Fresh off a 2-0 performance in the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic, the no. 18 William Woods University women's basketball team is set to open the American Midwest Conference schedule on Thursday night at Benedictine University at Springfield. Tipoff for the game is set for 5:30 p.m. in Springfield, Ill.
The Matchup
William Woods brings a 9-1 record into the conference debut for both teams, while Benedictine University at Springfield has posted just a 3-7 record - including a forfeit win over Morthland College - on the year. Both teams have averaged in the 60-point range, with WWU holding a four-point edge (65.6-61.4) on the year. The Owls are a better-shooting team across the board, holding a .390-.337 edge on the floor and a .729-.635 margin from the free throw line. William Woods is just slightly better from distance, hitting at a .274 pace to a .256 pace for the Bulldogs. The Owls average 15 points better on the defensive end, allowing 54.6 pts/gm to its foes while the Bulldogs give up 70.9 per contest.
Buoyed slightly by their performance on Sunday, the Owls also hold a strong edge on the boards with 44.7 boards per game to just 39.8 for the Bulldogs, with WWU averaging 7.1 more caroms per contest than thair foes compared to a 7.7 reb/gm deficit for BenU-Springfield.
The Owls have also protected the ball better on the year, giving up just 16.8 turnovers per game to an average of 20.4 for the Bulldogs, with the Owls better on the assist/turnover ratio marks as well - .786 to .600. The Bulldogs have been pesky on the defensive end, however, forcing 217 turnovers and picking up 124 steals on the campaign.
Last Time Out
The Owls went 2-0 in the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic to close out their non-conference schedule, picking up wins over St. Gregory's University and AIB College of Business. WWU outpaced the Cavaliers on Saturday, picking up a 65-51 win behind double-digit performances from
Priscila Santos (18) and
Julia Wells (11).
Sunday saw the Owls overcome a slow start to knock off the Eagles by a 66-57 margin, but the game was notable for the gaudy rebounding numbers put up in the win. WWU grabbed more rebounds (68) than they scored points (66) and posted a rebounding margin of +42. Three Owls finished with double-digit rebounds, led by
Katie Scherder's 16 boards. Santos hauled in 12 for the first double-double of the year for WWU as she also scored a game-high 22 points.
Scherder and Santos were both named to the all-tournament team with their solid outings on the weekend.
Balanced Attack
While the Owls have managed 65.6 pts/gm on the year, there hasn't been a single player to key on to ensure success.
Priscila Santos recently boosted her average to 12.1 pts/gm and has edged clear of the field, but
Stephanie Copelin (9.1),
Ashlee Taylor (9.0),
Olivia Storjohann (8.3) and
Katie Scherder (8.1) 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
William Woods has been solid at the free throw stripe on the year, hitting at a .729 pace through 10 games, the 10th-best pace in the nation. Individuall,
Priscila Santos is ranked 20th with an accuracy rate of .805.
After battling her way into the national rankings with a 11-for-13 performance from the line against College of the Ozarks,
Julia Wells has shown that she's a big threat at the line, knocking down seven free throws in eight tries against St. Gregory's to move up to 33rd on the season list at .784.
Those performances, however, aren't even the best on the team, as
Ashlee Taylor boasts a .909 mark on 20-of-22 shooting. She is just shy of the 2.5 FTM plateau for national ranking, however, to claim her second-best spot in the country.
Win Big, Lose Small
William Woods has posted good-sized margins in each of its seven wins on the year, taking home victory by two possessions or more in each of its seven wins on the year. The lone setback for the Owls came by just one point, a 61-60 defeat at Central Methodist University.
Their average margin of victory of 11.00 is 29th 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 16th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 54.6 pts/gm on the year. The Owls are 11th in field-goal defense, allowing foes to hit at just a .334 pace from the floor, and hold opponents to a 43rd-best .279 pace from beyond the arc.
Stock In Windex?
Ranked third in the country in defensive rebounds per game at 31.0, the Owls have definitely cleaned the glass well this year. WWU holds a margin of 7.1 per game on the year and like its offensive output, the Owls have seen the workload spread across the roster.
Olivia Storjohann leads the team with 6.6 grabs per game, with
Priscila Santos also over the half-dozen mark at 6.1.
Stephanie Copelin (5.8) and
Katie Scherder (5.5) round out the quartet, and
Julia Wells is just shy of the mark with 4.9 rebounds per game.
Indeed, the Owls have only been outrebounded once on the year - at Evangel University - although the Owls gritted out the 60-54 win by forcing 19 turnovers in the game and giving up just seven.
Is That Right?
Although Sunday's rebounding performance 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.
Super Sub
Priscila Santos has been outstanding in a sixth-woman role this season, averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
A Look At The Bulldogs
American Midwest Conference debutants Benedictine University at Springfield has only mustered a 3-7 record on the year, with both of their on-court wins coming over St. Louis College of Pharmacy. The Bulldogs swept the Eutectics in a home-and-home series, dropping eighty points on SLCOP (89-43, 80-53) in both outings. Recently, however, their offense has been less prolific, as they've been held to 43, 39 and 33 points in their last three games.
Shaynell Jackson leads the team with a 14.3 pts/gm average, with Jasmine Shipp adding 13.7 pts/gm. Rounding out the trio of double-digit scorers is the team's leading rebounder Brittany Rush. In addition to her 10.8 points per game she pulls down a team high 6.7 rebounds per game. Shipp is also solid on the glass for the Bulldogs, averaging 6.0 caroms per game.
In addition to leading the team in scoring, Jackson is also ranked 22nd in the nation in steals per game at 2.875. She helps the team to a pace of 13.778 per game, good for eighth in the country. Rush is also in the top 50 rankings with her pace of 2.444 swipes per game.
And although the outside threat from the Bulldogs is limited to Jerrica Walls, she has definitely made the most of it, ranking 46th in the NAIA in 3FGM per game with a 2.0 pace.
