>Opponent: 
Salem vs. Johnson & Wales | December 4 | Varsity Gym | 5 p.m. 

>SPIRITS HOST JOHNSON & WALES IN NON-CONFERENCE TILT
The Salem basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, December 4th, when it plays host to Johnson & Wales at 5 p.m. It is a brief two-game homestand for the Spirits, who have two home games in December, including a clash with Meredith on December 31st. 

The first 30 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. 

>SALEM OPENS USA SOUTH CONFERENCE PLAY VERSUS PFEIFFER
First year Nicole Hester notched her first collegiate double-double (12 points / 12 rebounds) for Salem, however it was the duo of Lola Cabaniss-Ali and Kenadie Hunter, who combined for 31 points and 11 rebounds, that pushed Pfeiffer to a 66-41 win that served as both the home opener and USA South Conference opener for the Spirits on Tuesday evening. 

Hester finished 6-of-12 from the field and grabbed seven of her 12 rebounds on the defensive glass for Salem, resulting in a double-double. She also came through with four blocks and two assists in an all-around performance. 

Joining Hester among the offensive leaders were Amy Pedroza and Cree Bass, who finished with eight points apiece, along with Anayah Noell, who provided seven points in reserve. Cristina Battistini also had a solid game on the glass for Salem with seven rebounds. 

Cabaniss-Ali and Hunter, who scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, were joined in scoring by Ava Hairston and Peyton McPeters, who notched eight points. The Falcons finished with 23 made field goals, including six from 3-point range, and were 14-of-19 (73.7%) at the charity stripe. 

>BASS OPENING THE SEASON STRONG
With four double-digit scoring performances in the first five games of the 2024-25 season, Cree Bass continues to lead the Spirits in points with 59. 

Bass, who had a career-long four-game double-digit scoring streak snapped with an eight-point performance against Pfeiffer in Salem's last outing, leads the Spirits in field goals made (22), 3-pointers (nine), assists (19) and steals (16). She has also been active on the glass with 26 rebounds (5.2 rebounds per game), which is third-most behind Nicole Hester (32) and Cristina Battistini (29). 

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). She knocked down 3-of-8 from the floor, including a 3-pointer, against Pfeiffer in the home opener, closing with eight points.

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 five games this season, has made her presence felt in the post with 29 rebounds (5.8 rpg) this season. 

Battistini has hauled in 22 rebounds on the defensive glass, trails only teammate Nicole Hester in rebounds, who is the team leader with 32 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 ALSO A FORCE IN THE PAINT
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 32, averaging eight rebounds per contest. She has climbed the glass for 13 offensive boards and added another 19 on the defensive end, giving her a three-rebound edge on the season over Cristina Battistini and a six-rebound advantage over teammate Cree Bass. 

Hester is not only making noise on the rebounding side, but she is second on the Salem squad in points with 38 (9.5 ppg). Hester became the first player in 2024-25 to notch a double-double for the Spirits in the last outing against 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. 

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: JOHNSON & WALES
Johnson & Wales enters Wednesday's game at Varsity Gym with a 5-3 record due to a three-game winning streak that includes wins over Warren Wilson (59-53), William Peace (71-34) and Morris (70-45). 

The Wildcats have also claimed wins over Bob Jones (68-59) and Pfeiffer (66-56) during the course of the season and are playing an exhibition against Winthrop on Tuesday evening. 

Maliah Preston leads the way for the Wildcats' offensive attack with 111 points (13.9 ppg), while teammate Jordan Durant adds a punch with 94 points of her own. Preston has reached double figures in her last seven straight contests, including a 21-point performance against Columbia (S.C.), where she was 8-of-15 from the floor. 

Durant is also getting her teammates involved in the offense with 31 assists on the season, six more than Preston, who is second on the team. Not only has Durant dished the ball out, she has forced a 35 steals on the season and is second on the team to Preston, who has 37 steals of her own. 

Gabby Tapley and Joyiah White, who have 53 and 47 rebounds, respectively, anchor the post for Johnson & Wales. The duo has helped provide the Wildcats with a 55 rebound advantage over their opposition this season.