After a shocking season-opening upset loss to Jacksonville to begin their season, the Gophers responded with a pair of impressive wins over Arizona State and George Washington.

Friday, Nov. 12: Gophers knock off Arizona State 66-59 in overtime road win

Minnesota traveled to Tempe, Arizona for their first road game of the season against an Arizona State team that went 12-12 a season ago.

After deploying the same starting lineup, as they did to open the season, the Gophers found success from some familiar faces.

Junior point guard Jasmine Powell led the team with 21 points on 9-22 shooting to go along with a team-high nine rebounds and five assists.

Redshirt junior forward Kadi Sissoko added 14 points, while junior guard Sara Scalia netted 13 points, after a team-high 25 point performance against Jacksonville. The Stillwater, Minnesota native’s double-digit scoring streak is now at 15 games.

The Gophers defense was able to force the Sun Devils into tricky situations all game, resulting in a 33.3% shooting performance as a team. Winning the rebound margin 53-45 was the cherry on top of a physical performance for the Gophers, ultimately leaving with a 66-59 victory.

Sunday, Nov. 14: Gophers defense shuts down George Washington 48-32 in first home win of season

A busy start to the 2021 season continued, as the Gophers welcomed a George Washington team that went 9-14 a season ago to Williams Arena for their third game in six days.

Points were tough to come by for both the Gophers and Colonials in a mid-afternoon Sunday matchup. A combined 28-109 shooting performance between both teams made for a defensive battle.

NC A&T transfer graduate student Deja Winters led the way with 17 points, her most in a Minnesota uniform. Her 6-13 shooting performance with eight rebounds gave the Gophers some much-needed production.

“Her familiarity with our system and what we do has just gotten better,” Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen said. “Just getting more comfortable and fluent with the stuff we run, what we’re trying to do and getting more comfortable with her teammates, it’s a process.”

Sara Scalia continued to find offensive success with 14 points for the game, but Minnesota was able to only find 17 more points outside of Winters and Scalia.

George Washington’s 19.2% shooting performance was a Minnesota school record for an opposing team. The Gophers were able to take advantage and come out of the sloppy game with a 48-32 victory.

“This performance says a lot about our team’s toughness after the travel we’ve had this week,” Whalen said. “The win is what we are focused on today. To bounce back this week has been really fun, and just getting back to being us and performing this way.”

The Gophers’ abnormally busy start to the season continues Wednesday with a home matchup with American at 7:00 p.m. It will be their fourth game in eight days to start the season.

We all know that Colorado State University is a “land-grant institution.” Just stroll through the Lory Student Center, and you’ll see how proud CSU is of this history.

Predictive AI Technology Used to Successfully Match Applicants with Schools

An exciting new company called Troove has entered the higher education arena with the goal of making college search and admissions more efficient and accessible. Troove helps applicants find their ideal fit, in and out of the classroom, by engaging current college students and alumni in the search process for the first time.

“Today, we all rely on the digital experience of others in how we date, dine and decide what to binge watch next. Troove will use this same technology to match applicants with the schools where people who share their same priorities, values, and interests have already found the success they want,” said Troove founder David Hurwitt.

Troove believes that current students and graduates of a school are the best predictor of what it takes to be happy and successful. The data derived from their experiences define the unique characteristics of a school and allow prospective applicants to immediately understand the qualities and priorities they share.

The company’s methodology includes a series of questions that students answer about their learning and social culture preferences and priorities. This information is compared to data about every school in the country, as well as answers to the same questions provided by people currently in college and those who have graduated.

Troove rates compatibility by assigning either a Green (High), Yellow (Medium) or Red (Low) score. Green means their learning and social answers are a great fit. Yellow means one or both of their learning or social scores don’t fit very well, and Red means their answers don’t fit well. For each score, Troove will provide an explanation so students can dig further into any areas of concern and can then gather more information from their schools, family, friends, counselors and the internet. Troove’s objective is always to empower and support students with honest, direct and clear information. Maintaining the trust of students will always be the highest priority. Individual answers to questions are kept completely confidential and Troove only ever connects Green matches.

