>Opponent: 
Salem vs. Pfeiffer | November 26 | Varsity Gym | 6 p.m. 

>SPIRITS MAKE 2024-25 HOME DEBUT
The Salem basketball team makes its 2024-25 Varsity Gym debut on Tuesday night when it hosts USA South Conference foe Pfeiffer at 6 p.m. The Spirits will play their next two games at Varsity Gym, hosting Johnson & Wales on December 4th at 5 p.m.

>SALEM TRIO OF PEDROZA, HESTER AND BASS REACH DOUBLE FIGURES
A strong opening first half, which separated Agnes Scott by nine points, proved to be the difference as the Scotties emerged with a 68-60 win over Salem in hardwoods action at the All-Women's Tip-Off Classic hosted by Hollins University on Saturday. 

The Spirits, who closed out a four-game road stretch to open the season, were led offensively by the trio of Amy Pedroza (17 points), Nicole Hester (14) and Cree Bass (10). Bass, who ran her double-digit scoring stretch to four straight. 

Pedroza was 7-of-16 from the floor, along with knocking down 3-of-4 at the free throw line, to go along with eight rebounds and four steals. Hester was also efficient in the game, hitting 4-of-6 from the field and 6-of-13 at the charity stripe while grabbing nine rebounds and forcing two steals. Cristina Battistini led Salem in the post with 10 rebounds while she added seven points. 

>SPIRITS MAKE FIRST OF TWO TRIPS TO VIRGINIA LAST WEEK, CLASH WITH AVERETT
Ny'Kerasia Coleman tallied a game-high 15 points, hauling in five rebounds along the way, while three teammates added nine points apiece to lead Averett to a 72-38 victory at the Grant Center in Danville, Va., on Wednesday evening. 

Salem's offensive attack was led by Cree Bass, who poured in 14 points after hitting 5-of-19 from the floor. Bass was also responsible for four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Teammates Nicole Hester and Jade Ware added six point apiece, with Hester scaling the boards for five rebounds. Cristina Battistini was also active on the glass with five rebounds, contributing five points as well. 

Averett capped off the game by finishing 30-of-69 (43.5%) from the floor, adding 11 free throws, while Salem's offense was 12-of-58 (20.7%). The Spirits did convert four 3-pointers and were 10-of-20 (50%) at the free throw line.

>BASS OPENS SEASON WITH CAREER-BEST FOUR-GAME DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK
With her fourth consecutive double-digit scoring performance against Agnes Scott on Saturday afternoon in Roanoke, Va., Cree Bass established a new personal streak of double figure scoring performances. 

Bass, who leads Salem in points (51), rebounds (23), assists (18) and steals (13), has knocked down 19-of-60 from the floor and is 8-of-27 from beyond the arc. 

The fifth-year senior has opened the 2024-25 campaign with solid performances against Montreat (11 points), Randolph (16), Averett (14) and Agnes Scott (10). 

Bass has run off three straight double-digit scoring performances on two occasions during her Salem career, including a stretch of three straight in 2021-22. She topped double figures in scoring against N.C. Wesleyan (13), Methodist (15) and Mary Baldwin (12) between November 23-December 4. 

Just over two years later, Bass had a trio of double-digit scoring games versus N.C. Wesleyan (16), Greensboro (16) and William Peace (13) in early January 2024. 

>BATTISTINI MAKING PRESENCE FELT IN THE POST
Junior Cristina Battistini, who is one of just two Spirits to start all four games this season, has made her presence felt in the post with 22 rebounds (5.5 rpg) this season. 

Battistini has hauled in 16 rebounds on the defensive glass, is just one rebound of Cree Bass, who is the team leader with 23 boards. 

Battistini began the season with a five-rebound performance against Montreat (Nov. 9) and replicated that feat last Wednesday versus Averett (Nov. 20). 

On Saturday, against Agnes Scott, Battistini established her single-game career-high in rebounds (10) in a setback to the Scotties. It marked the first time in her career that she topped the double-digit free throw mark. Her previous single-game season-high was eight, which came at Methodist on January 13, 2023. 

>HESTER ALSO A FORCE IN THE PAINT
Christina Battistini is not the only player for Salem to make her presence felt in the paint. The same can be said for first-year teammate Nicole Hester, who has grabbed 20 rebounds (eight offensive). 

Hester, who is third on the team in scoring with 26 points—one behind Amy Pedroza—is one of three players with at least 20 rebounds. The others include the aforementioned Battistini and Bass. 

Hester made her collegiate debut against Randolph (Nov. 13), coming through with six points and six rebounds in the performance. One week later, in a clash with Averett, Hester grabbed five rebounds and came through with six points in 24 minutes. 

The Burlington, N.C., native topped double figure scoring for the first time this season in the team's last outing against Agnes Scott, hitting 4-of-6 from the floor and 6-of-13 at the free throw line, en route to 14 points. She narrowly missed a double-double, as she pulled down nine rebounds for the Spirits, one shy of Battistini's game-high 10. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: PFEIFFER FALCONS
Pfeiffer brings a 2-3 overall mark, which includes a USA South Conference win over Greensboro on Saturday, to Varsity Gym on Tuesday evening. 

The Falcons opened their season with a 66-56 setback to Johnson & Wales on November 9th and dropped an 85-77 decision to Guilford at home three days later. 

The first win of the campaign (83-55) came at Regent, but the Falcons were not as successful in a non-conference clash at Carolina University on November 20th, falling 78-52. Pfeiffer opened USA South Conference action with a 72-46 win over Greensboro at home on Saturday. 

The Pfeiffer University women's basketball limited the visiting Greensboro College Pride to a 1-for-14 shooting performance from long range on the way to a 72-46 USA South win in Merner Gym on Saturday afternoon.

The Falcons (2-3, 1-0 USA South) had two players score in double figures, led by senior Alexis Bynum, who had a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists. Freshman Ava Hairston tacked on 10 points, five assists and four steals and fellow freshman Kendyll Moore added six points and 12 rebounds.