008-09 Highlight Video
Cougars Load up for 2009-10 with Spectacular Spring Signings
May 1, 2009—The CCU women’s basketball team is pleased to announce the addition of freshman Kelsey Flood and sophomore transfers Brittany Long and Sam Neal who will join an already loaded lineup for 2009-10.
Kelsey Flood, a 6’0” guard out of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona, was ranked by ESPN.com as the 44th best wing in the class of 2009. Coming from one of the top programs in the state of Arizona, Flood is a proven leader and a top-notch athlete.
“Kelsey greatly increases our size and athleticism on the perimeter,” stated coach Hays. “She is a great athlete that can penetrate and shoot from the outside. She will be one of the best rebounders on a top-notch rebounding team and will be a defensive stopper against the bigger guards in our league. Despite her accolades, Kelsey is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic people I have met and will bring daily inspiration to her teammates and coaches,” added Hays.
Joining Flood will be Brittany Long, a transfer from Regis University and a 2008 graduate of nearby Faith Christian High School. A scoring machine with a natural instinct for the game, Long currently sits at 2nd place all-time in the CHSAA record books with 265 made three-point buckets. She also ranks 7th all-time in points scored, 8th in free throws made and 8th in free throw percentage.
“Brittany will be a program changer in her next few years here,” noted Hays. “Her knowledge of the game is incredible and will be put to good use as she steps up to lead this team in the future. She is one of the most efficient and productive players to come out of Colorado and has the talent and work ethic to change the outcome of the game single handedly. Despite those attributes, she is one of the most unselfish, team oriented players I will have the privilege to coach.”
Last but certainly not least is Sam Neal, a sophomore transfer from Regis University and a 2008 graduate of Golden High School. A deadly marksman from deep, Neal holds the all-time CHSAA three-point field goal mark with 271 career makes. Combining a lethal shooting touch with superior court vision, Sam earned her way to 3rd place all-time in Colorado history with 538 total assists.
Coach Hays adds that, “Sam is an instinctual player with the ability to control the game for us. She will be an instant contributor on the offensive end, as she can shoot and distribute the ball very well. Sam will fit into our style of play extremely well here and she will find the freedom to use her strengths.”
With the addition of the early signing class in December, coach Hays has added a total of seven new players to next year’s roster, three of which turned down Division I offers to attend CCU.
“The coolest part about this class is that I believe they will carry on the amazing attitude and heart that the current team has displayed. We are a blessed program!”
Men’s and Women’s Basketball to Add JV Program
April 29, 2009—The Colorado Christian University Athletic Department is pleased to announce that the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be adding a junior varsity program which is set to begin in the upcoming 2009-2010 year of competition.
Each program will carry 10-12 additional players and will compete primarily against regional junior college teams. Athletic scholarship money will be available for athletes who qualify, in addition to an automatic $1000 CCU scholarship for students who enroll from partner high schools.
CCU’s junior varsity program provides a great opportunity for players to enjoy the full collegiate athletic experience, with the potential to develop skills and progress to the varsity ranks.
For more information, please contact Nikki Long at njlong@ccu.edu or 303-963-3189.
Hiring Hays Pays as Cougars Cap Super Season
March 9, 2009—It didn’t take long for head coach Tim Hays to make his mark on the CCU women’s basketball program. Joining CCU this past fall, the LA Grande, Oregon native brought Division I and professional experience to the Cougar bench, while instilling a never-say-die attitude that resulted in one of the most successful seasons in team history.
In only his first year at the helm, Hays coached the ladies through arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in recent memory, battled a series of late-season injuries and still had the Cougars in the hunt for an RMAC playoff berth until the final hours of the regular season.
The Cougars started 2008-09 on a tear, defeating regional foe Wayne State for the first time in team history and taking top-ranked rival Alaska-Anchorage down to the wire in a two point road loss. On December 6, the ladies put a punctuation mark on a new era by rebounding from a 26 point second half deficit to defeat Northwest Nazarene.
Over the next two months, CCU was able to knock off defending RMAC Shootout champs, CSU-Pueblo, on their home court, before sweeping the Metro State – Regis weekend for the first time this decade. 
With junior forward Abby Rosenthal playing some of the best basketball of her career, the Cougars secured wins in ten of twelve games, were tied for first place in the RMAC East Division and ranked as high as eighth in the NCAA’s Central Region.
While a string of February injuries cost the Cougars a five game losing streak in the thick of conference play, Hays still managed to rally a short-handed squad to victories in two of their last three games. Heading into the final hours of the RMAC season, the Cougars were still alive in the playoff hunt, until the Adams State Grizzlies pulled out a six point road win to secure the final post season berth.
Although adversity ended the 2009 season short of team expectations, the Cougars look ahead to next year with plenty of optimism. Hays has already added the best early signing class in team history, and returns all five starters and five key reserves. From the coaching staff on down, the ladies look to be on the fast track to unprecedented success and an unforgettable run in 2009-10.
Ainsley Barratt
Women's Basketball
Why CCU?
I chose to attend CCU because I wanted to attend a school with a Christian atmoshpere. I wanted to grow in my faith and I have so far. I also chose CCU because I wanted to play college basketball and I thank God for ...