“The average college freshman today is twice as likely to drop out or transfer as they are to graduate on time from their first school,” Hurwitt points out. “We believe today’s best matching technologies can change this and help everyone find their people and their place right from the start.”

Troove’s mission is to change outcomes by focusing on the right fit and therefore increasing the chances of finishing college as opposed to just getting in, which is often the easier part. Hurwitt believes students will come to Troove for the best insights into major, career and school matches and schools for the deepest, most diverse pre-qualified selection of future graduates and opportunities to reach and engage alumni.

Visit www.troove.me for more information and to take the questionnaire.

Media Contact:
Karen Brennan
karen.brennan@zenogroup.com

Bears battle Cardinal to draw in Big Clasico

Kyle Garcia Takata /Staff

After redshirt senior goalkeeper Chris Gustini racked up a game-high eight saves in Cal’s 1-1 draw against Stanford, he had time to reflect on the season in what was his final game with the team. As he talked about his teammates and expressed gratitude for all of the seasons he played, Gustini noticeably teared up.

“A lot of emotions right now,” Gustini said. “I played five seasons here, and there are ups and downs in soccer. That’s why I pray for my brothers. (I’m) just very emotional right now and loved every minute playing for this team to represent the school. Just really thankful and grateful right now.”

Gustini’s words reflected a bittersweet ending for the Bears, in which they gave up a second-half equalizer after notching the game’s first score early on. Despite the improved effort against the Cardinal after a 5-0 loss earlier in the season, Cal finished fall 2021 with a 3-9-3 overall record and only one Pac-12 win that came against UCLA.

Gustini, Lucas Churchill, Alonzo Del Mundo, Christopher Grey, Ian Lonergan and Dylan Penn all bid farewell to the Bears after they were honored as part of senior day celebrations prior to kickoff.

In addition to Gustini, Grey also ended his stint with Cal in a memorable fashion. He scored the first goal of the game –– and of his career –– in the 19th minute after Churchill’s through ball enabled the fifth-year senior to split the backline and fire the ball into the bottom corner. It marked the first time in 10 full games that Cal was the team to open up the scoring.

“Lucas got the ball, and I was in open space on the left wing, and then he found me in space,” Grey said. “I took the defender on and then finished outside of my foot. … We played well. In the first half, we dominated them. The second half was more of a struggle, but overall, it was a good performance.”

After the final matchup of the season, the question thus stands: What’s next for the Bears?

Looking back on the season, Cal endured a multitude of ups and downs. The first weeks of the regular season looked to be a bad omen for the blue and gold. After pulling out wins against Dixie State and UNLV, Cal dropped seven straight games, including consecutive losses against Oregon State –– the Pac-12 champions –– and Washington by a combined score of 5-0. Since halftime of its duel against Santa Clara, however, Cal outscored its opponents to the tune of 6-4. Head coach Kevin Grimes believes that stretch exemplifies what the Bears are really like as a team.

“I see the last four weeks is the team that we really are, and I find us advancing into the spring segment and in great form and advancing into the summertime workouts in a much more consistent way,” Grimes said. “We’re as good as anybody, and we were just dealing with the pandemic and mother nature here. I don’t think there’s anything to do with talent … skill or ability.”

While the Bears can partly attribute the state of their season to reasons beyond their control, Grimes has indirectly levied a challenge to his team.

Next fall, there likely won’t be a pandemic accompanied by the number of virus cases the team experienced. The stormy weather delays and game cancellations that impacted the final weeks of the regular season may have been an anomaly, and we shouldn’t expect that to happen in exactly the same fashion.

This all means that next season will be a chance for the blue and gold to truly put their talent, abilities and skills to the test. They will have a full offseason to prepare, but the following year will give us an answer as to whether the Cal of the last four weeks will resemble the Cal of beyond.

