Salem at Meredith | January 17 | Weatherspoon Athletic Ctr. | Raleigh, N.C. | 6 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT (vs. N.C. Wesleyan)
N.C. Wesleyan bookended a 72-37 victory over Salem with 20 points in the first and fourth quarter as the Battling Bishops picked up their 10th win of the season. The Spirits received a pair of double-digit point performances from Dionne Sampson (14) and Tamsi Echendu (10), who also delivered 11 rebounds in the USA South Conference setback.
The Echendu double-double marks her first of the 2022-23 campaign and her first since a victory over William Peace (92-83) on February 12, 2022. Echendu hit 3-of-5 from the floor, adding four shots from the free throw line, to close with 10 points. She also snagged seven defensive rebounds, resulting in her second double-digit rebounding performance of the season.
Sampson led all Salem scorers with 14 points, hitting 6-of-21 from the floor, while forcing two steals. Sarah Nelson, making her second straight start, closed with six points and four rebounds, draining a pair of 3-pointers in the contest.
N.C. Wesleyan had three players in double figures, including Areina Harris, who came through with 14 points. Kayrisma Harrison delivered a double-double for the Battling Bishops (12 rebs. / 10 pts.), while Destiney Bell came off the bench to score 13 points.
SPIRITS WRAP UP TOUGH 11-DAY STRETCH
On Wednesday evening, Salem will put the finishing touches on a five-game, 11-day stretch that included USA South clashes with Greensboro, Southern Virginia, Methodist, N.C. Wesleyan and finally Meredith.
Of the last five games, only one, which came against Southern Virginia on January 10th, have taken place at Varsity Gym.
The Spirits wrap up their road stretch in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday night and will host their next four games, beginning with a 2 p.m. game against Pfeiffer on Saturday, January 21st.
LOOKING TO RETURN TO WIN COLUMN IN LEAGUE PLAY
Salem is looking to halt a nine-game losing streak in USA South Conference action that dates back to February 16, 2022. The last win against a league opponent for the Spirits came on four days prior to the 106-55 setback to Southern Virginia, when Salem defeated William Peace 92-83 in overtime.
In that clash against William Peace, Dionne Sampson was the catalyst for a Salem offense that had five players reach double figures Sampson became the first player since Tyler Davenport (Feb. 4, 2018) to eclipse the 30-point mark for Salem and just the seventh player in the NCAA history of the program with a 30-point outing.
Sampson not only established a career-high in points, but she also set a career-high mark for steals (12), capping off her first double-double and joining Tyler Davenport and Tamsi Echendu as the only players in 2021-22 to record a double-double. She was joined in double figures by Davenport and Alize Brooks, who tallied 15 apiece, Alize Munn (11) and Echendu (10). The victory moves Salem to 4-19 overall and 3-14 in USA South play.
Sampson finished 13-of-24 (54.2%) from the floor in her performance, knocking down 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. She highlighted a Salem lineup that finished 37-of-89 (41.6%) from the floor and 15-of-25 (60%) from the free throw line. The Spirits also owned a 52-44 advantage on the glass, grabbing 31 defensive rebounds.
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN VERSUS MEREDITH
Salem heads into Wednesday's clash against Meredith with a split in the series from a season ago. The Spirits earned the victory (74-61) at Varsity Gym on January 30, 2022, and the following afternoon suffered a 66-62 setback to complete the series.
Meredith owns a slight 8-6 edge in the head-to-head series, but Salem has posted four wins at Varsity Gym and two in Raleigh since the two teams first met on November 19, 2007.
The last win at Meredith for the Spirits came on February 10, 2018, when Salem emerged victorious by a 70-69 margin. That victory capped off a five-game winning streak in the head-to-head series for Salem, the longest of either team.
SPIRITS STATISTICAL LEADERS
Senior guard Dionne Sampson leads four Spirits with at least 100 points on the season, topping the team in scoring with 179 points. Sampson has knocked down 56-of-199 field goals over the course of the season, along with 58-of-86 free throws, to lead Salem offensively.
Three Spirits, Tamsi Echendu (139), Alize Munn (129) and Cree Bass (116), have also scored at least 100 points on the season for the team. Munn has converted the most field goals (57), while Echendu has come through with 51-of-92 free throws for Salem this season. Bass leads the unit in 3-point field goals made with 16.
Echendu has provided Salem with a solid player in the post this season, hauling in a team-high 92 rebounds, including 48 defensive boards. Munn is second on the unit with 68 rebounds, while Sampson has climbed the glass for 62 rebounds, third-most of any Spirit.
Munn leads the unit in blocks with 14, while Sampson has forced the most steals (34) of any Spirit.
ANALYZING THE AVENGING ANGELS
Meredith is on a two-game winning streak and has won three of its last four contests entering Wednesday's contest.
The Avenging Angels completed the weekend by earning road wins against William Peace (54-50) and Methodist (51-41), moving their record to 4-12 overall and 4-5 in USA South Conference action. Meredith is responsible for a 1-6 mark at home this season and a 3-4 record on the road.
Individually, Kate Perko and Piper Carriere lead the way for the Avenging Angels in scoring with 262 and 118 points, respectively. Perko tops the unit in both field goals made (109) and attempted (270), hitting 40.4 percent from the floor along the way. Meanwhile, Carriere has provided the pop in the Meredith lineup from 3-point range, converting 18-of-55 (32.7%) from long distance.
Perko has also been a force on the glass with a team-high 238 rebounds, grabbing 168 on the defensive glass. She has had double-digit rebounds in 15 of 16 games for the Avenging Angels this season, narrowly missing the mark with just nine boards versus Christopher Newport. Last Friday, against William Peace, she came through with 24 rebounds (12 offensive), in the four-point win. Perko leads the way with 13 blocks and 17 steals for Meredith as well.