Salem vs. Randolph | November 12 | Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 2 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
Salem's Sharee' Boyd notched the first win of her NCAA coaching career in record-setting fashion, leading the Spirits to a decisive 87-66 victory over Warren Wilson in the season opener for both teams. Boyd's unit posted the second-largest margin of victory (21 points) in Salem history, behind only a 41-point win in the 2017 season-opener, which came over Hollins (87-46).
Salem had four players reach double figures in scoring, including Cree Bass who notched a single-game career-high 25 points after hitting 8-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and connecting on 7-of-12 free throws. Bass also came through with three assists for the Spirits.
Alize Brooks was one of three Salem starters to reach double-digit points, finishing with 14 points, while Alize Munn and Dionne Sampson added 12 points apiece. Brooks drained a pair of 3-pointers to reach double figures, while Munn knocked down 6-of-12 field goals and hauled in a team-best nine rebounds, including six on the defensive glass.
Sampson reached double figures due in large part to hitting 6-of-6 at the charity stripe, while coming through with six rebounds and a team-best five assists. Tamsi Echendu also provided a spark off the bench with five points, six rebounds (five offensive) and three steals for Salem, which recorded 11 steals in the contest.
Salem was 30-of-71 (42.3%) from the field in the contest, hitting seven 3-pointers along the way, and managed a 20-of-36 (55.6%) outing at the free throw line.
SECOND COACH TO OPEN SALEM CAREER WITH WIN
With her victory over Warren Wilson in the season opener, Salem's Sharee' Boyd becomes just the second head coach in program history to begin her coaching stint with the Spirits with a victory. The other was Jim Jackson, who claimed the first-ever victory (48-44) in program history over Bennett on November 16, 2007.
Boyd and the Spirits also put together the 12th-highest scoring game in program history, scoring 87 in the triumph over Warren Wilson. With that 87-point outing, the 2022-23 unit tied the 2010-11 and 2017-18 teams for one of the best offensive performances ever.
The 2010-11 team tallied 87 against Carolina University on January 27, 2011 and that mark was equaled on November 15, 2017 in an 87-point performance against Hollins.
BASS EXPLODES FOR 25 POINTS
Salem's Cree Bass eclipsed the double-digit scoring mark for the ninth time in her collegiate career, coming through with a team-best 25 points off the bench against Warren Wilson.
Bass finished 8-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and was 7-of-12 at the free throw line against the Owls in the season opener. That allowed the Maiden, N.C., native to top her previous single-game career-high's in field goals made, free throws made and free throws attempted.
Bass' previous single-game career-high in field goals made (seven) came in a 74-61 win over Averett on February 5, 2022. She finished with 18 points in that outing against the Cougars. Her single-game career-high's in free throws made (six) and attempted (eight) took place against N.C. Wesleyan on November 20, 2021.
GREAT BEGINNINGS
Salem opened the season by hitting 30-of-71 (42.3%) from the floor in the victory over Warren Wilson. That is a great indicator for the Spirits' offense, which hit just 30 field goals one time in the 2021-22 campaign. The only time that Salem managed at least 30 field goals in a single-game came in a 92-83 overtime victory at William Peace on February 12, 2022, when the Spirits were 37-of-89 (41.6%) from the floor.
The victory over the Pacers was one of seven games that Salem managed to eclipse the 40 percent shooting mark in 2021-22. The Spirits also reached that mark against Virginia Wesleyan (43.9), Pfeiffer (40.7), William Peace (45.5), Meredith (45.9), Averett (44.8) and Mary Baldwin (41.6) over the course of the slate.
TEXAS TORNADO
Alize Munn capped off Salem's victory against Warren Wilson by leading the team in rebounds with nine. It marks the sixth time in her collegiate career that the El Paso, Texas, native has hauled in at least eight rebounds in a single game.
Munn was one rebound shy of equaling her career-high in total rebounds (10), which she set in a 74-61 win over Meredith on January 29, 2022. She also had a nine-rebound outing at N.C. Wesleyan in 2021, in just the third game of her career, which came on January 4, 2021.
Munn was one of four Salem players with at least five rebounds.
RANDOLPH MAKES TREK TO WINSTON-SALEM
Randolph will make its fourth-ever appearance at Varsity Gym on Saturday afternoon, when the two teams collide for the seventh time in program history. The WildCats are 2-1 against Salem at Varsity Gym, posting a 79-55 win in their last game in Winston-Salem, N.C., on November 26, 2019. Randolph owns a 5-1 all-time advantage in the head-to-head series.
The WildCats, who were picked to finish second in ODAC this season, according to a vote by the conference's coaches. Randolph received 127 points and two first place votes behind first place Randolph-Macon's 136 points and seven first place votes.
Randolph is coming off a 16-7 season a year ago which saw it go 12-5 in the ODAC with both the overall and conference wins setting a new program record. The WildCats lost to ODAC Champion Shenandoah 64-57 in the quarterfinals of the ODAC Tournament which was the team's second quarterfinal game in Salem in program history.
The 'Cats return the majority of their team including ODAC, D3Hoops.Com Region 6 and VaSID Rookie of the Year Teniyah Crenshaw Patterson and ODAC Second Team and D3Hoops.com All-Region Third Teamer Kylie Stark.
RANDOLPH OPENS SEASON WITH WIN
The Randolph women's basketball team started its 2022-23 season on Tuesday as it hosted Apprentice, outscoring the Builders in all but one period as they won by the score of 68-48.
Overall, Randolph was 20-of-60 (33.3%) from the floor while Apprentice was 18-of-59 (30.5%). The Builders were just 1-of-16 (6.3%) from behind the three-point arc while the WildCats shot 5-of-24 (20.8%).
Kylie Stark finished with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while also dishing out five assists and coming away with two steals. Natalie Clark added 14 points. Cameron O'Neil chipped in 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting and was 3-of-8 in three-point attempts. Nadia West (Monroe, Va./Amherst County) scored eight points.