Game 16 | SLC Game 6 | Southeastern (9-6, 5-0 SLC) at McNeese (8-10, 3-2 SLC)
Feb. 3, 2022 | 5 p.m. | Legacy Center | Lake Charles, La.
Series History: McNeese leads 43-33
Last Meeting: Southeastern 65, McNeese 49 (Feb. 24, 2021 | Lake Charles, La.)
Television: None
Audio: www.LionSports.net/ListenLive
            Announcer: Kemmler Chapple
Live Video (McNeese subscription required) | Live Audio | Live Stats

Game 17 | SLC Game 7 | Southeastern (9-6, 5-0 SLC) at HBU (8-8, 4-1 SLC)
Feb. 5, 2022 | 2 p.m. | Sharp Gym | Houston, Texas
Series History: SLU leads 5-1
Last Meeting: Southeastern 69, HBU 59 (Dec. 21, 2019 | Houston, Texas)
Television: ESPN+
Audio: www.LionSports.net/ListenLive
            Announcer: Kemmler Chapple
Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
 
HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's basketball team will look to maintain its Southland Conference lead when it hits the road for a pair of league contests this week.
 
On Thursday, the Lady Lions (9-6, 5-0 Southland) travel to McNeese (8-10, 3-2 Southland) for a 5 p.m. contest in Lake Charles. SLU will be in Houston on Saturday to take on HBU (8-8, 4-1 Southland) in a 2 p.m. matinee.
 
Both of this week's games can be heard online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive. Thursday's game will feature an available video stream (McNeese subscription required) at www.McNeeseSports.com. Saturday's game will be televised on ESPN+.
 
SLU extended its best-ever Southland start with a 76-49 victory over UIW last Saturday in Hammond. Southeastern outscored the Cardinals, 38-22, in the second half on the way to the win.
 
Caitlyn Williams was named Southland Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Lady Lions with 16 points and seven rebounds on Saturday. Morgan Carrier shared game-high honors with 16 points. Taylor Bell added 14 points and six rebounds, while Hailey Giaratano paced Southeastern with six assists and five steals.
 
The balanced Southeastern offense features eight players with scoring averages of 5.0 points per game or higher and leads the Southland with a 42.1 field goal percentage. Williams leads the Southland with a 58.2 success rate from the floor and shares team-high scoring honors with Giaratano, as both starters average 8.5 points per game.
 
Carrier (7.8 ppg), Breonca Ducksworth (6.8 ppg) and Morgan Davis (6.8 ppg) are the other top scorers for the Lady Lions. Giaratano (3.1 apg, 2^nd), Cierria Cunningham (2.9 apg, 4^th) and Ducksworth (2.4 apg, 8^th) all rank among the Southland assist leaders, while Giaratano leads the league with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Williams is third in the conference with 8.1 rebounds per contest, as SLU enters this week's action with a plus-5.3 rebounding margin. The Brusly, Louisiana native is seventh in program history with 764 career rebounds.
 
Carrier is ninth in the conference with 20 three-point field goals made. The New Iberia, Louisiana native is among the program's all-time leaders in career three-point field goals made (152, 4^th) and attempted (437, 5^th).
 
On the defensive end, Southeastern is allowing 54.3 points per game, including 50.8 points per contest versus league opponents. Ducksworth leads SLU with 24 steals, while Giaratano has blocked 12 shots to pace the Lady Lions. Williams' 87 blocked shots represent the third-highest total in school history.
 
After opening its conference slate with an 0-2 mark, McNeese has won three straight Southland contests heading into this week's action.
 
The Cowgirls, who lead the Southland with 162 three-point field goals made, are led by the duo of Kalli Chamberlain (10.3 ppg) and Desirae Hansen (10.2 ppg). Divine Tanks comes into Thursday's contest with a game-high 7.4 rebounds per game.
 
Southeastern is 33-43 all-time versus its in-state rival. The Lady Lions have won three of the last four meetings with the Cowgirls. Last season, each team won on the other's home courts in a split of the season series.
 
HBU, which hosts Northwestern State on Thursday, defeated New Orleans, 58-49, and Nicholls, 67-58, in last week's action to stay within one game of the Southland lead.
 
The Huskies are led by Timia Jefferson, as the preseason All-Southland selection is averaging 14.5 points per contest. N'Denasija Collins is second on the team with 11.4 points per outing to go with a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game.
 
Southeastern is 5-1 all-time versus HBU. SLU has won the last four meetings between the two teams, who will be facing off for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
 
Following the trip, SLU will return home to host McNeese on Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the University Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN+ and can be heard online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive.
 
Kacey Bradford and Chrissy Brown will be Thursday's Spotlight Players of the Game. The first 150 fans at the SLU home game versus the Cowgirls will receive trading cards featuring the Lady Lion juniors, courtesy of PRIDE.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women's Basketball, follow @LionUpWBB on Twitter, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.