Next Game: Salem vs. Greensboro| January 28| Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 2:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT (vs. Mary Baldwin)
Dionne Sampson came through with a game-high 22 points while Minnie Griffin added 20 points to help lead Salem to its first USA South Conference win of the season by a 70-53 margin over Mary Baldwin at Varsity Gym on Wednesday evening.
Joining the pair in double figures was Alize Munn, who scored 12 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Sampson knocked down 50 percent of her shots from the floor (9-18), while converting 4-of-6 at the free throw line. She was also active defensively with seven steals, which ties for the ninth-most in a single-game in Salem history.
Griffin, like Munn, reached double figures off the bench for Salem. Griffin was successful on 8-of-20 field goals, 3-of-4 free throws and reached the 20-point plateau for the second time this season. She also climbed the glass for seven rebounds, tying Munn for the team-high in that category.
Cree Bass was also a key contributor for Salem with six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Cristina Battistini closed out the game with a solid performance with six rebounds, four points and four steals.
Salem knocked down 27-of-76 (35.5%) from the field in the contest along with 14-of-19 (73.7%) at the free throw line. The biggest differential on the court came in steals, where Salem had a 26-5 advantage. The 26 steals marked the second-most in a league game for Salem in program history, six off the record established against Agnes Scott on January 11, 2014.
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES TO THE UPCOMING SCHEDULE
On Thursday morning William Peace Director of Athletics Claude Shields announced that the women's basketball team will not be competing for the rest of the season. The Spirits had a pair of upcoming games scheduled against the Pacers on Tuesday, January 31st and Saturday, February 11th, neither of which will be played.
These games are technically "no contests" in the eyes of the NCAA. No team/coach gets a win; no team/coach gets a loss in terms of overall or career records. The wins/losses are only recorded in the Conference standings for seeding purposes.
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN VERSUS GREENSBORO
Greensboro enters the second meeting of the two programs with a 16-1 all-time record against Salem. The two teams first met on January 4, 2008, with The Pride claiming that win by a 92-38 score.
The Pride have won the last 13 head-to-head meetings with Salem, since posting a 71-68 victory on November 24, 2015. Salem's lone victory came on December 8, 2013, at Varsity Gym by a 60-59 score.
CLOSING IN ON 600 CAREER POINTS
After a 22-point effort on Wednesday evening against Mary Baldwin, Salem's senior guard Dionne Sampson, who leads all scorers with 227 points (12.6 ppg) in the 2022-23 season, has accrued 596 points in her Spirits' career.
Sampson, who topped the 200-point plateau for the second time in as many seasons, enters the weekend four 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 10 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 227 points, converting 71-of-246 from the floor and 74-of-109 (67.9%) 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.
Alize Munn leapfrogged teammate Tamsi Echendu in scoring with her second straight double-digit scoring game, delivering 12 against Mary Baldwin, to give her 163 points on the season. Munn is hitting 69-of-140 from the floor (49.3%) and has knocked down 25-of-41 (61%) at the free throw line.
Echendu is third on the unit is scoring with 160 points, scoring 52 at the free throw line, while serving as the most efficient shooter (51.9%) on the roster by virtue of hitting 54-of-104 from the floor. Cree Bass, who ranks fourth on the Salem roster in scoring, has provided the punch from 3-point range this season, hitting 20-of-72 from long distance.
Echendu has also been a presence in the paint for Salem with a team-high 112 rebounds, including 52 on the offensive glass. Echendu is followed in rebounding by Munn (88 rebounds) and Savanah Atkins (67).
Defensively, Munn has also made her presence felt with 18 blocks, moving her to 14th all-time 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 PRIDE
Greensboro brings a 14-game winning streak into its clash with Salem after posting an 82-69 victory over N.C. Wesleyan on Wednesday evening at Hanes Gym.
The Pride, who are 17-2 overall and 12-0 in the USA South Conference, began their streak with a 78-63 win at Pfeiffer on December 6th. Greensboro has scored at least 80 points on nine occasions during their current 14-game streak.
The top individual scorer for head coach Heather Macy's squad is Audrey Jennings, who has 298 points (15.7 ppg). Meanwhile, teammates Ta'Keria Leggette (269), Karli Mason (212) and Quadijah Moore (207) have also eclipsed the 200-point barrier for Greensboro this season. Lauren Livingstone sits just 12 points from becoming the fifth Greensboro player this season from reaching 200 entering Saturday's contest.
Legette leads all Greensboro shooters in field goals made with 102, while Moore has been the most efficient shooter, hitting 86-of-163 (52.8%), among starters. Mason has provided the outside scoring punch, knocking down a team-high 58 3-pointers, with Aliyah Whiteside (25), Jennings (23), Leggette (21) and Livingstone (21), rounding out the Top-3 3-point shooters.
Jennings has amassed 81 of her team-best 298 points at the free throw line, hitting 85.3 percent along the way.
Defensively, Aijah Palmore leads the unit with 173 total rebounds, grabbing 122 on the defensive glass. Moore has also been a presence in the paint with 127 rebounds (84 defensive), making her second for The Pride, to go along with her team-best 33 blocks. Legette has climbed the glass for 95 boards, third-most on the team, while forcing a team-high 75 steals.