Adding to a busy stretch for the squad, the William Woods University women's basketball team will take a short detour out of conference play on Monday night, hosting in-town foe Westminster College. The Owls are in the midst of a five-games-in-seven-days swing and in the middle of a three-game homestand as they welcome the NCAA Division III Blue Jays to Anderson Arena for a 7 p.m. tip.

Despite the short distance between the campuses, the two teams have played on just three previous occasions, with WWU prevailing in all three contests.

Quick Look - William Woods
After dropping the AMC opener for both teams, the Owls have recovered well, taking three on the run in conference action and currently holding down second place behind Harris-Stowe State University. The streak has certainly been a team effort, as WWU has benefited from outstanding senior leadership as well as promising freshman performances over the past three games. Blake French took care of business on the scoresheet against Park and off the scoresheet against Columbia, keying the WWU win in both contests, while Destani Stensrud shot a perfect 7-of-7 against Williams Baptist to lead the Owls to a 14-point win.

The streak has been kind to the Owls, as they moved up three spots in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Poll, regaining the #22 spot they held earlier in the season. Sharron Andrews leads the team on the season with 13.9 pts/gm, with Megan Aubuchon also in double digits on the year with 10.8 pts/gm. The pair also share most of the rebounding duties, with Aubuchon hauling in 7.8 of the team's 41.2 rebounds per game and Andrews adding 6.6 on the strength of a recent surge in conference play. Ashlee Taylor also adds a scoring threat for WWU, with 8.3 pts/gm.
Aubuchon's rebounding pace is good for a top-50 ranking, as she's rated 44th among NAIA Division I players with 5.3 defensive rebounds per game. Andrews is also among the top 50, with her shooting pace of .472 and total steals mark of 49 good for 24th in the country.

As a team, the Owls rate in the top 50 in several defensive categories, highlighted by their #17 rank in shooting defense. WWU has allowed its opponents to hit at just a .358 clip on the year, and as a result have held foes to a 20th-best 58.0 pts/gm on the year. The team is also ranked across the board in rebounding - 34th in rebounds taken (41.2/gm), 44th in rebounds allowed (37.4) and 33rd in rebounding margin (3.833) - and has posted a 45th-best assist/turnover ration at 1.111.

The Owls are currently shooting at a .386 pace on the year, with a .295 mark from distance and a .673 pace from the free throw line.

Quick Look - Westminster
Westminster also comes into tonight's contest in the middle of a long unbeaten streak, as the Blue Jays have not lost in seven consecutive outings and are coming off a 67-32 win over MacMurray. Earlier this season, Westminster downed AMC member school Stephens College 84-70.

The Blue Jays are led by Leigh Ann Lutz, who averages 13.1 pts/gm on the season. Rachel Backes is also in double figures for Westminster, with 11.7 pts/gm, while Kenna Cornelson (9.9) and Hannah Kloster (9.5) are sitting just below the plateau. Heather Letourneau is the leading rebounder for WC, pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game on the year, better than 20 percent of the team's total of 34.5 per game. The Blue Jays are outrebounded by a scant 1.0 per game, and are hittingat a .409 pace from the floor and a .305 pace from long range. Westminster musters a solid .745 from the line on the year, but allows its opponents to hit at a .387 clip from the floor and .310 from distance. Liz Klaffenbach has fully half of the team's blocks on the year, with 11 of 22. Letourneau also adds seven rejections on the campaign.