The no.16-ranked William Woods University women's basketball team looks to return to the win column as they host Williams Baptist College for a Tuesday evening American Midwest Conference matchup. Tipoff for the game, presented by Jack's Gourmet Restaurant, is set for 5:30 p.m.
The Matchup
The Owl come into Tuesday's contest looking for a win after dropping their first conference and home game of the year. Saturday's 62-55 loss to Lyon College put WWU at 3-1 in the AMC. WWU has collected 12 wins to just two losses overall on the year.
Williams Baptist is an even 2-2 in the AMC after winning its last two games against Stephens College (73-61) and Park University (76-72). The Lady Eagles are two games over .500 at 9-7 on the year and have won three of their last five games.
The Owls have averaged 68.0 ppg on the year and have outscored their opposition by 12.4 ppg. WBC puts up 66.4 ppg and has an average margin of victory of 4.6 ppg.
The Lady Eagles hold the advantage in overall field goal percentage at .436 compared to WWU's .406. Both teams have struggled this year from behind the arc, but William Woods has shot the ball better then Williams Baptist holding a .299-.265 edge from deep. The Owls also best WBC at the free throw line .690-.651.
For the first time in several games William Woods does not have a huge statistical advantage in the rebounding category. Both teams are nearly identical in caroms with the Owls holding the slimmest of edges at 44.9-44.8. Williams Baptist has been outrebounding teams by a greater margin, pulling down 10.1 more boards per game than its opposition, compared to a 7.8 margin for WWU.
The turnover category holds the biggest difference between the two squads. The Lady Eagles are turning the ball over 23.6 times per game while William Woods has committed 7.8 fewer errors at 15.8 turnovers per game,
Last Time Out
On Saturday William Woods suffered its first conference and home defeats in the 2012-13 season as they fell to no. 19 Lyon College 62-55.
A
Priscila Santos double-double (14 pt/13 reb.) was not enough as the Scots shot .556 from the floor in the second half to overcome a 7-point halftime deficit.
Back-To-Back Home Losses
The Owls have never lost back-to-back home games under head coach
Dan Chapla. The last time William Woods lost back-to-back home games came during the 2007-08 season against Columbia College (Jan. 29) and McKendree University (Feb. 2). However, during the 2008-09 season the Owls forfeited their first eight games that included five victories in Anderson Arena.
The Anderson Advantage
Since the 2008-09 season, Anderson Arena has been a tough place for teams to come in and win. In that timeframe the Owls are 56-12 at home, good for a .823 winning percentage. In AMC play the Owls have been better, posting a 35-5 mark for a .857 winning percentage.
Find Her Groove
Junior
Priscila Santos leads the Owls this year in points per game at 13.7. The Brazilian native has been more impressive in conference play averaging 17.8 ppg. Santos is currently on a six-game double-digit scoring streak and collected her second career double-double (14 pts/13 reb.) against Lyon College on Saturday.
The Rebounding Guard
Junior
Katie Scherder is listed as a guard on the roster, but her 5-11 stature has helped her pull down rebounds over smaller defenders. Scherder is in a tie for first with fellow guard
Priscila Santos for the team lead in rebounding at 6.4 boards per game. Since conference play has started Scherder has elevated her game, averaging 8.5 caroms per game. The mark is the second-highest average in conference games in the AMC.
Balanced Attack
While the Owls have managed 68.0 points per game on the year, there hasn't been a single player to key on to ensure success.
Priscila Santos recently boosted her average to 13.7 points per game and has edged clear of the field, but
Stephanie Copelin (9.2),
Ashlee Taylor (9.0),
Olivia Storjohann (8.6) and
Katie Scherder are all within a basket of the 10-point plateau.
The Owls have not seen a game this year without at least one double-digit scorer, and have been held to just one 10-point scorer in just one contest on the year, a 59-44 win over Lindenwood University-Belleville.
Taking Advantage Of Charity
Despite the recent troubles at the free throw line William Woods is hitting at a .690 pace through 14 games, the 31st-best pace in the nation. Individually,
Julia Wells is ranked 41st with an accuracy rate of .761.
