Women's Basketball | 1/14/2015 3:04:00 PM

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

No. 1 Lewis women's basketball (15-0, 5-0 GLVC) will suit up for the first time as the top ranked team in the country on Thursday (Jan. 15) when the McKendree Bearcats come to Neil Carey Arena. The game will start at 5:30 p.m. CT and be heard on 1340 WJOL with Mark Vasko on the call. Fans can watch the game for free at www.LewisFlyers.com/watch. Fans are encouraged to wear red to the game for a "Red Out." The first 50 students will receive a free t-shirt.

VS. THE BEARCATS - Lewis is 4-1 all-time against McKendree. The lone loss came Nov. 14, 2011 in the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Bearcats won that matchup at Neil Carey Arena 64-57. Lewis defeated McKendree twice last season. Lewis won at McKendree 72-62 and at home 75-63.

THOUSAND TIMES OVER - Juniors Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) and Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) both passed the 1,000 career point total on Jan. 4 at Truman State. In an interesting coincidence, Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen scored her 1,000th career point in the same venue when playing for Northwest Missouri State. However when Carlsen scored her 1,000th point Truman State still went by the name Northeast Missouri State.   

1,000 X THREE - Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) and Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) are not the only 1,000 point scorers on the roster. Senior Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) owns 1,422, eighth all-time in Lewis history. A total of 22 Flyers have scored 1,000 points in program history.

JOIN THE RANKS - This is the first time in program history Lewis has been the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Lewis appeared at No. 9 in the preseason poll, moved up to No. 4 on Nov. 25, No. 3 on Dec. 2 and then No. 2 on Dec. 9. Lewis stayed at two until moving to No. 1 on Jan. 13.

HOT START - The Flyers' 15-0 start to the season is the best undefeated stretch to start a season in program history and the longest win streak in program history. The previous record was a 13 game streak held by the 2006-07 squad.

THE LEWIS FIVE - When Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI), Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic), Kristin Itschner (Metamora, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame), Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic), Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) start the Flyers are 33-4. This group has never lost at home as a starting unit.

ONLY THE LONELY - Lewis is the only undefeated team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and one of three NCAA DII women's basketball squads without a loss. The other are Livingstone and Florida Tech.

JUST WIN BABY - Lewis' 15 wins are the most of any of the 34 NCAA DI or DII men's or women's basketball teams in the state of Illinois.

UP NEXT - The Flyers host UIS on Saturday (Jan. 17) at 1 p.m. it is a "White Out" for the game as the first 50 students will receive a free white t-shirt.

START EM UP - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) has started all 72 games she has played in a Lewis uniform.

PLAYER, PLAYER (OF THE WEEK) - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) have both been named GLVC Player of the Week twice this season. Johnson took home awards on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. Brawner-Henley earned the honor on Dec. 22 and Jan. 5.
 
BETTER THAN 50/50 CHANCE - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) is shooting .540 (101-of-187) on the season. Her .540 FG percentage ranks 39th in the nation, and the best for a guard in the country. Johnson shot .344 as a freshman and .433 as a sophomore.

ON THE BOARDS - Junior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) ranks third in the nation in rebounds per game (13.3) and fifth in the country in defensive rebounds per game (10.0). Her 11 double-doubles are the third most in the country.

YOU SHOOT 3's NOW TOO!? - Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) made just 1-of-6 3-point attempts last season as she earned GLVC Player of the Year honors. In 2014-15 she has already made 8-of-19.

BETTER AT THE LINE TOO - Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) has improved in 2014-15 at the free throw line also. She has made 56-of-72 (77.8 percent) on the season after making 92-of-143 (64.3 percent) last season. She is 43-of-50 (86.0 percent) at the charity stripe over Lewis' last 10 games.

PERFECT DOZEN - Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) made 12-of-12 free throws in Lewis' win over Maryville on Jan. 10, 2015. It's the most made free throws in a game without a miss during the Lisa Carlsen era.

YOU NEVER SHOOT 3's - Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) owns a career field goal percentage of .504 (519 of 1028). Just two of those shots have been a 3-pointer. She missed it. She has missed both

KEEP IT - Lewis ranks fourth in the nation with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.40. Individually, Kristin Itschner (Metamora, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) ranks 29th in the nation in the category (2.09).
 
SCORING POINTS - Lewis leads the GLVC and ranks third in the nation in scoring (83.7 points per game). It is on pace to be head coach Lisa Carlsen's highest scoring team. Her first seven teams averaged 69.7 points per contest with last season's squad averaging a tenure-best 78.3 points per game. The highest ever scoring team on record in program history was the 1988-89 team that averaged 81.7 points per game.

FLYERS FROM THE BLOCK - Lewis ranks eighth in the nation in blocks per game with 5.6.

D D D DEFENSE - Lewis is known from their offense, however this season opponents are shooting a 36.4 percent, giving Lewis the 50th best field goal percentage defense in the nation. This year only two opponents have shot better than 40 percent against the Flyers (Northwood, 42.9 percent and Maryville, 43.3 percent).

FREE FOR A REASON - By the numbers, the two best free throw shooters in school history are on the roster. Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) ranks first in career free throw percentage (.846/204-of-241) while Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) ranks second (.824/384-of-466). Reinhart ranks eighth of all active NCAA DII players for career free throw percentage as the stat requires 250 attempts.

LINE UP!- Lewis has attempted 106 more free throws on the season than their opponents. The Flyers are shooting 78.2 percent (247-of-316), while opponents are 68.1 percent (143-of-210). If Lewis keeps shooting 78.2 percent, it would top the best free throw shooting team in school history as the 2003-04 team shot 77.0 percent.

HELPING HAND - Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) owns 406 career assists, sixth most among-active Division II players and 32nd among all three NCAA Divisions. Her career total ranks eighth in Lewis history. Kady Currin (2007-11) is seventh with 408. Cathy Stubitsch (1982-86) is sixth with 410.

D1 AND DONE - Lewis made history this year before the season even started by becoming the first non-DI school to defeat three DI teams in exhibitions. The Flyers topped Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois and Marquette.

JUST TOOK ONE WIN - Thanks to Lewis' season opening win over Saginaw Valley State, Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen is now the program leader in wins. It was her 118th career win. She passed Brian Michalak's (1993-2002) career total of 117-126.

CLEANING THE GLASS - Junior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) recorded 21 points and 22 rebounds in Lewis' 83-75 victory over Northwood on Nov. 15, 2014. Her career-high 22 rebounds was one short of tying the Lewis program record for rebounds in a single game. Julie Fruendt holds the record with 23 boards against Valparaiso during the 1984-85 season. Brawner-Henley made another run at the record on Jan. 4 when she grabbed 21 rebounds in a game vs. Truman State.

BASKETBALL 101 - Lewis scored 101 points vs. Upper Iowa on Nov. 22. The last time Lewis scored 100 points in a non-overtime game was Dec. 16, 2003 when Lewis topped Saint Xavier (Ill.) 105-83.

1 VS. 5 - Lewis limited Upper Iowa to only five field goals in the second half on Nov. 22. Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) recorded six field goals herself in the half. Lewis outscored the Peacocks 43-18 in the final 20 minutes.