WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem basketball team opens up the 2020 calendar with a two-game homestand this weekend against USA South Conference foes Meredith (Jan. 4) and Mary Baldwin (Jan. 6). Both games will take place at 2 p.m. in Varsity Gym.

Salem (0-10, 0-3 USA South) has played seven home games at this point of the season and remains in search of the first win in the career of head coach Quntashea Lewis. The Spirits are averaging 53 points a contest, hitting 189-of-564 (33.5%) from the floor along the way.

First-year standout Alize Brooks tops the Spirits in scoring (130 points), knocking down 45-of-133 (33.8%) field goals and 27-of-56 (48.2%) free throws along the way. Brooks has topped the double-digit scoring mark in seven of her 10 games, including a single-game season-high 22-point effort at Methodist (Dec. 18), where she hit 10-of-20 from the floor and 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.

Also making their impact felt for Salem are Sydney Bowen (112 points), Lauren Privette (88 rebounds) and Aubrey Slaughter (73 rebounds). Bowen is second in scoring on the team, hitting 43-of-124 (34.7%) from the field, while driving home 16-of-50 (32%) attempts from 3-point range. She also tops the team in assists (35).

Privette and Slaughter anchor the post for Salem, which has pulled down 391 total rebounds in 2019-20. Privette, who is responsible for team high's in offensive (31) and defensive (57) rebounds, has come through with five double-digit rebounding performances through the first 10 games. Her best single-game outing came against N.C. Wesleyan on Dec. 4, when she tallied 14 rebounds (13 defensive). Slaughter has come through with 24 offensive and 49 defensive caroms this season, reaching double figures on three occasions.

Meredith, which visits Salem on Saturday, enters the game with a 4-7 mark overall and a 0-3 record in USA South action. The Avenging Angels snapped a five-game losing streak on Dec. 30 when they posted a 53-45 win at Ferrum. The trio of Kate Perko (189 points), Kimberly Schuh (180) and Lindsay Bell (116) lead the way in scoring for a unit that has combined for 662 points. Perko, who has hit 84-of-174 (48.3%) from the floor, and Schuh, who is 64-of-124 (51.6%) from the field, are the most efficient shooters.

Perko is also the predominant rebounder for Meredith, grabbing a team-best 114 total boards this season. She has climbed the glass for 92 defensive boards, while Schuh leads the way in offensive caroms with 33.

Mary Baldwin (5-5, 1-2 USA South) will travel from a clash at N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday to play the Spirits on Sunday afternoon. Heading into the weekend the Fighting Squirrels have lost three of their last four contests with the only win coming over Meredith (81-64) on Dec. 15.

Freshman Jalen Gathers leads the way for the Mary Baldwin offense with 138 points (17.3 ppg) by virtue of hitting 49-of-108 from the floor and 16-of-43 from beyond the arc. Teammate Brooke Anders has also been integral in the offense, scoring 100 points by virtue of hitting 32-of-92 (34.8%) from the floor and 30-of-84 (35.7%) from 3-point range.

Demet Saygili (62 rebounds) and Leah Calhoun (56) top the Mary Baldwin lineup in total rebounds. Saygili has posted a team-best 50 defensive rebounds, while Mary Moran is the best offensive rebounder on the unit with 13.

For more information on Salem basketball check out www.salemspirits.com.