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University of Science and Arts (5-5) at Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-7) Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Cellular Event Center) Tuesday, December 30, 5:30 PM Live Stats | Listen Live SWOSU Game Notes

Setting the Stage
- The Lady Bulldogs return home to face the University of Science and Arts Drovers inside the Pioneer Cellualr Event Center in non-conference action. Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM
 
The Opponent
Science and Arts (5-5)
- USAO comes into the game having won both of their games in December against NAIA No. 7-ranked John Brown and Southwestern Assemblies of God
- They've made a habit of winning close games, winning by an average score of 61.7-61.2 through the first ten games of the season. USAO is led in scoring by Mahogany Nelms who is averaging 11.4 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting, which includes going 39.1 percent from range. The Drovers' second leading scorer is Ndeye Ngom with 11.2 points while shooting 33.3 percent from the field
- USAO averages 45.7 boards per game, and enjoy a rebound margin of +9.8 over opposition.  Averaging 6.7 rebounds to lead the Drovers is Ngom, while WyKeena King is second on the team at 6.0 rebounds per game
- The Drovers struggle to shoot from deep, converting on just 28.2 percent of their 3-point attempts. Their opponents have shot 31.9 percent from range
- Ilze Teilane protects the paint well, with 16 blocks so far this season. She accounts for 47 percent of the Drovers' blocked shots this season
- USAO has already tied their win total from last season at five wins
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kelsi Musick (80-72, 6th season) 
- Kelsi Musick is in her sixth season leading the SWOSU women's basketball program
- The two-time GAC Coach of the Year has been the model of consistency, winning GAC Tournament titles in two of the last three years and earning back-to-back NCAA Division II National Tournaments. SWOSU is one of only four teams in the Central Region that have reached the national tournament each of the last two seasons
- Her high-energy style of play has led the Lady Dawgs to rank in the top four in the nation in scoring, and top ten in three points made in each of the last three seasons
- A great developer of talent, Musick has coached one All-American and 11 all-GAC selections, including one Player of the Year recipient
- Musick has also spent time as an assistant coach at Fresno State, where they won two Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, as well as qualified for the NCAA Division I National Tournament in the 2008-09 season
 
Science and Arts: Jennifer Hayden (15-38, 3rd season)
- Jennifer Hayden enters her third season in charge of the USAO women's basketball program
- Hayden led the Drovers to a 10-19 record in her first season before going 5-19 last year
- During her time at USAO, Hayden has placed two players on the Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete list, as well developed seven Academic All-Conference selections
- Served as the head coach at NCAA Division III Sul Ross State for two seasons prior to joining the Drovers staff and coached the American Southwest Conference West Division Newcomer of the Year during the 2011-2012 season
- Hayden has also spent time as the head coach at the University of the Southwest, where she developed two NAIA All-Americans, and as the assistant coach at Clarke College
 
Last Time Out
- SWOSU traveled to Russellville, Ark., to take on No. 24 Arkansas Tech inside the Tucker Coliseum in Great American Conference action and falling to the Golden Suns 97-52
- The Lady Bulldogs struggled getting shots to fall early, not recording a made basket through nearly the first five minutes of play and finished the first half shooting a season low 17.1 percent from the field while trailing 56-22
- SWOSU showed improvement in the second half, nearly doubling their shooting percentage, but the first half deficit proved to much to overcome as the team fell to a third consecutive defeat
- Jade Jones earned her second straight start for SWOSU and led the team with 16 points on 40.0 percent shooting in 31 minutes of action. Kimmi Sawatzky was second on the team with eight points
- Jessica Penner grabbed a game-high ten rebounds on the night. She also poured in seven points and had a season-high four steals
- Chelsea Bates and Jennifer Williams tied for a team-high two assists. Bates also scored six points, while Williams chipped in with four points in limited action
- The 45-point deficit suffered by the Lady Dawgs is the worst margin of defeat by a Musick-led team
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU (2-7, 0-4 GAC) and Ouachita Baptist (3-7, 0-4 GAC) remain tied for ninth place in the conference standings
- Harding (8-2, 5-0 GAC) currently sits atop the standings and are riding a four game winning streak
- Tied in second place are Arkansas Tech (9-1, 4-0 GAC) and East Central (8-1, 4-0 GAC). ATU boasts the  best overall winning percentage in the GAC
- Southeastern Oklahoma State (10-2, 3-1 GAC) sits in fourth. One spot behind in fifth place is Arkansas-Monticello (5-5, 3-2 GAC)
- There is currently a three-way tie for sixth place. Southern Nazarene (5-6, 2-3 GAC), Southern Arkansas (4-7, 2-3 GAC) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (3-7, 2-3 GAC) are all knotted up after SNU and SAU have dropped two and three games in a row respectively
- At the bottom of the standings is Henderson State (2-9, 0-5 GAC) in 11th
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU has averaged 65.3 points per game through the first nine games of the season, good for the sixth best mark in the GAC. They are led by Williams, who is 13th in the conference with 12.1 points. Bates is one spot behind Williams in 14th with 11.9 points per game. Penner (10.9) and Sawatzky (10.7) also rank in the Top 21
- The Lady Dawgs have stifled opponents trying to shoot from beyond the arc, allowing just 28.8 percent on 3-point attempts
- SWOSU ranks sixth in assist/turnover margin at .7. Bates is third in the GAC with a 2.1 assist/turnover margin and also ranks 46th in NCAA Division II
- Southwestern is fifth in defensive rebounds, pulling down 27.4 boards off the defensive glass per game. Penner ranks fourth in the conference with an average of 8.4 rebounds per game. Korina Chapman joins Penner in the Top Ten, grabbing 7.7 rebounds to place sixth
- Penner has been one of the most efficient shooters in the GAC since returning from injury. Through seven games she has shot 56.4 percent, the fourth best field goal percentage in the GAC
- Bates has excelled at filling up the stat sheet. She ranks sixth in free throw percentage, third in steals, eighth in defensive rebounds and second in assists
- Chapman is fifth in the conference with 11 blocked shots through nine games
-Bates and Sawatzky are both in the Top Ten for minutes played this season
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU makes the trip to Durant, Okla., on Saturday, Jan. 3 to take on Southeastern in GAC action with tip-time set for 5:30 PM