Opponent:
Salem at Johnson & Wales | Charlotte, N.C. | 6 p.m.

SPIRITS BEGIN FOUR-GAME ROAD STRETCH
After hosting the last two games at Varsity Gym, the Salem basketball team will play its next four games on the road. The four-game stretch begins on Tuesday evening, when Salem heads to Charlotte, N.C., to take on Johnson & Wales at 6 p.m.

BREVARD HANDS SALEM FIRST SETBACK OF SEASON
Senior guard Dionne Sampson poured in a game-high 25 points, hitting eight field goals and a trio of 3-pointers in the process, but it was the Brevard duo of Olivia Miller and Makenna Parkins, who combined for 31 points, that proved to be the difference as the visiting Tornados emerged with 66-46 victory in Varsity Gym on Saturday afternoon.

Sampson led the way with 25 points, converting 8-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, while knocking down all six free throws. Teammate Alize Munn added eight points, finishing with three points and two free throws, while adding four steals, three rebounds and two blocked shots. Nykerah Engle came through with six points and two rebounds to round out the top Salem scorers.

The Spirits struggled to find their offensive rhythm in their second USA South Conference game of the season, hitting just 14-of-47 (29.8%) from the floor and 3-of-13 (23.1%) at the free throw line. The one bright spot for Salem was hitting 15-of-24 (62.5%) free throws.

Olivia Miller was the top scorer for the Tornados, closing with 16 points by virtue of 7-of-13 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds (seven defensive) along the way. Parkins tallied 15 points, while equaling her teammate in total rebounds, hitting 6-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the charity stripe.

Brevard finished 26-of-56 (46.4%) from the floor, despite missing all eight 3-point attempts, and knocked down 14-of-20 (70%) at the free throw line.

FIRST OF FOUR ROAD GAMES FOR SPIRITS
The Spirits trek to the Queen City of Charlotte, N.C., marks the first of four consecutive road games for the Salem basketball team.

After Tuesday's clash with the Wildcats, Salem will return to action after exams on December 15th. That game will pit the Spirits against former USA South Conference foe Ferrum at 7 p.m. The month closes with a trip to Montreat, where Salem will play at 2 p.m. on December 30th. The final game of the road stretch is at N.C. Wesleyan on January 3rd at 2 p.m. for Salem.

SECOND-LONGEST WINNINGEST STREAK
The 2023-24 team not only established the best start through five games in program history, but it also moved itself into a three-way tie for the second-longest winning streak in school history.

The current Spirits equaled both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 units for the fourth-longest winning streak (five games) in program history.

The next longest winning streak after that belongs to the 2013-14 team, which rattled off a program-best 16 wins from November 23, 2013 through January 30, 2014 under then head coach Anita Howard.

LONGEST SALEM BASKETBALL WINNING STREAKS

SAMPSON, SPIRITS MAKING THEIR MARKS EARLY IN 2023-24
Through the first six games of the season the Spirits have had two double-double performances, both from senior Alize Munn, along with Dionne Sampson moving her career totals to over 700 points.

Munn became the first player in the 2023-24 campaign to notch a double-double, which came as part of a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Trinity (D.C.). She followed that by having 27 points and 10 rebounds in the clash with Agnes Scott.

Sampson, who entered the season with 675 points to her credit, has scored 93 points in the first six games of the season. With 776 points in her career, including five double-digit performances in 2023-24, Sampson needs just 224 points to reach 1,000 in her career. She would become the fourth different Spirit to reach that milestone. The others include Sabrina Shepherd (1,493), Quntashea Lewis (1,208) and MiKayla Seivers (1,126).

SAMPSON NOTCHES FIFTH 20-POINT OUTING
Salem's Dionne Sampson scored at least 20 points for the fifth time in her career in the clash with Brevard on Saturday, December 2nd.

The five games that Sampson has reached the 20-point plateau have all come against USA South Conference opposition.

Her first came in a 30-point outing at William Peace on February 2, 2022, where she established her single-game career-high. Slightly less than one year later, on January 25, 2023, Sampson poured in 22 points against Mary Baldwin.

Her 22-point outing against the Fighting Squirrels was the first of three 20-point games for Sampson in the 2022-23 season. It was followed by a 24-point contest against Meredith on February 11, 2023. Ten days later, in the first round of the USA South Conference Tournament, Sampson notched the fourth 20-point outing of her career against Greensboro.

SALEM ALL-TIME HISTORY WITH JOHNSON & WALES
The Spirits are set to face Johnson & Wales for the fourth time in program history on Tuesday evening. It is the second meeting in as many years, after the Wildcats came through with a 76-58 win at Varsity Gym on December 17, 2022.

LAST OUTING (Dec. 17, 2022): Jayla Lovett scored a game-high 20 points in reserve, one of three Johnson & Wales players to top double-digit scoring, as the Wildcats held off solid performances by Salem's Dionne Sampson (16 points) and Alize Munn (14) to emerge with a 76-58 victory at Varsity Gym.

Sampson capped off her seventh double-digit performance of the slate by hitting 6-of-13 from the floor, all three free throw conversions, while grabbing six rebounds and handing out five assists. Munn came through with a 6-of-11 performance, converting 2-of-4 at the free throw line, while grabbing seven rebounds.

Tamsi Echendu led all Salem rebounders with nine, grabbing four on the offensive glass, while coming through with eight points. Cree Bass also added five rebounds for Salem, helping the Spirits close with 41 rebounds as a team.

ALL-TIME HISTORY (vs. Johnson & Wales)

BREAKING DOWN THE WILDCATS
Like Salem, Johnson & Wales enters the game with a 5-1 mark on the season.

The Wildcats opened their 2023-24 campaign with a slim two-point win, 73-71, over Montreat and followed that with a 78-40 victory against Regent. After suffering their first setback of the slate, 64-58, at Erskine, the Wildcats faced both Queens and N.C. Central in exhibition contests—both resulting in losses.

Johnson & Wales returned to the win column with a 70-58 victory at Johnson C. Smith on November 21st and followed that with a 67-43 victory over Pfeiffer on November 28th. The winning streak moved to three games at Voorhees as the Wildcats emerged victorious by a 64-49 margin.

Jordan Durant leads all Wildcat scorers with 84 points, hitting 36-of-82 (43.9%) from the floor and 10-of-38 (26.3%) from beyond the arc. Teammate McKenzie Taylor is the top long range shooter, converting 12-of-23 (52.2%) from beyond the arc, resulting in 63 points. Taylor also leads the team in assists (19), three more than Durant.

Aimee Evans is the top rebounder on the unit with 40, grabbing 22 on the defensive glass. That is nine more than teammate Samara Mims, who has 31 on the season, including 15 on the offensive glass.