>Opponents: 
Salem vs. Brevard | February 12 | Varsity Gym | 6 p.m. 
Salem at Pfeiffer | February 15 | Merner Gym | 2 p.m. 

>FACULTY/STAFF APPRECIATION NIGHT SET FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING AT VARSITY GYM
The Salem basketball team heads into its final two weeks of the 2024-25 campaign with a pair of games this week against both Brevard (February 12) and Pfeiffer (February 15). The clash with Brevard will serve as Salem's Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, which is set for Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. 

Salem will then make its final road trip of the season, a short ride to Misenheimer, N.C., to square off against Pfeiffer on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The final two games of the season will pit Salem against N.C. Wesleyan (February 20) and Greensboro (February 22), both at Varsity Gym. 

>BATTLING BISHOPS EDGE SALEM IN USA SOUTH CONFERENCE CLASH
Joy Ezeh scored a game-high 14 points and was one of four players in the N.C. Wesleyan lineup with double figures, lead the Battling Bishops to a 66-44 victory over Salem in USA South Conference action on Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mount, N.C. 

The duo of Amy Pedroza and Cree Bass tallied 12 points apiece for a Salem unit that closed 16-of-56 (28.6%) from the floor and was 9-of-14 (64.3%) at the free throw line. Bass led all shooters with five field goals, connecting on two from beyond the arc, while grabbing six rebounds. 

Nicole Hester missed out on a double-double opportunity with nine points and nine rebounds, which she amassed over 33 minutes. Bass led the way for a Spirits squad that tallied 32 rebounds. 

>HESTER MOVES HER DOUBLE-DOUBLE TALLY TO SIX IN 2024-25
First year Nicole Hester tallied her sixth double-double of the 2024-25 campaign on January 10th at against Greensboro. Hester became the first Spirit since Sabrina Shepherd to notch six double doubles in a single season. 

Hester began a stretch of five straight double-double performances with a 15-point, 10-rebound outing at Methodist on December 17th. By virtue of that stretch, Hester is the first player since Shepherd to notch at least six double doubles in a season since the 2017-18 campaign. 

In 2017-18, Shepherd came through with double-double outings against Penn State-Altoona (23 pts. / 10 rebs), Meredith (21 / 10), N.C. Wesleyan (25 / 15), N.C. Wesleyan (32 / 11), Pfeiffer (20 / 13) and Greensboro (15 / 10). 

Since that last double-double, Hester has had some near misses, including a 10-point, nine-rebound performance against William Peace (January 18). She was also close with 12 points and eight rebounds in a clash with Southern Virginia (February 4) and a nine-point, nine-rebound outing at N.C. Wesleyan (February 8). 

Hester has six double-double outings for Salem this season, including her first double-double of the season (12 points / 12 rebounds), which came against Pfeiffer (November 26). After her 15-point, 15-rebound performance on December 17th against Methodist, she had double-double outings versus Meredith (15 points / 15 rebounds), Sewanee (25 / 14), William Peace (19 / 17) and Greensboro (19 / 16) in succession. 

The most single-season double-double outings for a Spirit in program history is 18, which was by Quntashea Lewis in the 2015-16 season. Lewis closed her career with a program record 32 double-double performances.  

>BREAKING DOWN THE SALEM LINEUP THIS SEASON
With just four games remaining on the 2024-25 schedule, Salem has four players with at least 100 points on the season and a fifth needs just 13 points to reach the mark as well. 

Nicole Hester is tops among those with triple digit points, leading Salem with 200 points (11.8 ppg) heading into the week. Hester is responsible for the most field goals (74) and free throws (52) in the Salem lineup. She is also making her defensive presence felt with 157 rebounds, a team high, which includes 93 defensive boards. 

Hester's 21 blocks are the most since Alize Munn tallied 20 in the 2022-23 campaign. She becomes the eighth different Spirit to notch at least 20 blocks in a single season in program history.

Amy Pedroza has also played a prominent role in the Salem lineup this season, raking second in scoring (187 points) in 17 contests. Pedroza has knocked down the second-most field goals (61), 3-point field goals (23) and free throws (42) during the course of the season. 

Meanwhile, fifth-year senior Cree Bass is third on the unit in scoring with 151 points (10.8 ppg), by virtue of converting 56-of-173 from the floor and a team-best 24 3-point field goals. Anayah Noell is fourth in scoring for Salem with 101, while Jade Ware needs just 13 points to reach the century mark. 

Bass has also made her presence felt on the glass, hauling in 74 rebounds, which are second-most on the team. Bass has grabbed 61 rebounds on the defensive glass, eight more than Pedroza, who has 53 defensive rebounds. 

>BASS REACHES 100 POINTS FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT SEASON
Graduate senior guard Cree Bass, who closed with 11 points in a contest with Meredith on January 25th, reached 100 points in a season for the fourth straight campaign. 

She enters the final four games of the regular season with 151 points, 695 in her career, which results in the eighth-most points in program history. She sits 128 points from tying Satavia Taylor for seventh-most points (823) in Salem history. 

Bass has scored 351 of her 695 points from beyond the arc, knocking down 117 3-pointers along the way. That gives her the second-most treys in program history, a mark that belongs to Sabrina Shepherd, who finished her career with 220 3-pointers. Bass is one of five Salem players with at least 100 3-pointers in a career. The others include Amber Miller, Satavia Taylor and Kelsey Rector. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: BREVARD
The Tornados enter the week with a 14-5 overall mark, boasting a 9-3 record in USA South Conference action. 

Brevard is currently third in the league rankings, sitting behind a Southern Virginia squad that is 13-0 and a N.C. Wesleyan unit that is 10-3 versus conference opponents. 

Brevard is led on offense by the duo of Josie Hester (299 points) and Jada Petty-Wilkins (204), highlighting a unit that is averaging 69.4 points per contest. Hester has knocked down 97 field goals, converting 60 3-pointers along the way, while grabbing 89 rebounds (67 defensive rebounds). 

Meanwhile, Petty-Wilkins is second on the team in field goals (68) and 3-pointers (27), while converting 41-of-55 free throws. She has been a constant presence on defense with 38 steals along with 36 assists, both second-most on the unit. 

>SCOUTING REPORT: PFEIFFER
Pfeiffer has battled to a 9-10 mark and a 7-6 record in USA South Conference play, earning four of those wins at home this season. 

Pfeiffer is currently fifth in the USA South Conference standings, behind the tandem of Brevard and Methodist, which are third and fourth, respectively. 

The top offensive player on the Falcons' roster is Alexis Bynum, who has 236 points (12.4 ppg) in 19 starts. Bynum leads the way in field goals made (83), knocking down 18 from beyond the arc. 

Lola Cabaniss-Ali anchors the middle with 161 rebounds, hauling in 100 on the defensive end, to go along with 42 steals.