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Show B4 SPORTS Wolverines hope recent success will carry over to Johnson wrapping up self-made career By KEVIN OLSEN Sports Writer By NICK HEFLER Sports Writer After losing four straight, the women's basketball team finds itself entering conference play with some momentum, as they have now won two straight games. The Wolverines opened up conference play over the weekend in Grand Forks to face North Dakota (see uvureview.com for details). UND is the biggest hurdle standing in the way of a UVU conference championship. After routing Walla Walla , head coach Cathy Nixon said she was glad to have a game like that before conference play. "Our ultimate goal is a Great West Conference championship," Nixon said. The Wolverines appear headed in the right direction. The team is hopeful that their winning ways are a sign of things to come. When asked how the team feels about entering conference play with a big win, sharp shooter Taylor Huber said, "It gives us a lot of confidence." With the 104-46 win, the Wolverines improved their record to 8-9 on the year. To compete in the Great West and build on their winning streak, the team must continue their hot shooting that they displayed in their most recent win. They shot 52.4 percent overall and 42.9 percent from long range. The Wolverines have also enjoyed a balanced scoring attack as well as good rebounding as of late. An area where the Wolverine's can improve is ball control. In the win verses Walla Walla they enjoyed a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, but Coach Nixon would still like to see the turnover number go down saying, "I'm not happy about 16 turnovers." She also added that anytime the team records 32 assists (a school record), there is something to be happy about. The game also saw the team top the 100-point mark for the first time since Dec. 29, 2008. Sammie Jensen and Jenna Johnson will lead the Wolverines on this quest for a conference championship. Jensen leads the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (10.6). Her rebounding numbers are also good for 13th in the nation. Jenna Johnson is their second scoring option at 9.4 points per game. The Wolverines were picked by conference coaches to finish second in a the annual Great West preseason poll. They finished fourth in the 2010-11 regular season. IJVLI PHOTO BY LANCE LARSEN/UVIJ REVIEW Senior guard Jenna Johnson goes up for a shot in a regular season game. Johnson is second on the team in scoring at 9.4ppg and second on the team in steals. Coach Cathy Nixon described senior guard Jenna Johnson as a female Tom Sawyer because of her love for fishing and the raft of milk jugs made by her and her teammates. "We would test it out in the hot tub," Johnson said. "We never went fishing off of it though. I want to but I'm not quite sure where it's at right now." Although a Tom Sawyer like description might be appropriate to justify Johnson's character in her everyday life, the easy going and relaxed description gives it little justice when she hits the court. From the beginning of the season, Nixon expressed that the "go-to" girl for perimeter scoring would be Johnson along with her multi-talented teammate Sammie Jensen. In her junior year, Johnson scored a career-high 29 points in a game and averaged 13.5 points per game overall. "I am just happy that my teammates and coach have the confidence in me that they do," Johnson said. At Spanish Fork High School Johnson stared in both volleyball and basketball, where she averaged 21 points per game. It was during high school that Johnson decided that basketball was the path she wanted to take to her college career. "I like basketball better," Johnson said. "I think volleyball is so fun but I was maybe a little bit better at basketball." Many of Johnson's family members played basketball in their past, which sparked her own interest to start playing. Once immersed into the basketball atmosphere, Johnson started to develop friendships through the sport that would keep her clinging to it, becoming a leader in scoring along the way. Although basketball has been a part of her family, Johnson was never forced to play. The motivation to become a better player and a better scorer came from herself and the basketball hoop in her driveway. "My parents had never pressured me to go practice or anything," Johnson said. "I just did it because I love it. So I played a lot when I was a kid, just went out and shot in my driveway." In her final year at Utah Valley, Johnson continues to contribute her talents to lead the team to victories. The annual Great West Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll projected the Wolverines would finish second in the confer- ence. Despite being a complement overall, Johnson and the team will continue to contend for the conference championship. The women's basketball team played their final nonconference game on Tuesday night against Walla Walla University before starting their Great West play. Johnson shot a perfect 5-for-5 Tuesday night for 11 points. At the end of the semester, Johnson will put a close to her college career and graduate with a bachelors in exercise science. When asked what she'll miss the most, she didn't hesitate in her response. "Honestly, the friendships with my teammates," Johnson said. "That makes it so fun. I'll miss the competitiveness and something to keep me in shape." Want to go to UVU games for FREE? Come write for the UVU REVIEW! Apply in SC 220 or email petersensports@gmail.com UVU Womens Basketball Report Card 2011-2012 SMASHED FRESH UVU Review B+ Frontcourt Sammie Jensen (13.6ppg, 10.6rpg) is a double-double machine and Erika Newbold provides solid rebounding and shot-blocking. B ackcourt Mason and Jenna Johnson are performing well, but the Wolverines are shooting just 26.9 percent from 3-point range. SERVED DELICIOUS B- JUICY, HAND-CRAFTED BURGERS AND CHICKEN A Defense Bench Overall — Lost amid the team's shooting woes is that their opponents' field goal percentage (37.8) is hardly better than their own (37.1). B+ 0ri41)441Xa4N- Credit the entire roster for being ready when called upon. Considering 10 different players have started at least once, an 8-9 record is nothing to sneeze at. "4 A — Despite talented players like Jensen and Johnson, shooting has been a problem all season. If Jensen can get more touches as she has the last two games (28 total attempts in two wins), the rest of the offense should fall into place. • BECOME A PILOT AVIATION SCIENC white earning your degree! 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