Ali Fazal covers men’s soccer. Contact him at afazaldailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

The University of Utah women’s basketball team put on quite a performance Wednesday night in a 105-56 dismantling of the Lipscomb Bison. The Utes set a program record with 19 three-pointers made en route to scoring the third most points in a single game in program history and most since 1984. 

Facing the Xavier Musketeers (0-2) for the second time ever, the Utes played their second of four consecutive home games to begin the 2021-22 season. 

Xavier came into the Jon M. Huntsman Center on the heels of a 20-point road loss to the Memphis Tigers and are looking to right the ship after a 5-10 finish last year. 

Xavier Musketeers: 71, Utah Utes: 106

Not even Athos, Porthos and Aramis themselves, the original three Musketeers, could have helped Xavier overcome another hot shooting game from the Utes on Saturday afternoon. 

Shooting better than 52% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc, Utah once again broke the century mark en route to scoring the third most single-game points in program history for the second time this season. 

In another first for Utah during the Lynne Roberts era, they finished with three 20-point scorers as Brynna Maxwell and Jenna Johnson each scored 21 and Kennady McQueen added 20 of her own. 

”We’re sharing it well, and I love it,” Roberts said. “We only had four turnovers in the last five minutes of the game, and when we were taking care of the ball, we ended up shooting it well. I was pleased with the intensity and hustle. I loved seeing Kennady dive for the ball at the end of the second half when we were up big. I thought Jenna was fantastic today — 9-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds, certainly a breakout game for her. We need to work on our fouls, but other than that, I’m really happy with our effort.”

After missing the first game of the season due to injury maintenance, Peyton McFarland and Kemery Martín made their season debuts and each had a little rust to knock off.

“Kemery had the knee injection and had to sit out 12 weeks. It didn’t look like she was playing at full speed, but that’s understandable,” Roberts said. “I thought Peyton was super aggressive. She was crashing the boards and flying around. It’s easier to dial down than dial up. It was nice to have those two back.”

“I felt really good,” McFarland said. “I was nervous because I might be out of shape, but it felt good to be back out there.”  

By the Numbers

In the win, the Utes 106 points is the third-most points in a single game in program history. 105 and 106 points respectively in each of the Utes first two games marks the first time Utah has scored 100 or more points in back-to-back games since the 1978-79 season and is only the second time in program history that they have scored 100 in back-to-back games. 

With seven assists, Dru Gylten moved up to 8th all-time on the Utah career assists list, passing Reggie White.

Coming Up

The Utes host the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Tuesday night with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. MST. This is the third of four consecutive home games to begin the season for Utah. The game can be streamed here and can also be found on ESPN700.

Follow the Utes all season long on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

b.preece@dailyutahchronicle.com

@bpreece24

The post Utah Women’s Basketball Back at Full Strength in Win appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Women’s soccer began its 2021 NCAA tournament Saturday with a convincing 6-0 win against Grand Canyon University in the first round. The Trojans returned to winning ways at a crucial point after losing their final Pac-12 match against UCLA. 

USC got off to a fast start in the 4th minute when Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year junior Croix Bethune scored the first goal of the game after receiving a pass from redshirt senior midfielder Savannah DeMelo. 

Three minutes later, fellow first team All-Pac-12 senior forward Penelope Hocking crossed a ball into the penalty box and into DeMelo — who made way to allow Bethune to score her second goal of the match with a first-time strike. 

Bethune, USC’s leading goalscorer on the season, completed her hat-trick nine minutes into the match when she dribbled past the entire Grand Canyon back-line before providing a composed finish past the goalkeeper. Ten minutes later, Bethune combined with freshman midfielder Simi Awujo to provide the All-Freshman the last goal of the first half and make it 4-0. 

Despite sitting many of its top players, the Trojans resumed their run two minutes into the second half when Bethune provided a through pass to Hocking in the penalty box before Hocking, USC’s all-time leading goalscorer, converted her second goal since her return from injury. One minute later, All-Freshman midfielder Aaliyah Farmer collected a series of ricochets in the penalty box before comfortably notching the 6th and final goal against Grand Canyon. 

