Women's Basketball | 2/18/2015 4:11:00 PM

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

No. 2 Lewis women's basketball (24-1, 14-1 GLVC) hits the road with three road games to close the regular season. First up is a trip to Springfield, Illinois on Thursday (Feb. 19) in a 5:30 p.m. start with the Prairie Stars of UIS (5-18, 1-14 GLVC). Fans can watch the game at www. http://uisprairiestars.com/watch in a webcast provided by UIS.  

VS. THE PRAIRIE STARS - Lewis is 8-1 all-time against UIS. The Flyers' only loss came Feb. 19, 2011 in Springfield. Lewis has won the last four matchups including a 101-82 victory on Jan. 17 this year in Romeoville. Lewis scored 64 points in the first half. Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) had 29 and Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) recorded 24 points in the game.

SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS - Lewis women's basketball has clinched the a berth in the GLVC Tournament and a bye in the first round. This means the Flyers will open the GLVC Tournament at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. on Friday, March 6.

REGIONALLY SPEAKING - Lewis is ranked No. 2 in the Midwest Region according to the rankings released on Wednesday. Michigan Tech, the region's only other team with one loss, holds the top spot. Following Lewis is: Drury, Wayne State (MI), UW-Parkside, Southern Indiana, Ashland, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and Cedarville.

20/20 VISION - This is Lewis' ninth 20-win season in program history and the first time in program history the team has won 20 games in three straight seasons.

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 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 1,558, eighth all-time in Lewis history. She is closing in on seventh place Mary Niego's (1980-83) 1,563 points. A total of 22 Flyers have scored 1,000 points in program history. Reinhart's career point total ranks 14th among all-active DII players and 38th among active players at all three levels.

JOIN THE RANKS - Lewis' No. 1 ranking earlier this season was the first No. 1 national ranking for Lewis in program history. 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. The Flyers spent five weeks as the No. 1 team in the country until a loss to Drury on Feb. 12 bumped the Flyers to No. 2.

TAKE YOUR TIME - Despite several Flyers in the top 10 in many statistical categories in the GLVC, not a single Flyer ranks in the top 10 in minutes played in the league.

BEAT THE STREAK - The Flyers' 23-game win streak was the longest in program history. The previous record win streak was a 13-game win stretch held by the 2006-07 squad.

CONFERENCE CALL - If Lewis wins each of their final regular season games the Flyers would set a program record for most GLVC wins in a season and fewest GLVC losses. That record is held by last year's squad that went 16-2.

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 40-5. This group owns just one loss (Drury, Feb. 12) at home when they start as a unit.

JUST WIN BABY - Lewis' 24 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 travel to McKendree on Saturday (Feb. 21) for a 1 p.m. tip with the Bearcats. Lewis defeated McKendree 91-57 earlier this season.

START EM UP - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) has started all 82 games she has played in a Lewis uniform.

SINGLE SEASON WINS - Lewis' 24 wins are one more than the 23 Lewis won last season. The 24 wins match the 24 the Flyers won in 2012-13 for the single season high during the Lisa Carlsen era. The program record for single season wins is the Flyers' 28-4 mark in 2006-07.

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.

JA+A+A+A+A+MIE - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) has been named to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 Team thanks to her work on the court and in the classroom. She owns a perfect 4.00 GPA with a major in communication studies. She has now advanced to Academic All-America consideration.
 
BETTER THAN 50/50 CHANCE - Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) is shooting 51.6 percent (159-of-308) on the season. Her percentage ranks 44th in the nation, and the best for a guard in the country. Johnson shot 34.4 percent as a freshman and 43.3 percent as a sophomore.

SHOOTY HOOPS - Johnson is one of three Flyers in the top 50 of field goal percentage in the country. Senior Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) is 35th (52.5 percent), followed by Johnson at 44th (51.6) and then Brawner-Henley at 36th (52.7 percent).

ON THE BOARDS - Junior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) ranks seventh in the nation in rebounds per game (12.4) and fifth in the country in defensive rebounds per game (9.0). Her 19 double-doubles are the most in the country.

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 79-of-102 (77.5 percent) on the season after making 92-of-143 (64.3 percent) last season. She is 66-of-81 (81.5 percent) at the charity stripe over Lewis' last 18 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.

