>Opponent: 
Salem at Methodist | December 17 | March F. Riddle Center | 4 p.m. 

>SALEM MAKES RETURN TO COURT AFTER EXAMS
The Salem basketball returns to action after a 13-day layoff for exams when the Spirits take on Methodist on Tuesday afternoon in Fayetteville, N.C. Salem is looking to claim its first overall and USA South Conference win of the 2024-25 season, which would also result in a pair of firsts in the head coaching career of Danielle Dawson. 

>SALEM CONCLUDES TWO-GAME HOME STRETCH VERSUS WILDCATS
A pair of double-digit scoring performances from Jordan Durant (16) and De'Ashaj Crawford (12) coupled with an eight-rebound outing by Gabby Tapley pushed Johnson & Wales to an 83-57 win over Salem when the two teams met on Wednesday evening at Varsity Gym. 

Salem, which finished 19-of-37 (37.3%) from the floor and 16-of-20 (80%) at the charity stripe, was led by the tandem of Amy Pedroza and Nykerah Engle, who tallied 18 and 12 points, respectively. Pedroza knocked down 6-of-14 from the floor and was successful on all four free throw attempts, while Engle countered with a 4-of-7 outing from the field and drained 4-of-5 from the free throw line. 

Nicole Hester came through with seven rebounds, including six on the defensive end. Teammate Jade Ware finished with nine points, while Anayah Noell and Cree Bass added five apiece. 

>BASS CONTINUES STRONG START
Fifth-year senior guard Cree Bass continues to lead the Salem lineup in two major categories in 2024-25, posting 64 points (10.7 ppg) and dishing out a team-best 24 assists along the way. 

Bass, who has hit 24 field goals, leads Salem from long distance by converting 9-of-26 from 3-point range. She has also been active on the glass with 30 rebounds, including 23 defensive boards, which is third-most on the team. 

Bass opened the season with a career-long four-game double-digit scoring streak with solid performances against Montreat (11 points), Randolph (16), Averett (14) and Agnes Scott (10). That streak was halted with an eight-point performance against Pfeiffer in a November 26th contest. 

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 the only Spirit to start all six games this season, has made her presence felt in the post with 33 rebounds (5.5 rpg) this season. 

Battistini, who has hauled in 26 rebounds on the defensive glass, trails only teammate Nicole Hester in rebounds, who is the team leader with 39 boards. 

Battistini began the season with a five-rebound performance against Montreat (Nov. 9) and replicated that feat last Wednesday versus Averett (Nov. 20). Over 21 minutes of play in the home debut against Pfeiffer, Battistini grabbed seven rebounds and forced two steals. 

In a clash with 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 rebound mark. Her previous single-game season-high was eight, which came at Methodist on January 13, 2023. 

>HESTER MAKING HER PRESENCE FELT FOR SPIRITS
One of the emerging first year standouts for Salem in 2024-25 has been Burlington, N.C., native Nicole Hester. 

Hester has made the most of her opportunities this season and as a result leads the way for the Spirits in rebounds with 39, averaging 7.8 per contest. She has climbed the glass for 14 offensive boards and added another 25 on the defensive end, giving her a six-rebound edge on the season over Cristina Battistini and a nine-rebound advantage over teammate Cree Bass. 

Hester is not only making noise on the rebounding side, but she is third on the Salem squad with 41 points (8.2 ppg). Hester became the first player in 2024-25 to notch a double-double for the Spirits, which came against USA South Conference foe Pfeiffer on November 26th. She capped off a 12-point, 12-rebound performance against the Falcons by knocking down 6-of-12 from the floor, making four blocks and dishing out two assists. 

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. 

Hester topped double figure scoring for the first time this season in a clash with 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. 

In Salem's game against Johnson & Wales, Hester finished with seven rebounds and three points in 24 minutes. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: METHODIST MONARCHS
Methodist will host its second game of the season when the Spirits head to Fayetteville, N.C., on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Monarchs' first home game resulted in an 86-41 victory over Regent on December 4th. Since that point, Methodist has faced Roanoke, but the Maroons claimed a 52-46 win in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Methodist opened the season with four consecutive setbacks, including a 69-53 loss in the season opener to Bridgewater on November 13th. Three days later, in the first of two games at the TowneBank Tipoff Classic, Methodist fell by a 67-42 score to the University of Mary Washington. The Monarchs then fell 53-52 to tournament host Virginia Wesleyan the following afternoon. 

Playing their fourth game in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Monarchs dropped their first USA South Conference game of season to Southern Virginia by a 72-59 margin. 

Methodist then claimed back-to-back win in a home-in-home series with Regent, posting a 70-37 victory in Virginia Beach on November 30th. Regent then trekked to Fayetteville, N.C., on December 4th, falling 86-41 in the Monarchs' home opener. 

Kiley Hicks is one of three Monarchs with at least 50 points on the season, leading the team in scoring with 66 points (9.4 ppg). Hicks has knocked down 30-of-64 (46.9%) from the field and is 6-of-11 at the free throw line. She also leads Methodist in rebounds (39), grabbing 19 rebounds on both the offensive and defensive glass. 

Melissa D'Oleo is second in scoring with 56 points (8.0 ppg) and has dished out a team-high 22 assists along with 13 steals. Teammate Kayleen Grullon is third on the unit in scoring (55 points).