Pac-12 Coach of the Year Keidane McAlpine saw an improvement from the two previous laborious matches against Stanford and UCLA, as the former saw the Trojans concede two in the first half before eventually mounting a comeback. 

“I saw some fight, I saw the fight that was necessary to come out and play like we did,” McAlpine said in a postgame interview. “We had two games [Stanford and UCLA] where we didn’t have great first halves so we wanted to come out with a different energy, a different urgency. And I thought they did a fantastic job of bringing the game out from the beginning.” 

After UCLA’s and Stanford’s losses at the hands of UC Irvine and Santa Clara University respectively, USC and Washington State remain the only Pac-12 teams left in the NCAA tournament. 

“Just based on the results today, now knowing we are going to be here … it just makes everything better,” McAlpine said. “The energy in the group is going to be better, it’s going to be a more confident week in terms of our ability to go out and play well.” 

After North Carolina’s surprising loss against South Carolina, USC will now host Penn State, at home Friday Nov. 19 at Soni McAlister Field. 

The post USC thrashes Grand Canyon in first round of NCAA Tournament appeared first on Daily Trojan.

In order to resume college life pre-COVID-19, students are adjusting to their universities’ unique response to the pandemic, many including vaccine requirements, testing orders, contact tracing and mask use.

Since the FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021, the University of Utah added this to their list of required vaccines. In order to fulfill this new requirement, the U offers free vaccines via appointment and placed a registration hold for students who have not proven vaccination or eligibility for exemption. Over 80% of students are vaccinated, and the U runs a seven-day average case count of 13.6.

Weber State University, Utah State University and Utah Valley University have also announced vaccine requirements effective the Spring 2022 semester.

Kate Duncan, a junior at WSU, said knowing her classmates aren’t all vaccinated doesn’t worry her but “People should get vaccinated. It’s not for you, it’s for everyone else.”

WSU, with a seven-day average case count of four, offers testing for students at the student health center as well as free vaccine clinics. Students, even those online only, are required to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 10, 2022 unless they are studying through concurrent enrollment or meet exemption requirements.

Other universities in Utah encourage students to get vaccinated, including Southern Utah University and Dixie State University.

On top of urging students to get vaccinated, Brigham Young University held vaccination clinics earlier this semester and continues to offer an appreciation voucher for vaccinated students. While BYU isn’t requiring the vaccine, students still must report their vaccination status to the university, as well as daily symptom checks and positive tests. BYU, with a student self-reporting system, has a seven-day average case count of eight.

Each school takes a unique approach to handling the pandemic in an effort to resume a traditional college experience for students. USU has implemented a seating chart system to assist with contact tracing, to notify students if they have been in contact. 

“In canvas, you register your seat now for all of these classes so they know what seat you sit in so they can contact trace around you, so they’re trying to be smart about it and it seems to me that they’re doing a really good job,” said Grayson Crowther, a USU sophomore.

USU, with a seven-day average case count of 12,  requires students to be vaccinated for the spring 2022 semester and forward, except for concurrent-enrollment, online-only and out-of-state grad students, and those who meet exemption requirements.

On the southern side of the state, while they didn’t provide their seven-day average, DSU had 18 active cases and SUU 31 as of Nov. 11. 

Jara Galvin, a freshman at SUU, feels safe and excited to be on campus. Students at SUU aren’t yet required to be vaccinated, but it’s strongly encouraged as well as other safety precautions.

“Around campus I usually find that students are wearing masks when they can’t social distance,” Galvin said. 

UVU, with a seven-day average case count of 7.2, is often broadcasting classes online for students who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Kaleb Belnap, a sophomore at UVU, said he prefers to go to live classes when safe.

“Last year was mainly online for me, so I am crazy excited to actually have classes in person,” Belnap said. “I actually get to talk to people and make buds. In person learning and teaching is a lot more convenient than what can be accomplished online.”

