FULTON, Mo. -- The No. 25-ranked William Woods University women's basketball team returns home for the first time in three games, as they host Missouri Baptist University on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off for this American Midwest Conference contest is set for 2 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
William Woods (9-4; 2-3 AMC) suffered its second defeat in the three games on Thursday night, falling at Lyon College 76-69. The Owls were led by freshman Kennedy Volkart, who turned in a career-high 16-point performance off the bench. The 6-2 forward hit six of her seven shot attempts on the night, and collected four rebounds in the loss.
Andraquay Quinnine, who leads the Owls in scoring with her 13.4 points per game average, was held to single-digits on Thursday for the first time in seven games. The San Francisco native recorded nine points in the losing effort, and hit just 1-of-3 from behind the arc.
Over her last four games, Quinnine has shot just 9-of-28 from behind the arc, which has dropped her to second in the AMC in three-point percentage. However, she still leads the conference in three-point field goals per game (2.46) and three-point baskets (32).
Quinnine is one of four double-digit scorers for the Owls, as Blake French is collecting 10.2 per game, and seniors Stephanie Copelin and Katie Scherder are posting 10.1 and 10 points per contest respectively. The quartet has helped the No. 25-ranked team in the country average 71.0 points per game on a 41.1 shooting percentage.
Since his arrival in 2008, Head Coach Dan Chapla's teams have been one of the premier defenses in the AMC, and this year is no difference, as his squad is limiting teams to 62.0 points per game on a 37.8 shooting percentage. The 62 points allowed is the third-lowest total by any team in the AMC, while the 37.8 percent opponents are shooting against the Owls is fifth-best in the league.
Despite hitting just 15-of-22 shots from the free throw line on Thursday, William Woods still comes into Saturday's contest with the second-best free throw percentage in the NAIA at 77.1 percent. Destani Stensrud is 33rd in the nation with her 79.2 success rate.
Missouri Baptist (4-8; 2-2 AMC) comes into Saturday's affair after suffering a 78-58 defeat against No. 2 Freed-Hardeman University. The Spartans have dropped three of their last four contest coming into Saturday, with the lone win coming against Benedictine University at Springfield nearly a week ago.
Kristyne Smyth is one of three MBU players to average double-digits, as her 12.5 points per game average leads the team. Smyth is coming off a season-high 25-point performance against the Lady Lions, where she hit 11-of-22 from the field.
Taylor Klingelhoefer (11.9) and Jasmine Jackson (10.5) round out the double-figure scoring trio for a Missouri Baptist squad that scores 63.7 points per game on 37.7 percent from the floor. Jackson is also the team's leading rebounding with her 6.1 caroms per game average.
Defensively, the Spartans are allowing teams to score nearly 70 points per contest, and allow its opposition to hit 36.6 percent from the field.
William Woods defeated Missouri Baptist in each of its matchups last season, and the Owls hold the 44-13 advantage in the all-time series.
Check back with wwuowls.com for a full recap of this and every game during the 2013-14 season.
