>Opponents:
Salem at Averett | Nov. 20 | 7 p.m. | E. Stuart James Grant Center
Salem vs. Agnes Scott | Nov. 23 | All-Women's Tip-Off Tournament | 2 p.m. | W. Channing Howe Playing Courts
>SPIRITS RETURN TO VIRGINIA, FACE AVERETT IN NON-CONFERENCE GAME
After a one-week layoff from its last outing at Randolph on November 13th, the Salem basketball team returns to action at Averett in Danville, Va. Salem will make a quick return to the Commonwealth of Virginia on Saturday afternoon to face Agnes Scott on Saturday, November 23rd, to take part in the All-Women's Tip-Off Tournament at Hollins.
>GAME WITH TRINITY WASHIINGTON CANCELED
Salem will only play one game at the All-Women's Tip-Off Tournament at Hollins after Trinity Washington canceled their participation in the event.
>SPIRITS OPEN SEASON WITH SETBACK AT MONTREAT
Cree Bass scored 11 points and teammate Lily Gorum added 10 points and five rebounds in Salem's season-opener against Montreat, who prevailed by an 86-50 margin when the two teams met at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday afternoon. The game marked the first in the head coaching career of Salem's Danielle Dawson.
Bass lead all Salem scorers by hitting 4-of-11 from the field, including one 3-pointer. The fifth-year senior guard also dished out seven assists, forced four steals and added four rebounds in an all-around performance. Gorum, who was 3-for-6 from the field and 4-of-6 at the charity stripe, hauled in five rebounds and made one block.
Nykerah Engle added eight points in 21 minutes, finishing 4-of-8 from the floor, while the trio of Anayah Noell and Cristina Battistini climbed the glass for five rebounds apiece. While the Spirits struggled to find their shooting touch from the floor, finishing 18-of-49 (36.7%), they were solid from the free throw line with an 11-for-17 outing (64.7%).
>BASS REACHES DOUBLE FIGURES IN CLASH WITH RANDOLPH
Cree Bass recorded her second double-digit scoring performance of the season, 16 points, while adding nine rebounds and forcing four steals in a solid all-around performance for a Salem basketball squad that suffered an 80-51 setback in non-conference action at Randolph on Wednesday evening in Lynchburg, Va.
Bass was joined in double figures by Nykerah Engle, who closed with 11 points, after hitting 4-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-5 at the free throw line. Bass was 7-of-13 (53.8%) from the field, knocking down two 3-pointers along the way. She also climbed the glass for nine rebounds, including eight defensive boards.
Anayah Noell was responsible for nine points of her own, hitting three field goals and a trio of free throw attempts along the way. Meanwhile, Bass and Cristina Battistini provided Salem with a defensive presence by virtue of seven combined steals. Nicole Hester hauled in six rebounds to go along with four points in 28 minutes of action.
>BASS OPENING THE SEASON STRONG
Cree Bass, who has reached double figures in each of her first two games of the season, is the early leader in both points (27) and rebounds (13).
Bass has converted 11-of-24 (45.8%) from the field, including 3-of-7 (42.9%) from 3-point range, through two contests. She has also finagled her way to 13 rebounds, including 11 on the defensive boards. Teammate Cristinia Battistini has also been a solid presence in the post, grabbing seven rebounds along the way, all on the defensive glass.
The fifth-year player has also gotten her teammates involved in the Salem offense with a team-best eight assists, while forcing a team-high eight steals along the way.
>ENGLE TOP RETURNING SCORER IN SALEM LINEUP FROM 2023-24
The Spirits lost their top two scorers—Dionne Sampson (411 points) and Alize Munn (202)—from the 2023-24 unit and will look to Nykerah Engle to fill the void of the loss.
Engle, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., closed with the third-most points (187) of any Salem scorer in 2023-24, hitting 60-of-168 from the floor and 67-of-95 (.705) at the free throw line. She was also active on the glass with 85 rebounds, including 58 on the defensive boards. Engle had the third-most assists (44) and was one of the best defensive players on the unit with 72 steals.
Engle reached double-digit scoring on seven occasions, including a single-game season-high 15 in a clash with Greensboro on January 27, 2024. She converted 11-of-12 at the free throw line and drove home two shots from the field to close with 15.
>SCOUTING REPORT: AVERETT COUGARS
The Averett women's basketball team, which is averaging 52.3 points per contest through its first four games, has already faced two nationally ranked teams this season.
The Cougars opened their 2024-25 season with a 73-57 setback to Centre College at the E. Stuart James Grant Center on November 8th.
Averett followed that game with a game at No. 9 Christopher Newport four days later, falling 97-53 to the Captains.
The Cougars left the Commonwealth of Virginia for the first time in the 2024-25 season on November 16th when they headed to Rocky Mount, N.C., to take part in the Jean Edge Classic host by N.C. Wesleyan. While there, Averett clashed with No. 6 Johns Hopkins, suffering a 101-46 setback.
The Cougars wrapped up a two-game in two-day stretch by facing host N.C. Wesleyan, which emerged with a 72-53, dropping Averett to 0-4 on the season.
Zariia America is one of three players on Cougars' roster with at least 30 points, scoring 37 on the season to go along with a team-best 26 rebounds. Teammate DaiShaundra Giggetts is second on the unit in both points and rebounds with 34 and 19, respectively. Emma Jones rounds out 30-point scorers with 33 points and has 14 rebounds for the Cougars.
>COUGARS PICKED 13th IN PRESEASON: Averett University women's basketball was voted 13th in the 2024-25 Old Dominion Athletic Conference preseason poll, which was released on November 5th.
Averett, picked 11th last season, finished 12th at 4-21 overall with a 2-16 record in conference play. The Cougars return seven upperclassmen, along with five newcomers to form a deeper roster for the upcoming campaign.
>SCOUTING REPORT: AGNES SCOTT SCOTTIES
Agnes Scott heads into the week with three games on the docket, including a clash with Oglethorpe on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. The Scotties will then make the trip to Roanoke to face Hollins and Salem as part of the All-Women's Tip-Off Tournament hosted by Hollins in Roanoke, Va.
The Scotties began the season with a 69-39 setback to Young Harris on November 13th.
Agnes Scott followed that by hosting both Hollins (72-43) and Brenau (86-65), both games resulting in losses, as part of the Agnes Scott Tip-Off Classic on November 16th and 17th.
The Scotties are led in points by Laila Williams' 49 points (16.3 ppg), who is hitting 16-of-35 (45.7%) from the floor. Williams opened the season with 18 points against Young Harris and scored 22 points in a recent outing against Brenau.
The top rebounder for the Scotties is Sydney Evans, who has 22 rebounds, including 14 on the defensive glass.