College during COVID-19 has become its own experience. Despite efforts to keep a traditional student life, students notice that they may never get that experience back. 

“I completed over half of my credits online,” Duncan said. “COVID ruined my first year of college — I don’t know what a typical college year or experience would be like. I almost dropped out of college during COVID because I was so frustrated with my college experience. I wasn’t able to socialize with my classmates and I was teaching myself.”

On the other hand, Galvin noted the energy at events she has been able to go to. At SUU, she appreciates the welcoming attitude of her classmates and the invites to get together, as it keeps students moving. 

“I think it’s kind of cool because at the few events we do have I’m seeing that everyone around me is appreciating it a lot more,” Galvin said. “Everyone’s just so excited and so happy to be back.”

b.williams@dailyutahchronicle.com

@BKW_News

The post COVID-19 Across Utah Universities, Varying Policies and Procedures appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

University lecturers to strike, demand improved labor practices

Sunny Shen/Senior Staff

Members of UC-AFT, a union representing university lecturers, have agreed to strike Wednesday and Thursday in response to allegedly unfair labor practices.

In the last 20 months, the union has filed seven charges to the Public Employment Relations Board, according to a UC University Council-American Federation of Teachers, or UC-AFT, press release. These charges allege the university has participated “in a pattern of bad faith bargaining” and that they have allegedly failed to bargain over a paid leave program.

Over the past months, lecturers across the UC system have conducted rallies, calling on the UC Office of the President to meet their demands. These demands range from increased security of employment to improved compensation and reasonable workloads.

Mallika Seshadri is the managing editor. Contact her at managing@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter at @SeshadriMallika.

The Daily Californian

Junior linebacker Donavan Mutin was one of a few Cougars who spearheaded a team meeting after week one that the team says turned the 2021 UH football season around. | Courtesy of UH athletics

After blowing a 14-point lead to Texas Tech in the season-opener, the Houston football captains, specifically Donavan Mutin, Deontay Anderson and Hasaan Hypolite, gathered the entire team together and spoke to them after the first practice following the loss.

They were tired of losing and refused to let the 2021 season turn out like the first two seasons under Dana Holgorsen had.

“We were tired of losing,” Anderson said when describing that meeting. “Our whole objective was we’re not losing no more. Period. That’s it. We’re not losing no more.”

Quarterback Clayton Tune remembers this meeting vividly, saying he saw new kind of team after that meeting

Mutin called that meeting the “turning point” of the 2021 season for the Cougars.

And its impact has been evident on the field even sense, as the Cougars have shown a new kind of energy and confidence on their way to stringing nine consecutive victories and clinching a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

Tune has been lights out, showing improved decision making as well as turning busted plays into highlight reels with his legs.

The offensive line has made progress week after week, giving Tune more time to make throws and opening up huge holes for the UH running back duo of Alton McCaskill and Ta’Zhawn, who have torn defenses apart in recent weeks.

The UH defense’s front seven has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

The secondary has continued to come up with interception after interception.

Marcus Jones has dazzled in the return game, forcing teams to avoid kicking to him at all costs.

“From that moment we haven’t skipped a beat,” Mutin said. “There’s been ups and downs, peaks and valleys but we haven’t skipped a beat.”

While bombarded by plenty of outside criticism, the belief that this team could not only be the best in the AAC but nationally relevant has always been within the UH locker room, according to Mutin.

Now it’s paying dividends as the Cougars are proving their doubters wrong, accomplishing what they knew they were capable of each week, no matter the opponent.

And the Cougars believe this is just the tip of the iceberg for what the program will accomplish.

“This is what’s supposed to happen,” Mutin said. “This is what we grinded for, sacrificed for, came together for, built a better bond for.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“The meeting that turned the 2021 UH football season around” was originally posted on The Cougar

Colorado State men’s basketball played against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for their second in three home game series tonight. Already with a win at home earlier this week, CSU should be confident going into this match up, and they were.  Starting the first half the Rams were aggressive right from the tip-off. […]