After holding off a furious comeback effort from Park on Saturday, the William Woods University women's basketball team closes out its first conference road swing of the season with a Thursday matchup against Columbia College. The battle between the league's top two preseason squads is set for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the Arena at Southwell Complex.

Quick Look - William Woods
Sharron Andrews (Oakland/Hayward, Calif.) leads the Owls offense with 13.9 pts/gm, and Megan Aubuchon (Old Monroe, Mo.) has come on strong during the past few weeks to average 11.1 pts/gm. Aubuchon is the team's leading rebounder, with 8.1 per game, and the Owls hold an edge in both categories as a team. WWU outscores its opponents by a 60.9-57.4 margin through 16 games and has posted a 41.3-37.2 edge on the glass. Ashlee Taylor (Dexter, Mo.) has also been a big contributor to the offense, with 8.1 pts/gm.

As a team, WWU has posted a 11-5 overall record behind a solid defensive outlook. The Owls are ranked 18th in NAIA Division I in scoring defense, allowing 57.4 pts/gm and are rated 21st in field goal defense, allowing its opponents just a .361 mark from the floor. They are also among the top rebounding teams, ranked 33rd in total rebounds (41.3) and 34th in rebounding margin (4.1).

Individually, Andrews and Aubuchon are also ranked nationally, with Andrews holding down the 21st spot in steals per game (2.8), 22nd in total steals (45) and 32nd in shooting percentage (.474), while Aubuchon ranks 45th in defensive rebounds per game with 5.3.

Quick Look - Columbia College
Columbia has posted a 12-6 record on the 2011-12 season, and a 2-0 record in conference play. The Cougars are led offensively by Heather English, who has averaged 13.4 pts/gm on the season - one of four players in double figures - behind a .509 shooting pace. Overall, the Cougars are a solid shooting team, hitting at a .405 clip. CC is also ranked nationally in several categories and is in the top five in blocks (90 - 2nd), free throw percentage (.786 - 2nd), shooting defense (.323 - 3rd) and blocks per game (5.3 - 4th).

Julie Teeple is the leading rebounder for the Cougars, with her 8.2 reb/gm average good for 46th in the nation. Columbia also outrebounds its opponents on the season, with an edge of 41.5-39.2. The Cougars's total mark is good for 30th nationally with the margin ranking 47th.