HAMMOND, La. – The reigning Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University women's basketball team returns to action in Hammond, America Thursday to kick off the third week of conference play, taking on Northwestern for a 6 p.m. matchup at the Pride Roofing University Center.
 
The game between Southeastern (8-7, 4-0 SLC) and Northwestern State (6-9, 2-2 SLC) opens the week. Southeastern will return Saturday afternoon to host Texas A&M-Commerce (7-7, 2-2 SLC) for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
 
Both games will be on ESPN+ and will also be heard in the Hammond area on 90.9 The Lion. Streaming audio of 90.9 The Lion broadcasts is available online, at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive or www.LionUpRadio.org, or through the following apps - Lions' Gameday, TuneIn and MyTuner Radio. Live stats can be accessed on the women's basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
Southeastern ended the week two of conference play 4-0 after major fourth quarter runs in both matchups. The Lady Lions defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 61-58 at home, before gaining a 77-63 overtime win over McNeese on the road.
 
In the win over McNeese, career highs from sophomore Jalencia Pierre (21 points) and junior Dijone' Flowers (10 points) helped SLU remain undefeated in conference. Pierre was named SLC Women's Basketball Player of the Week after the 21-point performance along with five assists and four steals. Pierre shot the clutch three-pointer from downtown to tie the game with seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter.
 
Junior transfer Cheyanne Daniels also ended the game in double-digit scoring with 18 points, five blocks and eight rebounds alongside Hailey Giaratano who added 12 points and five assists. The Lady Lions have continued to rely on bench production that achieved a 24-0-point advantage over McNeese's reserves in Saturday's win.
 
Southeastern is looking to keep its winning streak going into week three of conference led by Giaratano with 11.9 points per game, followed by Daniels (11.0 ppg), Taylor Bell (9.2 ppg), Jalencia Pierre (8.2 ppg), and key reserve Allasia Washington (6.8 ppg). Giaratano (3.27 apg) and Pierre (2.64 apg) are ranked among the top ten in the conference for assists, while Daniels and Bell are also ranked in the top ten for blocked shots with 16 and 11, respectively.
 
The Lady Lions continue to lead the SLC in turnover margin (+5.27), forcing opponents to 18 turnovers a game led by Bell with 1.9 steals per game. Southeastern also ranks second in field goal percentage defense, holding teams in the conference to 35.6 percent.
 
Northwestern State went 1-1 in week two after a win over HCU before falling to UIW at home. Northwestern averages 59.9 points per game led by senior guard Jiselle Woodson with 11.7 ppg. Woodson also leads the team in assists (47) and steals (22) this season. Sharna Ayres, Karmelah Dean and Jenny Ntambwe are also weapons for the Lady Demons.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce also went 1-1 in its two conference home games against UIW and HCU. Commerce leads the conference in scoring offense (70.0), free-throw percentage (73.1), 3-point FG made (7.57) and defensive rebounds per game (28.64). The Lions are led by Mia Deck averaging 13.9 ppg and 6.1 rebounds. Mary Delagdo (12.9 ppg), Jordyn Newsome (11.9 ppg) and Ahmya Boyce (11.1 ppg) also consistently contribute double-digit scoring for Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
Thursday's game will honor junior transfer Mackenzie Thomas and Terri Crawford (Jan. 20) as the Spotlight Player of the Game. The first 150 fans will receive a trading card featuring the players courtesy of PRIDE. At halftime of Thursday's game, Southeastern will also recognize SLU's national championship-winning cheerleading squad and Lionnette dance team. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on 90.9 The Lion. The Pride Roofing University Center would like to extend a special welcome to the Hammond Community on Family Day Saturday afternoon.
 
After Saturday's game, Southeastern will start the week on the road traveling to HCU for a 6 p.m. matchup Jan. 25 before taking on Lamar at 3 p.m. Jan. 27.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women's Basketball, follow @LionUpWBB on X, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern offers mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.

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.