HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana women's basketball team will return to action on Sunday, facing in-state foe Louisiana-Lafayette at 2 p.m. in the Earl K. Long Gym on the Louisiana-Lafayette campus.

Sunday's game between the Lady Lions (5-1) and host Ragin' Cajuns (3-4) will be the first of two meetings between the in-state rivals this season. On Dec. 21, Louisiana-Lafayette will be making a return trip to Hammond for a 7 p.m. contest.

The game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net. Live stats and live video (subscription required) will be available at www.ragincajuns.com.

Southeastern opened the season with five consecutive wins for the first time since the 1988-89 season and continues to receive votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. In their last outing, the Lady Lions suffered their first loss of the season, falling 106-41 to No. 2/3 Baylor.

Southeastern is averaging 71.3 points per game and ranks second in the Southland in scoring offense. Junior guard Kelli Jenkins leads the team with 10.2 points per game. Junior guard Latoria Holder (9.8 ppg), senior forward Rashima Jenkins (8.7 ppg), freshman forward Aja Gibson (8.7 ppg) and senior guard Chelsea Hix (7.7 ppg).

Hix is also the team's best outside shooter, ranking eighth in the Southland with 2.3 three-point field goals per game. The Canton, Ga. native also ranks among the school's career leaders in three-point field goals made, three-point field goals attempted and three-point field goal percentage.

Southeastern's offensive output is bolstered by a Southland-high 43.3 percent field goal percentage. Led by Gibson and her 53.3 field goal percentage, Southeastern features five of the Southland's top 15 most accurate shooters. Gibson ranks second in the league, followed by Holder (47.9, 6th), Rashima Jenkins (47.6, 7th), Kelli Jenkins (44.8, 10th) and senior center Rachel Mackie (44.2, 12th).

Kelli Jenkins has been the league's top distributor through the first month of the season, averaging 5.7 assists per contest. The Plaquemine native also ranks ninth on the school's career assists list.

Southeastern is averaging 40.3 rebounds per contest and has a league-best plus-5.3 rebounding margin. Rashima Jenkins leads the team and ranks sixth in the Southland with 7.7 rebounds per game. Mackie (5.0 rpg) and junior forward Shauna Stewart (4.6 rpg) are the other top rebounders on the team.

Defensively, Southeastern is holding opponents to 64.5 points per game, forcing 25.0 turnovers per contest and averaging a league-best 14.2 steals per game. Senior guard Mary Fountain is tops on the squad and fourth in the Southland with 2.8 steals per game. Holder (2.7, 6th), Kelli Jenkins (1.8, 14th) and Rashima Jenkins (1.7, 15th) also rank among the league's steal per game leaders.

Louisiana-Lafayette is coming off a 65-52 home loss to Southeastern's Southland Conference East Division foe McNeese State on Thursday. Junior forward Mercedes Johnson led the Cajuns with 13 points, while senior guard Jasmine Barnes added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds in the loss.

Through seven games, Louisiana-Lafayette is averaging 68.1 points per game and shooting 42.3 percent from the field. Johnson leads the team with 16.0 points per game. Junior guard Danyell Oliver (11.0 ppg), Barnes (9.1 ppg), senior forward Lyndra Bell (6.6 ppg) and junior point guard Danielle Smith (6.1 ppg) are the other top scorers for the Ragin' Cajuns. Junior guard Nicole Morris is the team's top distributor, averaging 2.6 assists per outing.

Louisiana-Lafayette is averaging 40.4 rebounds per game. Barnes leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest, followed by Johnson with 5.6 boards per outing. Opponents are averaging 40.7 rebounds per game against the Cajuns.

Defensively, Louisiana-Lafayette is holding opponents to 62.0 points per game and forcing opponents into 20.6 turnovers per game. Barnes and Oliver share the team lead with 1.1 steals per game. Junior center Kemi Rotibi is average a team-best 1.1 blocked shots per contest.

Southeastern is 28-10 all-time versus its in-state rival and swept the season series from Louisiana-Lafayette in 2009-10. In their meeting in Lafayette, Southeastern took a 72-61 win behind 17 points from then-senior forward Zevy Ivory.

Following Sunday's game, Southeastern will continue its road swing on Saturday, Dec. 11, facing Ole Miss at 1 p.m. in Oxford, Miss. The game with the Rebels will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.