Billikens Begin Three-Game Road Swing
SLU travels to Murray State Saturday, Wisconsin Monday
ON THE DOCKET – Saint Louis women’s basketball (2-4) plays three consecutive games away from home beginning this weekend. The Billikens travel to Murray, Ky., for a rematch against Murray State (2-5) Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. SLU then heads to Madison, Wis., to take on Wisconsin (3-5) Monday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.
ABOUT THE BILLIKENS – Courtney Webb leads Saint Louis with an 11.7 scoring average, followed by Jacy Bradley (9.5 ppg), Desirae Ball (8.2 ppg), Lorreal Jones (7.5 ppg) and Janisha Gearlds (6.8 ppg). Jones, who has five double-digit rebounding totals in six games, tops the SLU rebounding chart with 10.3 boards per game, with Mallory Eggert second (6.8 rpg) and Kim Bee third (5.8 rpg). That trio also is an explosive offensive rebounding group, with Jones (4.0 orpg) leading the way and Eggert (3.5 orpg) and Bee (2.3 orpg) following. Bradley is the team leader in assists (4.5 apg), and Gearlds is second (3.3 apg) while boasting a team-best 2-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. Bee averages a team-high 2.0 blocks, and Bradley is the steals leader with a 1.5 average. The Billikens are +8.6 in rebounding margin, average 20 offensive rebounds and shoot 72.6 percent from the foul line.
LAST WEEK – Desirae Ball scored 12 points, Jacy Bradley netted 11 and Janisha Gearlds added 10 to lift the Billikens to a 59-49 victory over Murray State Nov. 26 at Chaifetz Arena. Lorreal Jones collected 13 rebounds, Kim Bee registered five blocks and Gearlds added six assists. SLU held Murray State to 22.1 percent from the field. Bradley tallied 18 points and five assists, and Jones grabbed 11 rebounds (five offensive) in a 70-55 loss to UT Martin Nov. 22 at Chaifetz Arena.
A LOOK AT MURRAY STATE – The Racers, who have lost four straight including a defeat at the hands of No. 10/11 Louisville Tuesday night, return four starters and five additional letter winners from their 2010-11 squad that finished 9-21. Erica Burgess leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (4.9 apg) and steals (3.6 spg), Mariah Robinson averages 12.7 points and Kayla Lowe contributes 9.6 points. Kyra Watson tops the Murray State rebounding chart with 6.1 boards per game, while Tessa Elkins and Robinson average 2.9 and 2.4 steals, respectively. The Racers average 18.3 offensive rebounds and 8.9 3-point field goals. Robinson (16 points) and Burgess (14 points) were Murray State’s leading scorers against the Billikens last Saturday. Watson had eight rebounds, Chanyere Hosey grabbed seven boards and Elkins tallied four assists. SLU took a 6-4 series lead with the victory, defeating the Racers for a sixth consecutive time.
A LOOK AT WISCONSIN – The Badgers have two starters and six additional letter winners back from last season’s 16-15 team that tied for third (10-6) in the Big Ten and reached the WNIT second round. Wisconsin has won two of its last three games, including a 58-50 win over Boston College Nov. 30. Taylor Wurtz leads the Badgers in scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg), steals (1.9 spg) and 3-point field goals (20), and she shoots 82.2 percent (37-of-45) from the free-throw line. Anya Covington averages 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, while Morgan Paige and Ashley Thomas each own a 7.0 scoring mark. Jade Davis averages a team-high 3.1 assists for first-year head coach Bobbie Kelsey. Wisconsin shoots 75.9 percent from the foul line and is +4.0 in rebounding margin. The Badgers captured a 60-32 win at Chaifetz Arena last season in the first meeting between the teams.
BILLIKENS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS – Through games of Nov. 27, Saint Louis ranks 32nd in the nation in rebounding margin (+8.6). Lorreal Jones is 30th in rebounding (10.3 rpg), Kim Bee is 53rd in blocks (2.0 bpg), Janisha Gearlds is 62nd in assist-turnover ratio (2-to-1) and Jacy Bradley is 89th in assists (4.5 apg).
HANDING OUT DIMES – Janisha Gearlds has 268 career assists, good for eighth place on the Saint Louis list. Gearlds needs three assists to pass seventh-place Theresa Lisch and eight to top sixth-place Julie Goessling.
HALF A GRAND – With her 11-point performance against Murray State Nov. 26, Jacy Bradley surpassed the 500-point mark for her career. Bradley has 503 points as a Billiken.
BACKCOURT SHOWING LEADERSHIP – Jacy Bradley and Janisha Gearlds have been consistent playmakers for the Billikens in the early going. Bradley recorded at least four assists in five of the first six games, including a career-high-tying six against Memphis and five against UT Martin and Illinois-Chicago. Meanwhile, Gearlds has had more assists than turnovers in each of her last four outings, totaling 18 helpers and just seven miscues during that stretch.
CRASHING THE GLASS – Lorreal Jones and Mallory Eggert were two of the Atlantic 10 Conference’s best offensive rebounders last year, ranking third (3.6 orpg) and 11th (2.6 orpg) in the league, respectively. They have picked up where they left off, with Jones gathering 4.0 offensive boards so far this season and Eggert checking in with 3.5. Add junior college transfer Kim Bee (2.3 orpg), and the Billikens have the potential to be one of the nation’s best teams on the offensive glass. SLU is averaging 20 offensive rebounds through six games, including a season-high 31 vs. Missouri.
MORE FROM THE BOARDS – Saint Louis is +8.6 in rebounding margin and has earned an advantage in each of its first six games – +9 at Memphis, +7 vs. Southeast Missouri State, +19 vs. Missouri, +1 at Illinois-Chicago, +4 vs. UT Martin and +12 vs. Murray State.
HANDS OFF – Jacy Bradley has played the most minutes of any Billiken, yet the junior guard has committed the fewest fouls. Bradley has been whistled just six times in 196 minutes.
ON TARGET – Desirae Ball has shot 50 percent from the floor in each of the last two games. Ball was 3-of-6 against UT Martin and 6-of-12 vs. Murray State.
GET THAT OUTTA HERE – When Kim Bee blocked five shots against Murray State Nov. 26, it marked the first time a Billiken had tallied at least five blocks since April McKinney rejected six shots against Dayton Dec. 2, 2000.
CAROMS FOR CASTLEMAN – Sophomore guard Halee Castleman has been a strong rebounder from the perimeter in recent outings. Castleman has averaged 6.3 rebounds in the last three games, including a career-high eight vs. UT Martin.
SCHEDULE PRESENTS CHALLENGES – The Billikens’ 29-game schedule includes 13 teams that advanced to postseason play a year ago, 11 teams that won 20 or more games and 12 squads that finished among the top 100 in the final NCAA Ratings Percentage Index. Saint Louis will play four, and possibly five, games against 2010-11 NCAA Tournament participants – UT Martin, Temple, Xavier and Dayton, with Saint Francis (Pa.) a potential opponent in Seattle University’s Delta Dental Holiday Classic. Also on the schedule are eight games against 2010-11 WNIT teams – Memphis, Wisconsin, Eastern Michigan, Charlotte, St. Bonaventure, Richmond, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s.
COMING UP – The Billikens conclude their three-game road swing Saturday, Dec. 10, at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton. Tip time is 6 p.m. (CT).
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