Weekly Notes: Women’s Basketball Looks to Stop Skid On Friday Against Kalamazoo

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
Marygrove (4-8, 1-6 WHAC) vs. Kalamazoo (2-6, 1-3 MIAA)
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Game played at Lawrence Tech — Southfield, Mich.
Coverage: Live Video | Live Stats (Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on the Mustang Sports Network)

BY THE NUMBERS
7: Depth continues to be a concern for third-year head coach Craig Covington and assistant coach Amanda Moore. After battling injury concerns, the Mustangs are now down to seven (7) active players for the remainder of the first semester. Help is on the way as the Mustangs expect a couple student-athletes to join the team beginning in January.

7: The Mustangs jumped out to the program’s best start in the NAIA era (since 2007-08) behind solid team play and hot shooting out of junior guard Elisha Major (Flushing, Mich./Flushing High School). The junior guard enters the week averaging 18.7 points per game and has led the Mustangs in scoring in seven (7) of the team’s 12 games, including a 39-point effort on Nov. 4.

5: Junior forward Breanna Thomas (San Antonio, Texas/Gillette CC) continued her successful start in a Marygrove uniform with a game-high tying 15 rebounds in the Mustangs setback to Madonna on Saturday (Dec. 12). Thomas added 13 points, a team-high, to post her team-leading fifth (5) double-double of the 2015-16 season – the most for any Mustang since 2012-13.

MUSTANG REWIND
The offense continued to struggle last week as the Mustangs suffered a 92-43 setback at the hands of Madonna University in Livonia, Mich. on Saturday (Dec. 12). The 43-point performance marked the third consecutive game and fifth overall in which the team didn’t reach 50 points. Breanna Thomas paced the Mustangs with 15 rebounds and 13 points in the conference setback.

CLOSING OUT THE 2015 CALENDAR
The Mustangs will have a lengthy break over the holidays as Friday’s (Dec. 18) non-conference tilt opposite Kalamazoo College marks the final game on the 2015 calendar. Coach Covington and the Mustangs will return to action Jan. 2 when they host Cornerstone at 1 p.m.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The home away from home series continues Friday as Lawrence Tech opens its doors for the Mustangs game with Kalamazoo. With court construction coming to a close, the team is slated to return to their home gym on Jan. 2.

COACH COVINGTON’S CORNER
“We didn’t come out with any energy, it’s as simple as that,” said Covington following the team’s setback to Madonna. “We rely heavily on our energy, especially with our lack of depth. When we come out flat we get results like Saturday.”

DID YOU KNOW?
The Mustangs’ hot 3-0 start to the 2015-16 marked the best beginning to a campaign since the Green and Gold joined the NAIA in 2007-08.

SCOUTING KALAMAZOO
The Kalamazoo College Hornets enter the week with a 2-6 record overall and a 1-3 mark in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) action. The Hornets will step on the floor at Lawrence Tech Friday evening looking to halt a three-game losing skid after last winning on Dec. 5 against Albion, 66-63. Grace Smith leads the Hornets offensively with 14.3 points per game.

THE RACE TO 60+ POINTS
For head coach Craig Covington and the Mustangs, getting to 60 points has been key so far this season. The Mustangs are a perfect 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play when tallying  60+ points. The Mustangs are 0-8 when scoring less than 60 points this season.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE REPORT
The Mustangs have already posted 11 double-doubles on the season, led by five from Breanna Thomas and three each out of Theresa Dray and Shavarra Patton. The Mustangs had seven double-doubles in all of 2014-15.

AROUND MUSTANG ATHLETICS
Congrats goes out to all of our fall sports NAIA-Daktronics Scholar Athletes! Marygrove volleyball led the way with four honorees, followed by women’s soccer with a pair of scholar athletes. The pair of programs had six of the seven total honorees this fall.

THE MUSTANG SPORTS NETWORK
Watch all home games via live video on marygrovemustangs.com/live – your home for in-game coverage with Jeremy Otto and Brendan Johnson on the call.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CONTACT: Tim Johnston | [email protected]/* */ | @tjohnston56
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