| Dec. 16 - SWOSU vs #5/11 Southern Nazarene |
| 1:00 pm tipoff || Weatherford, Okla. (PCEC) |
| Click for Full Game Notes (pdf) |
The Lady Bulldogs extended their winning streak to four games after a 65-35 beatdown of East Central in Ada last Saturday night. The win improved their GAC record to 3-0 on the year.
That 3-0 record will be put to the test when No. 5/11 Southern Nazarene comes to Weatherford on December 16 at 1:00 pm. Southern Nazarene is a perfect 9-0 on the year, winning those games by an average of 14.3 points. They hold wins over two ranked opponents this year including the #2 team, at the time, in Division-II.
The recent series has been tightly contested between these teams. They have split the last eight games at four apiece, with only a 13-point difference separating SWOSU and SNU in those eight games.
Southern Nazarene boasts the second most efficient offense in the GAC while holding opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the conference. Their top scorer Lauryn Reither conducts their potent offense. Her 16.4 points per game and 3.6 assists per game both measure top 10 in the GAC. Reither is also the most efficient shooter in the conference at 58.9% from the field on the season. Hannah Giddey is another player key to the success of SNU. The 6'2 forward is leading the GAC in assists per game (5.4 APG), blocks per game (4.7 BPG), and is second in rebounds per game (10.2 RPG).
SWOSU brings the most momentum they have had all season into the matchup with the GAC's number one team, courtesy of their first four game winning streak in almost two years. In their last game against East Central, the Lady Bulldogs showed their true defensive potential. They outscored the Tigers 35-4 over the final 17:34 of the ball game. They limited ECU to four points in each of the third and fourth quarters.
The 25 turnovers forced against East Central raised SWOSU's forced turnover average. They now rank seventh in all of Division-II in turnover margin. The turnover battle will be a huge part of the contest. Southern Nazarene has the fourth most turnovers as a team in the GAC and SWOSU has forced the second most turnovers as a whole.
The Zinn sisters were the top scorers for the Bulldogs this past week. Averi Zinn averaged 16.6 points while shooting 42% and Libbi Zinn averaged 12.5 points on 58/63/100 shooting splits. Averi Zinn is also performing well in her playmaking duties as the lead guard for the Lady Dawgs. She ranks second in the GAC at 4.4 assists per game and leads the GAC with a 2.7 assist/turnover ratio.
Hailey Grant tied a season high with four steals against USAO on December 4. She has had multiple steals in six of the nine games this year. When Grant has three or more steals, SWOSU is 5-0 in those games.