Wells battled her way into the national rankings with an 11-for-13 performance from the line against College of the Ozarks, Wells has shown that she's a big threat at the line, knocking down seven free throws in eight tries against St. Gregory's.
After being a mainstay in the national rankings over the first half of the year,
Priscila Santos has seen herself float in and out of the top 50 rankings. The junior is hitting .701 on the year at the charity stripe.
Win Big, Lose Small
William Woods has posted good-sized margins in each of its 12 wins on the year, taking home victory by two possessions or more in each contest. The 37-point victory over Hannibal-LaGrange on Thursday marked the largest margin of victory on the year.
Their average margin of victory of 12.286 is 26th in the country.
Hard-Nosed Defense
One of the hallmarks of head coach
Dan Chapla's style is a solid defense and this year's Owls squad has lived up to expectations. WWU is currently ranked 18th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 55.714 points per game on the year. The Owls are sixth in field-goal defense, allowing foes to hit at just a .338 pace from the floor.
Stock In Windex?
Ranked first in the country in defensive rebounds per game at 31.500, the Owls have definitely cleaned the glass well this year. WWU holds a margin of 7.786 per game on the year (18th) and like its offensive output, the Owls have seen the workload spread across the roster.
Olivia Storjohann leads the team with 6.3 grabs per game,
Priscila Santos and
Katie Scherder tied for team lead at 6.4.
Olivia Storjohann is third on the team with 5.9 grabs per game, with
Stephanie Copelin coming in fourth with 5.4 rpg.
Julia Wells round out the group with her 4.9 caroms per game.
Is That Right?
Although the Owls' rebounding performance against AIB College of Business is certainly a contender for the best in WWU history, it's somewhat of a rarity as the Owls scored fewer points than they grabbed rebounds but still won the game. Although out of the ordinary, it's not the first time that it has happened - but likely the first with such a large rebounding total. During the 2004-05 season, Western Baptist (now Corban University) outrebounded the College of Idaho 42-38 in a 40-38 win.
Consistency Is The Key
Last Thursday's game marked the first time during the 2012-13 season that head coach
Dan Chapla changed his starting lineup.
Destani Stensrud stepped in for
Ashlee Taylor admirably though, with the Owls seeming to not miss a beat.
A Look At Williams Baptist
The Lady Eagles come into Tuesday's game winners of their last two contests. WBC was able to even up its AMC record at 2-2 with victories over Stephens College (73-61) and Park University (76-72). Williams Baptist stands at 9-7 overall and has won three of its last five games.
Cheyenne Childers is the lone double-digit scorer for the Lady Eagles. The 5-11 forward lead the team with 10.7 points and has blossomed of late averaging 14.0 points over her last three games.
Michaela Thompson (7.9 ppg) and Kimberly Wise (7.6 ppg) also provide an offensive charge for WBC. Wise has made a team-high 16 three-point shots on 59 attempts (.271) and averages one three-pointer per game.
Rebounding has been the strength for Williams Baptist this season. The Lady Eagles are averaging 44.8 boards per game (9th in the nation) and have limited opponents to 34.7 caroms per contest. They are third in the nation in defensive rebounds with 30.750 rebounds per game. Childers also leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 boards per game. The forward has collected two double-doubles on the year: against Crowley's Ridge (22 pts/14 rebs.) and Stephens College (18 pts/12 rebs.). Sharonda Brabson is the only other Lady Eagle averaging over five rebounds a game at 5.6.
Shot blocking is another strong suit for WBC as they rank 10th in the nation in blocks per game at 4.125 and 12th in the nation in total blocks at 66. Brabson is tied for first in the AMC in total blocks with 18, Thompson ranks third in the conference with 16 swats and Childers' 15 rejections is the fourth-highest total in the AMC.
Turnovers have really diminished the Lady Eagles this season. As a team, they have coughed up the ball an average of 23.6 times per game. In its most recent game against Park, Williams Baptist turned the ball over 30 times.
