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SWOSU (8-5, 4-3 GAC) at Southern Nazarene (3-7, 2-5 GAC) Saturday, January 16, 1:00 pm Bethany, Okla. (Sawyer Center) Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Live Audio SWOSU Game Notes (pdf)

Setting the Stage
- The Lady Bulldogs take to the road for the first time since early December on Saturday with a trip to Bethany to face the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene
- SWOSU has the longest current winning streak among GAC teams, having won seven straight games to improve to 8-5 on the year and 4-3 in conference games
- Thursday's win over East Central completed a six game home stand, all victories, as the Lady Bulldogs have moved into a tie for fifth place in the GAC standings
- Saturday's matchup against Southern Nazarene has SWOSU facing a team that is 3-7 on the year and two games behind in the standings at 2-5 in league play
- SNU defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State in the final seconds, 72-71, on Thursday night to snap a six-game losing skid
- SWOSU is 5-1 against Southern Nazarene since the Crimson Storm joined the GAC prior to the 2012-13 season, including a 3-0 record against SNU in Bethany
- The Lady Bulldogs have only played two road games this season, splitting a weekend conference set at Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas on the first weekend in December
 
The Opponent
Southern Nazarene (3-7, 2-5 GAC)
- Earned their first victory since November 24th on Thursday night with a late victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State in Bethany
- Averaging 68.0 points per game, ranking ninth in the league, while allowing their opponents to score 74.7 points per contest to rank 11th among the GAC teams
- One of the top free throw shooting teams in the GAC with a 71.8% percentage from the stripe this season
- Saturday's matchup will match the top two teams in the GAC in blocked shots, with SWOSU leading the league with 74 blocks (5.7/game) and SNU right behind with 43 (4.3/game)
- Abby Boyd leads the Crimson Storm and ranks fourth in the GAC with a scoring average of 19.3 points per game and she's scored at least 13 points in each game this season
- SNU's LaShabra Plunkeet is the conference leader in blocked shots with 24, an average of 3.0 per game
- Other top scorers for the Storm include Rachel Doerneman at 10.9 points per game and Danielle Gaddis with 10.3 points per game
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kelsi Musick (98-85; 7th season)
- Two-time GAC Coach of the Year has been the model of consistency, winning GAC Tournament titles in two of the last four years and earning back-to-back NCAA Division II National Tournaments during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 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 three of the last four seasons
- A great developer of talent, Musick has coached one All-American and 12 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
- Has a record of 5-1 against Southern Nazarene as the head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, including a record of 3-0 at in Bethany
 
Southern Nazarene: Derek Dorris (43-49; 4th season)
- Became the 10th coach in SNU women's basketball history prior to the 2012-13 season, which ended in an NCCAA National Championship for the Crimson Storm
- Returned to his alma mater as the head coach two seasons as the head coach at Southmoore HS and also spent time as the head coach at Bethany HS
- Amassed more than 150 wins as a prep basketball coach
 
The Series
GAC History Only
      Date                Location                            Score             
      *12/15/2012     Bethany, Okla.                  W 91-81
      *1/24/2013       Weatherford, Okla.           W 86-74
      *1/23/2014       Bethany, Okla.                  W 96-83
      *2/25/2014       Weatherford, Okla.           W 101-66
      *12/13/2014     Weatherford, Okla.           L 65-74
      *1/29/2015       Bethany, Okla.                  W 88-71
*GAC Conference Meeting
 
Last Time Out
- Hailey Tucker tied her career-high with 24 points, knocking down seven three-pointers to lead her team past East Central 65-49 on Thursday night in Weatherford
- ECU took a brief lead in the second quarter before Tucker hit back-to-back three's as SWOSU pulled ahead 32-25 at the break
- SWOSU kept distance between the teams throughout the second half, only allowing the Tigers within 10 points on two occasions
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU continues to lead NCAA Division II in defensive rebounds, averaging 35.5 per game which is better than six rebounds per game better than any other team in the GAC
- Three Lady Bulldogs -- Korina Chapman, Janae Coffee, Hailey Tucker -- rank in the top ten in the league in blocked shots and SWOSU as a team ranks eighth nationally in that category
- Tucker tied her career-high with 24 points against ECU, her sixth straight game reaching double figures in scoring as she now averages 13.8 points per game
- Hayden Priddy had her streak of consecutive made free throws end on Thursday at 15, but she continues to lead the Great American Conference with 91.2% (31-of-34) shooting from the stripe this season
- Jade Jones has dished out six assists in three straight games, giving her 71 (5.5/game) for the year, a mark that ranks her 19th nationally
- With a scoring average of 78.7 points per game, the Lady Bulldogs rank third in the GAC and 13th nationally in scoring
- Janae Coffee finished one point shy of her second double-double this season against East Central, scoring nine points with 15 rebounds and a season-high five blocked shots
- Jessica Penner leads the Great American Conference in field goal percentage, having connected on 68.2% (45-of-66) of her attempts this season
- Kylie Franz is ranked second on the league with a 2.5:1 assist/turnover ratio this season and the Lady Bulldogs are 8-1 since she moved into the starting lineup
 
Looking Ahead
- The Lady Bulldogs are back on their home floor Monday night for rivalry action against Northwestern Oklahoma State
- SWOSU then has another quick turnaround, playing at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Wednesday before hosting Oklahoma Baptist next Saturday