Following a rough week against top competition, The Pride will look to rebound with three games this week. Greensboro will remain at home for their third and fourth straight games before hitting the road again. The Pride hope to solidify their spot near the top of the USA South, enabling them to make a move for the top when they play Ferrum and Christopher Newport again later this season.
Upcoming Games
Monday, January 16th, vs. Piedmont Lions (2:00 p.m.)-#18 nationally ranked Piedmont is 12-1 this season, winning by an average 19 points per game. The Lions suffered their first defeat of the season to LaGrange on Wednesday, 78-76.
Division I transfer Sada Wheeler leads the team this season, averaging 15.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Amber Satterfield and Alyssa Jones are also averaging in double figures with 13.2 and 11.2, respectively. In addition to Sada Wheeler’s 12.2 rpg, Shanice Wheeler and Jones average around six per game. The Lions are shooting almost 44% from the floor this season, including 37% from beyond the arc, while holding opponents to around 32% in both categories.
Greensboro lost to the Lions earlier this season, 57-45. Bianca Richburg led The Pride with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Danielle Duncan scored 18, but Greensboro couldn’t overcome a poor shooting performance. Shanice Wheeler led the Lions with 17 points and 19 rebounds in 33 minutes of play, while Jones and Keiondra Thompson scored 12 apiece.
With the loss earlier this season, The Pride are 5-4 all-time against the Lions.
Wednesday, January 18th, vs. Averett (5:30 p.m.)-After losing its first game of the season, Averett won five in a row, but have been up and down since then, posting an overall record of 9-5 and 5-2 in the conference. The Cougars are currently tied with Greensboro for the third seed in the conference, having lost matches to the top two teams, Ferrum and Christopher Newport.
Averett has three players averaging in double figures this season with Mette Scheiman (12.3), Liz Martin (12.2), and Kyana Smith (11.8). Smith is also the leading rebounder in the USA South with 11.6 per game and shoots a sensational .488 from the field, good enough for fifth in the conference. Martin also contributes in rebounding with 8.1 per game and shoots greater than 40% from behind the arc.
Greensboro defeated Averett twice last season, beating them 64-47 on the road and 70-49 at Hanes Gymnasium. The Pride relied on a number of players for each of their wins last season, as both games saw at least three players in double digits. Strong shooting also helped Greensboro cruise to both wins, shooting better than 40% in both games and hitting 95% of their free throws on the road.
The Pride lead the all-time series with Averett, 42-6.
Saturday, January 21st, at Shenandoah (2:00 p.m.)-The Hornets are off to a rough start this season, posting just five wins in 13 games and tallying a 2-4 record in conference play. Shenandoah has yet to win back-to-back games this season and will take on Meredith and Christopher Newport before facing The Pride.
The Hornets do not have a dominant scoring threat, as no single player has averaged in double digits this season. Sam Akers leads the team with 9.7 points per game on 36% shooting from the floor. Akers also paces the team in assists per game with 2.0 and averages 3.5 rebounds. Nicole Gilbertson leads the team in rebounding with 8.1 per game and has aided the scoring effort with 7.8 ppg and 1.0 apg.
The Pride defeated Shenandoah at home early last season, 67-48, before capping their 24 game win streak with a 64-55 victory on the road. The Hornets gave Greensboro no problems in their first game, as The Pride took an 11 point lead into the break and outscored Shenandoah by 18 in the second half. The Hornets played much closer on the road, however, but could not overcome a double-double performance (20-11) by Danielle Duncan, as well as 14 points and nine rebounds by Bianca Richburg.
The Pride lead the all-time series with Shenandoah, 30-9.