Next Game: Salem vs. Mary Baldwin| January 25| Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 6:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT (vs. Pfeiffer)
Salem basketball trimmed a double-digit Pfeiffer lead inside the final 2:19 of action, slicing the margin to 62-56, before four straight free throws from Alexis Bynum pushed the final margin to 69-56 in a hard-fought game between the two USA South Conference foes.
The Spirits were sparked by a 3-pointer from Cree Bass, which cut the margin to 62-54, along with a driving layup by Minnie Griffin that cut the deficit to six. Tanaesha Ellison added an old-fashioned three-point play, following a layup and a made free throw, before the four Bynum free throws down the stretch to complete the Falcons' victory.
Alize Munn came off the bench to finish with a team-high 18, converting 7-of-8 from the floor along with 4-of-7 at the free throw line. Munn was also active on the glass with nine rebounds, including five offensive. Griffin was also a spark offensively with 11 points, finishing 5-of-14 from the floor, while grabbing four rebounds and making a team-high three blocks. Teammate Dionne Sampson recorded 10 points, knocking down 4-of-6 at the charity stripe along with a pair of 3-pointers.
Tamsi Echendu made her presence felt with 10 rebounds, six on the defensive glass, to go along with eight points. Collectively, Salem finished 20-of-59 (33.9%) from the floor and 13-of-24 (54.2%) at the free throw line. The Spirits closed with 46 rebounds, highlighted by the trio of Echendu, Munn and Savanah Atkins, who hauled in five boards.
FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND CONTINUES FOR SALEM
After completing one of the most difficult road stretches of the 2022-23 campaign, which included four road games in an 11-day stretch, Salem started its longest home stretch of the season on Saturday, January 21st with a 69-56 setback versus Pfeiffer.
The homestand continues with clashes against Mary Baldwin (Jan. 25), Greensboro (Jan. 28) and finally William Peace (Jan. 31).
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN VERSUS MARY BALDWIN
The midweek clash with Mary Baldwin marks the 11th all-time meeting between the two programs since they first met on February 9, 2016.
The Fighting Squirrels own a 7-3 edge in the head-to-head series and have won the last six meetings, beginning that winning streak with a 94-71 victory on November 30, 2018.
Salem narrowly snapped the streak on December 4, 2021, but the Fighting Squirrels managed to prevail with the 68-64 decision. The Spirits are 1-3 all-time at home against Mary Baldwin in the series.
NARROWING IN ON 600 CAREER POINTS
Senior guard Dionne Sampson, who leads all Salem scorers with 205 points (12.1 ppg) in the 2022-23 season, has accrued 574 points in her Spirits' career.
Sampson, who topped the 200-point plateau for the second time in as many seasons, enters the week 26 points shy of 600 career points.
The Burlington, N.C., native is currently 10th in program history in scoring, surpassing Tyler Davenport with a 10-point performance against Pfeiffer on Saturday. She is looking to become the 10th player in Salem basketball history with at least 600 points and with 36 points would tie both Zy Henderson and Jasmine Shabazz for eighth on the all-time scoring list with 606.
SPIRITS STATISTICAL LEADERS
The aforementioned Sampson leads all Salem scorers this season with 205 points, converting 62-of-228 from the floor and 70-of-103 (68%) at the free throw line. Her consistency at the free throw line has set the standard for the Spirits, topping the team in free throws made and attempted.
Tamsi Echendu ranks second on the team in scoring with 157 points to her credit, while Alize Munn is third with 151 points. Teammate Cree Bass, with 136 points on the slate, is fourth on the team in scoring.
Echendu is the most efficient shooter for Salem this season, hitting 53-of-100 (53%) from the field, while adding 51-of-95 at the free throw line. Meanwhile, Munn, has converted the most field goals (65) for Salem over the course of the slate.
Echendu has also been a presence in the paint for Salem with a team-high 108 rebounds, including 49 on the offensive glass. Echendu is followed in rebounding by Munn (87 rebounds) and Savanah Atkins (66).
Defensively, Munn has also made her presence felt with 16 blocks, which are tied with Amber Miller for 14th-most in a single-season in program history. Satavia Taylor (2013-14) and Alexiahonna Bush (2016-17) lead the program for most blocks (44) in a single season.
ANALYZING THE FIGHTING SQUIRRELS
Mary Baldwin comes into the contest facing a 10-game losing streak that began with an 83-51 setback to Greensboro on December 10th. One week earlier, in a clash with Pfeiffer, the Fighting Squirrels claimed their lone win of the season (61-49) and first in USA South Conference action.
Mekayla Clarke is tops among individual scoring leaders for the Fighting Squirrels with 203 points, which have come by virtue of hitting 77-of-205 (37.6%) from the floor and 44-of-72 (61.1%) at the free throw line. Clarke has notched 10 double-digit scoring performances, including a single-game season-high 20 in the last Mary Baldwin outing against N.C. Wesleyan.
Codie Heilig is the team leader in 3-pointers, hitting 8-of-28 from beyond the arc, while converting the second-most free throws (31-of-49) this season.
Clarke is also Mary Baldwin's leader in rebounds with 134, including 104 on the defensive glass. She has also forced a team-high 34 steals, while teammate Imari Knight tops the unit with six blocked shots.