CAREER BEST - Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) dished out 11 assists, with only one turnover, in Lewis' 96-57 win at Rockhurst on Feb. 7. It was a new career high for the senior who twice before in 2014-15 tied her career best with 10 assists.

YOU NEVER SHOOT 3's - Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) owns a career field goal percentage of .506 (573-of-1133). Just two of those shots have been a 3-point attempt. She missed both.

KEEP IT - Lewis ranks second in the nation with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.41. Individually, Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) is 15th (2.22).
 
SCORING POINTS - Lewis ranks first in the nation in scoring (83.5 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. The last GLVC team to score as many points as Lewis is averaging was the 2010-11 Quincy squad which averaged 86.3 points a contest.

FLYERS FROM THE BLOCK - Lewis ranks seventh in the nation in blocks per game with 5.4.

HELPING HAND - Lewis' 19.4 assists per game rank second in the nation.

D D D DEFENSE - Lewis is known from their offense, however this season opponents are shooting a 36.8 percent, giving Lewis the 48th best defensive field goal percentage defense in the nation. This year only five opponents have shot better than 40 percent against the Flyers.

NO NEED TO BE PERSONAL - Lewis is committing only 14.6 fouls per game, sixth fewest in the nation.

ON THE BOARDS - Lewis averaging 44.4 rebounds per game. It is the most since the Flyers averaged 45.3 rebounds per game in 1994-95.

EXCELLENT ALEXUS - Senior Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) is the first Flyer off the bench. She owns 13 games this season of double-digit points.

1-2-3 - Two current Flyers rank in the top 10 of career made 3-pointers. Junior Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) ranks seventh with 142 and senior Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) ranks eighth with 134. They are behind sixth place Darcee Schmidt (2003-07) who owns 147.

"MO" BLOCKS - Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North), or Mo to her teammates, is tied for sixth all-time in career blocks with 94. She is tied with Jackie Wayne's  (1987-91) 94.

FREE FOR A REASON - By the numbers, two of the 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 (.847/244-of-288) while Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) ranks third (.821/407-of-496). Reinhart ranks 10th of all active NCAA DII players for career free throw percentage as the stat requires 250 made free throws.
 
LINE UP! - Lewis has attempted 127 more free throws on the season than their opponents. The Flyers are shooting 77.9 percent (370-of-475), 10th best in the nation. If Lewis keeps shooting at this rate, it would top the best free throw shooting team in school history as the 2003-04 team shot 77.0 percent. Opponents are shooting 68.1 percent (237-of-348).

HELPING HAND - Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) owns 476 career assists, third most among active Division II players and 30th among all three NCAA Divisions. Her total is also second in Lewis history. She is only behind first place Brittney Diener's 500 (2003-07).

DI 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.

LOOKING BACK - A couple notes on the Jan. 15 win over McKendree. Lewis' 60.9 percent shooting was the best since shooting 62.7 percent at Missouri-St. Louis on Dec. 6, 2008. Lewis' 27 assists were the most since 29 at Bellarmine on Feb. 2, 2008. Lewis' 13 blocks were the most blocks in a game on record for the Flyers, with single-game records going back to 2002-03.

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.

MIRACLE MINUTE (AND A HALF) - Lewis trailed St. Edward's by six points with a little more than a minute and half remaining on Nov. 28. Lewis closed the game on an 11-3 run with Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) scoring nine of those points to help Lewis get the win.

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.

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. The Flyers hit 101 again on Jan. 17 vs. UIS.

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE - Lewis is winning home games by an average of 18.5 points per game. Lewis is scoring 82.6 points per game and allowing 64.1 points per game. The Flyers are shooting 47.2 percent while limiting opponents to 39.3 percent shooting.

20 MINUTES OR LESS - Lewis has scored 50 points in a half six times this season. In the first half, Lewis scored 58 vs. Upper Iowa (Nov. 22), 53 at Trevecca Nazarene (Dec. 15), 51 at Truman State (Jan. 4), 53 vs. McKendree (Jan. 15), 64 vs. UIS (Jan. 17) and 56 at Rockhurst (Feb. 7). Only once in a second half has Lewis scored 50 points, when they scored exactly 50 at St. Francis IL (Dec. 6).