| Virginia State (4-4) vs. Shepherd (7-0) |
| Date |
December 11, 2021 |
| Time |
2:00 p.m. |
| Live Stream |
Live Stream |
| Location |
Ettrick, VA (VSU Multipurpose center) |
| Social Media |
@VSUsports | @vsutrojans_1882 | @VSUTrojansWBB |
The VSU women's basketball team looks to stretch their hot streak to four-games as the Trojans have won their last four matchups by 10 points or more. VSU got the victory in their last matchup 69-56 against St. Augustine's University which brought them to .500 at 4-4 overall. Coach James Hill Jr.'s squad is currently tied for 16
th in the nation in steals (103), tied for eighth in forced turnovers (205) and 20
th in points allowed per game (53). Virginia State leads the conference in turnover margin (8.63) and assist/turnover ratio (0.85). The squad is now second in the conference in free throw percentage (70%) as well. With four on the season,
Kaaliya Williams is ranked nationally in double-doubles at 17
th and 18
th in offensive rebounds with 4.4 per contest.
Valerie Samuel is now the conference leader in assists (28) and is tied for first in assist/turnover ratio (1.1).
Last Time Out
- The Walking double-double machine, Kaaliya Williams, recorded her fourth of the year with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting while grabbing 13 total boards with six of them coming from the offensive glass.
- Natalia Leaks scored 13 points, gathered five assists and five steals in her return after missing action since the Penn State Greater Allegheny game.
- J'Aunna Robinson scored double-digits for the first time this season while going 2-2 from three-point range along with three steals.
- Sommer Blackmore scored 10 points in the evening match up.
- Valerie Samuel recorded her third-straight game with five or more assists.
Scouting the Rams
The Rams of Shepherd University have been a member of the Mountain East Conference since it began in July 2013. The Rams enter play 7-0 and ranked #22 (D2SIDA) on the season with a signature win against #7/9 Gannon. SU is also undefeated against the CIAA with wins against Bowie State and Virginia Union. The Rams are one of 13 unbeaten teams in the nation currently .The Rams rank nationally in a slew of categories as the squad is ranked forth in free throw percentage (83.84), 11
th in field goal percentage (47%), 14
th in three-point percentage (37.90%) and 24 in scoring margin (17.4). Defensively, SU holds opponents to 36% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. The squad also forces 20 turnovers per game turning them into 23 points per game. Shepherd also averages three blocks per contest along with eight steals. The Rams have three players in Abby Beeman (18), Marley McLaughlin (18) and Sydney Clayton (17) who average double-digits while shooting nearly 50% from the field. Clayton is ranked sixth in the nation in free throw percentage going 22-of-23 (.957) while also leading her squad in the rebounding category with 49. Clayton has eight blocks to this point in the season while shooting a team-high 55% from the field. Beeman leads the nation in assists per game averaging 7.9 dimes per contest and ranks fourth in assists with 55. Beeman also leads the team is three-point attempts (43), percentage (46%), and steals (17), is also 17-of-17 from the charity stripe.
Series History
The Trojans lead the series 3-1 with a 2-0 home record against the Rams. VSU lost the most recent matchup in 2019, 79-63 after Abby Beeman scored a game-high 19 points and six assists.
A Win Would…
- Give the Trojans their fourth win in five games
- Allow the Trojans to remain undefeated in the month of December
- Push their record above .500 at 5-4
- Stretch their win streak to four games.
- Hand the Rams their first loss of the season
- Give the Trojans their first win against a ranked opponent in recent history
